Contributed by Ron Inglis, October 2021:
On his ‘Application for Enrolment for Active Service’ form, carpenter Henry Ernest Horton gave his postal address as Stanley Street, Auburn. According to a letter from Miss M Cox of ‘Drumtoothy, Silverwater, Auburn’, Horton was raised by her mother but this did not affect the distribution of medals in 1922-1923 (refer below).
Private Horton was among the great surge of enlistment in Australia in the third quarter of 1915. He enlisted on 10 July, indicating he had been born in ’Silverwater near the town of Auburn’ but he nominated his brother John, in Thirroul, as his next-of-kin. Horton declared his age as 25yrs 1 month.
After training in Australia, Horton embarked on the Argyllshire on 30 September 1915. He was too late for Gallipoli but, having arrived in Egypt by 31 December 1915, he was awarded the 1914-1915 Star.
On 8 January 1916, at the Tel-el-Kebir camp in Egypt, Horton was taken on strength of the 19th Battalion and he moved off with them to the Western Front, arriving in the French port of Marseilles on 25 March 1916.
Taken by train to northern France, the 19th Battalion settled in to the ‘Nursery Sector’ and was engaged in the skirmish activities of trench raids and random shelling. Horton was killed in action on 29 May 1916. He was buried in the Brewery Orchard Cemetery in the town of Bois Grenier. The Brewery Orchard Cemetery contains 344 identified casualties of the First World War (UK 205, Australia 125, New Zealand 13, Germany 1).
In his will, Horton left everything to his young nephew, also named Henry Ernest Horton. Horton’s brother, John, died in Waterfall Hospital leaving Master Horton the ‘only blood relative in the world’. So Master Horton received his uncle's medals, scroll and plaque, because blood relatives ranked higher than adoptive parents in medals distribution. Based on the will, Master Horton also received his uncle's deferred pay and personal effects.
Henry Horton is honoured on the following memorials in Australia:
- Auburn War Memorial
- Municipality of Auburn 1914-1919 Honour Roll
- Roll of Honour Australian War Memorial Canberra
His decorations:
- British War Medal
- 1914-20 Victory Medal
- 1914-1915 Star
