Major-General R D (‘Titch’) Houghton

Major General “Titch” Houghton, Royal Marines, who has died aged 98, was the second in command of 40 Commando, the first of nine Royal Marine Commandos which fought in the Second War World, who was taken prisoner in the Dieppe raid in 1942 and who led the commandos in the postwar years.
Houghton’s baptism of fire was on August 19, 1942 during Operation Jubilee, when in support of the main assault by Canadian troops, 40 Commando was intended to destroy port facilities and to form a reserve. They crossed the Channel in the river gunboat Locust and a flotilla of Free French chasseurs, arriving off Dieppe at about 0530, and disembarked into several LCAs (Landing Craft Assault).
It was a fine morning though smoke covered the shore and as Locust attempted to force the harbour entrance, she came under heavy fire from German batteries which the preliminary bombardment of the area had failed to silence. After Locust had been repeatedly hit, her captain withdrew to seaward: meanwhile the Canadians were pinned down on the beaches by heavy fire and barbed wire entanglements.
40 Commando was now ordered to land on the eastern end of the beach, but as the LCAs approached the shore they came under intense machinegun and mortar fire, and, under such withering crossfire their commanding officer, Lt Col J P Phillips, ordered them to turn and head out to sea.
However, Houghton in his landing craft continued towards the shore and grounded in shallow water. Heavy fire made landing impossible so Houghton pulled out and moved to the centre of the beach where he got ashore, but as he stormed the beach, the LCA blew up behind him.
In Houghton’s own words “Ironically the doctor was our first casualty, but further casualties quickly followed. We advanced as far as the promenade wall where further progress was barred by thick wire entanglements swept by enemy fire. Pinned in this position with practically no cover, unable to move forward and without any means of returning by sea we concentrated our efforts on inflicting as much damage as possible on the enemy positions. Lacking any form of communication with our own forces we continued until the official time of withdrawal had passed. The beach was strafed by our own aircraft at 1400 hours as part of the withdrawal programme and it was just the luck of the draw that we found ourselves on the receiving end.”
Of 370 officers and men in 40 Commando, 76, including Phillips, were killed, and Houghton, after fighting against overwhelming odds, was taken prisoner, though for many months he was reported as dead.
Later that year, in an act of vengeance, Hitler ordered commando prisoners to be shackled and Houghton was handcuffed for 411 days. Afterwards he was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery at Dieppe and for his endurance as a prisoner of war.
Robert Dyer Houghton was born on March 7, 1912, and educated at Hailebury. He joined the Royal Marines in 1930, and served in the battleship Malaya before qualifying as a small arms instructor. In 1935 he commanded an anti-aircraft battery of the Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation (MNBDO) which, following the Italian invasion of Abyssinia, was deployed to Egypt to protect the Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria.
The MNBDO had been thrown together hurriedly, had moved within four days, and while at Alexandria had to train together for the first time while being at short notice to move to an advanced based in Crete. This situation was an excellent training opportunity for a young officer, and Houghton, now 23, entered into his work with great enthusiasm, showing considerable energy, vitality and determination. He soon earned the respect of his men and it was apparent that they liked serving under him though many were older and had seen longer service. They appreciated his sense of fun and aggressive determination. By the time he returned to Chatham it was beginning to be recognised that he had considerable leadership potential.
Soon after the outbreak of war Houghton was promoted to captain and appointed adjutant of the 1st Battalion, Royal Marines, and he joined the RM Commando in early 1942.
On his return in 1945 from prison camp in Germany Houghton was briefly commanding officer of 45 Commando until selected for the Army staff course. On completion he was delighted to be given command of 40 Commando.
His leadership was tested when, in 1948, his Commando was sent to Haifa to cover the end of the British Palestine Mandate and the withdrawal of British troops. Animosity towards the British by Arabs and Jews was high, and there was looting and violence by extremists. Houghton’s task was to keep the port open, and mount searches to prevent arms being smuggled in from visiting ships.
In April a series of vicious skirmishes took place between Jewish paramilitaries of the Haganah and Arab forces, and Houghton had to keep the peace while some 37,000 Arabs were evacuated from Haifa. He also had to house and feed large numbers of refugees who sought sanctuary in the dockyard.
The final evacuation took place on June 30, smoothly and without incident, 40 Commando being the last to leave. For his outstanding leadership and distinguished service Houghton was awarded the OBE.
He was subsequently appointed in succession, to the Joint Services Staff College, as staff Officer (Intelligence) to the Commander in Chief South Atlantic, to command the Commando School, and as director of the Royal Marines Reserve.
In August 1957 Houghton was appointed Commander 3rd Commando Brigade, then based in Malta, where he devoted his boundless energy and leadership to bringing the brigade to a peak of efficiency and readiness for any emergency. He took his commandos to Libya, Turkey, Greece, Sardinia and Cyprus on a series of well-run exercises, and he oversaw pioneering trials of helicopters in commando assaults.
There were numerous trouble spots in the Mediterranean, and Malta itself suffered politically inspired unrest when Houghton’s brigade assisted the civilian police in quelling riots and restoring calm.
Houghton was insistent that “the fire brigad, of the Mediterranean,” as he called it, should be able to move anywhere at twelve hours’ notice, and his orders were written for no less than seventeen different scenarios. He was tested when brigade’s advance party flew to Libya, and the main body followed by sea in anticipation of a political crisis becoming a threat to British nationals. Before the main body landed, however, a greater problem arose in Cyprus whereupon the rear party, still in Malta, became the advance party to Cyprus, to be replaced in Malta by the advance party which returned from Libya, while the main body altered course for Cyprus. Houghton thrived on such situations.
In 1959 he was appointed commanding officer of the Royal Marines in Deal and commandant of the Royal Marines School of Music. His last two appointments were as Director Joint Warfare Staff, and Major General Royal Marines in Portsmouth. He was awarded the CB and retired in 1964.
In retirement he was president of 40 Commando Association (1942-1946) and regularly attended reunions in the Isle-of-Wight where they had been based before and after the Dieppe raid. In 1973 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Sussex, and from 1968 to 1978 he was general secretary of the Royal United Kingdom Beneficent Association.
Houghton was a more sensitive man than many appreciated. Though he never let it affect his attitude, outspokenness or actions he very much minded how people saw him. He was naturally impetuous and forceful, set off by a great sense of exuberance and fun which particularly revealed itself in a love for the rather more lively officers’ mess games. Like many short people he unconsciously compensated by speaking rather more loudly than necessary, and if at all possible would seek a stair to stand on when communicating with others. He could never suffer fools, and any repeated incompetence was always swiftly, but kindly dealt with. He strongly resented unwarranted interference from higher authority, which from the number of notes, memos and letters which he continually fired off, must have been very frequent.
Above all, Houghton was a leader, respected and admired by his fellow officers and by the men he led. His standards were set high, but he was listened to and followed because he was believed in and trusted.
Though he always maintained that the interests of the service came first, he was a devoted family man and his wife was a willing and serious partner in her unofficial duties. With his sons he build a model railway in his garden at Lewes, which runs today and he was president of the Gauge One Model Railway Association for over 40 years during which he increased its membership ten-fold and turned it into an international organization of mutual interest and goodwill.
Houghton, who died on January 17, 2011, married Dorothy Lyons in 1940. She died in 1995 and he is survived by their two sons, and a daughter who is the Reverend Canon Lucy Murdoch.