THE VILLAGERS OF COLLINGHAM AND LINTON WHO SERVED IN WORLD WAR TWO

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This site commemorates the men and women of Collingham and Linton who served during World War 2.
Horton, Philip Dennis
(1912-1993)
 
World War 2 medal rolls are not available. The medal ribbons shown above are those we believe would have been awarded.

Rank and Unit at End of World War Two

Rank

Service Number 535186

Service RAF

Unit

Regiment Royal Air Force

Connection with Collingham, Linton or Micklethwaite and reason for inclusion on this web site
  • Lived in Collingham or Linton immediately prewar or during the war
    (Usually taken from 1938 electoral roll or 1939 National Registration roll)
  • Named as a Voter on the 1945 or 1946 Service List Electoral Roll for Collingham or Linton
  • Address in 1939 or 1945/46: Lyndhurst, Linton Road, Collingham
    (taken from either the 1939 National Registration or the 1945 and/or 1946 service electoral rolls)

Biography

Philip Dennis Horton's name appears on the 1945 and 1946 Service Electoral Rolls listed at Lyndhurst, Linton Road, Collingham but we don't have much information about how much time he actually lived in Collingham.

Family background

Philip Dennis Horton was born on the 22nd September 1912 in Sunderland, the son of Alfred John Horton and his wife, Jane Emily Horton (nee Francis). In 1921, at the time of the census, Alfred and Jane were living at 24 Roman Place, Roundhay in Leeds. Alfred was a commercial traveller selling biscuits and chocolate for the famous biscuit company of Peek Freans. With Alfred and Jane were their three children, John W Horton, Margaret Alice Horton and Philip. The family had clearly moved around a bit in the 1910s as the eldest child, John, was 23 years old and had been born in East Ham, London, while the second child, Margaret was 19, born in Manor Park London, and finally Philip was 8 years old and had been born in Sunderland. Philip was at school, Margaret was carrying out home duties and John was an accountant's clerk in Leeds.

Our next record of Philip was a surprise. In 1929, when Philip was only 16 years old, we find a record of him boarding a ship to emigrate to Australia! Between 1921 and 1929, Overseas Settlement Office within the British Dominions Office encouraged British adults and children to settle in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Between those dates around 221,000 new settlers were attracted by advertising campaigns, and those that travelled got assisted passage to Australia. It seems that Philip was one of those travellers.

On the 10th July 1929 Philip boarded the TSS Hobsons Bay in Southampton bound for Sydney. Philip was 16 and was described as a scholar from Lidgett Park Avenue, Roundhay, Leeds. The ship arrived in Freemantle (Perth) on the 8th August 1929 and passengers were landed at Freemantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The records show that Philip landed at Sydney on the 19th August 1929. Philip was part of the Empire Settlement Scheme and perhaps was driven to find a better life in Australia as a way to escape the Great Depression.

Whatever Philip's intentions had been for living in Australia our next record shows that he did not permanently stay in Australia. On the 22nd July 1932 Philip disembarked in Southampton having travelled on the Jervis Bay from Brisbane. He was then described as a 19 year old farm hand and he again gave the Lidgett Park Avenue address in Roundhay as his address.

Philip's parents moved from Roundhay to Collingham sometime between 1932 and 1934, and in 1934, 1935 and 1936 Philip's name appears on the Collingham electoral roll living at Lyndhurst, Linton Road, Collingham with his parents and sister.

Philip's father died at Collingham on the 3rd May 1937 and in 1939 Philip's widowed mother is still living at Lyndhurst in Collingham with her daughter, Margaret Alice, but Margaret has by that date married to George Lumb. Philip does not appear on the National Registration roll in Collingham, and we believe he was already serving.

Service record

A man named Philip Dennis Horton joined the RAF as an airhand sometime after 1925 and was allocated the service number 535186. We have not further identified this man or his service, but we think it is likely that this was 'our' Philip Dennis Horton.

After the war

After the Second World War, Philip Dennis Horton's name remains associated with Collingham through the electoral rolls every year from 1945 to 1961. In each case the record is annotated with a S indicating a serving man so Philip appears to have become a career serviceman and to have remained in the RAF. A further confirmation of this, and a connection with Collingham is found in the list of names of British passengers embarking on the SS Empire Windrush in Southampton on the 26th April 1951. A Mrs. D Horton, and a 1½ year old Master Horton, were travelling from Southampton to Port Said in Egypt to join her husband who was serving at RAF Fayid to join her husband serving in the RAF.

We have no record of Philip after 1951, but we believe that he died in Harrogate on the 9th December 1993

Biography last updated 24 January 2024 17:07:13.

If you have any photographs or further details about this person we would be pleased to hear from you. Please contact us via: alan.berry@collinghamanddistrictwararchive.info