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This data is related to World War 1
Trooper

Horace Morton

Service number 20690
Military unit 9th reserve battalion Cavalry Regiment
Address Nottingham
Date of birth
Date of death 07 Jul 1918 (22 years old)
Place of birth Beeston Nottingham
Employment, education or hobbies

in the 1911 census he was a milk seller

Family history

Horace Morton was born in 1896 at Nottingham, he was the son of William Henry a painter and decorator and Sarah Morton née Fletcher and the brother of Joseph, Harold, Benny, Richard, Elsie, Dorothy, Lilian May, Gladys, Eva, Miriam, Eric and Samuel Morton.

His father William Henry Morton was born in 1869 at Beeston, his mother Sarah Fletcher was born in 1873 also at Beeston, they were married on 24th January 1891 at St Johns Church Beeston, they went on to have 15 children, sady 2 were to die in infancy or early childhood.

In the 1911 census the family lived at 6 The City Beeston Nottingham, William Henry 42 yrs is a painter and decorator, he is living with his wife Sarah 38 yrs and their 13 children including John William 20 yrs a painter and decorator and Horace 15 yrs a milk seller

Military history

Trooper Horace Horton he volunteered for war service11. he had been working as a collier. Though aged only 17, he declared that he as 19 and on 6 September 1914 at Nottingham he was duly accepted for service with the Hussars of the Line at Colchester. On 10 October 1914 he was posted with the 9th Reserve Regiment of Cavalry for training. Sadly, after almost nine months service, after being admitted to the hospital connected to the Shorncliffe Camp in Kent, he was found to be unfit for military service and was discharged on 28 May 1915. A subsequent medical examination records that he had an enlarged heart and that he had developed dizziness and shortness of breath after strenuous gymnastics. He was issued with the Silver War Badge number 87641 on 8 November 1916.

But he was still keen to serve and, on 25 June 1917, he enlisted again maintaining his inflated age and stating that he had been working as a joiner's labourer at Chilwell. He was accepted and joined 80th Training Battalion, Sherwood Foresters at Newcastle but was discharged as physically unfit for service on 26 December 1917. On 25 June 1918, he was medically examined at the Military Hospital, Carrington, Nottingham where he was diagnosed with valvular disease of the heart (VDH) which had been aggravated by war service. as a result he was awarded a 40% Army Pension.

He died on 7th July 1918 of disease (pension record card)

Above information is from his army service/ pension record and Beeston Roll of Honour Great War 1914-1918 website copyright David Hallam

Extra information

He is not recorded on the cwgc website or Soldiers Died in the Great War website.

His brother Private Joseph William Morton enlisted at Nottingham, he served with the 10th battalion Sherwood Foresters Regiment, he died on 22nd October 1917, he is buried at Mendinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium. Plot 6. Row D. Grave 40.

additional research and information Peter Gillings

Photographs

No photos