Patrick Crofton “Pat” Horton

This story is shared by the Trust with kind permission from John Hamblin, Researcher.

Patrick Crofton Horton, 2nd Lieutenant 156645, 8th (Midlands) Battalion, Parachute Regiment, Army Air Corps. Killed in action on the 21st of August 1944, aged 25.

Patrick Crofton “Pat” Horton was born at Calcutta, India on the 7th of January 1919, the youngest of three sons of George Thomas Horton, managing director of Sykes & Co, a coach and carriage constructor, and Katherine Horton of the Bear Hotel, Devizes in Wiltshire. He was educated at Eastbourne College, where he was in Crosby House from January 1932 to July 1937. He was appointed as a School Prefect and as Head of House. He was a member of the 1 st Rugby XV for three years, where he played at scrum half, and was appointed as their Captain in 1937. He served as a Company Sergeant Major in the Officer Training Corps and was a member of the 1st Fives Team. He matriculated for St Catharine’s College, Cambridge on a Geography Exhibition on the 2nd of November 1937 where he read Geography. He left in June 1939 without completing his degree.

On leaving university he accepted a position with the Royal Empire Society in Northumberland Avenue, London. On the 28th of December 1940 he sailed for Sierra Leone on board the MV Abosso to work as a civil servant where he became Aide de Camp to the Governor. In February 1943 he appeared before magistrates accused of wearing the uniform of a Major in the Royal Berkshire Regiment and the ribbons of the DSO and MC. He had told people that he was on his way to Buckingham Palace to accept an award and was feted at a West End Club. His mother later said that an operation had affected his outlook on life. He was sentenced to 28 days imprisonment with hard labour and was fined £40 and a further £2 of costs.

He enlisted as Private 14427883 in the Parachute Regiment and rose to the rank of Acting Sergeant before landing in Normandy with the 8th Battalion of his Regiment on D-Day, the 6th of June 1944. On the 14th of August 1944, he was one of three Sergeants taken by their commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel A. S. Pearson DSO MC, to be interviewed by the General Officer Commanding the Division for an immediate commission. He was granted an emergency commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps on the 15th of August 1944 and was appointed as a Battalion Signals Officer.

At 10.30am on the morning of the 21st of August 1944, the 8th Battalion, Parachute Regiment received orders to attack the village of Annebault as part of Operation Paddle, which had begun on the 17th of August and was an attempt to trap retreating German forces between the Channel and the River Seine.

As the Battalion moved forward towards their objective they passed through the village of Dozulé where they came under enemy shelling but suffered no casualties. At 2pm the Battalion began the attack with C Company in the lead. As they advanced they came under fire from a group of buildings which they cleared and occupied but more fire was still coming from their front. C Company then moved off to the left flank while B Company took the lead. At around this time there was sporadic enemy shell fire from the direction of Le Bourg with bursts of fire from self-propelled guns on the road close to Battalion Headquarters. At the same time heavy rocket fire fell on the Headquarters area, killing Patrick Horton and four of the battalion signallers with another six men being wounded. By 7pm the Battalion had cut off most of the village and by 9pm they had sealed it off completely and mopping up operations began with fifty prisoners being taken. Casualties for the days fighting had been Patrick Horton and ten other ranks killed with twenty one other ranks wounded and two missing.

Patrick Horton is buried at Ranville War Cemetery, Plot IVA, Row G, Grave 14. He is commemorated on the war memorial at Eastbourne College and on the memorial at St Catherine’s College, Cambridge.