Need help finding information on WW2 RAF service man Dennis Houghton

[Genealogist19]

So I'm new to this site but I need some help finding out information (pretty much anything) in a WW2 RAF service man called Dennis Houghton.

He was an acquaintance of my great grandmother (they may have dated but I am not sure). My great grandmother passed away in 2020 which is when my dad found this letter she had kept which was sent from Dennis back in June 1941. She had never talked about him before (at least none of my living relatives had heard of him) but she had kept it for a while so I have been really interested to find out what happened to him, if there is any information on him.

Information I know:

Name: Dennis Houghton (may have a middle name)
- Was part of the RAF during WW2 (Mentions in his letter he was part of the medical staff on board the ship so I am a bit confused)
- May have enlisted around May 1940 in either Uxbridge, Gloucester or Penarth (at least according to some records)
- Service number: 1257998
- H.Q. RAF (A 6458A) --> I don't know if this has any significance but he had included it in his letter.
- In his letter he notes that his parents lived on the east coast at Lowestoft.
- His birthday may have been around July/August as he mentions how in 2 to 3 weeks he would celebrate his birthday and the letter was dated 20/4/1941.
- He may have served in South East Asia as in his letter he mentions being in tropical kit and being somewhere in the tropics. He also talks about stopping off somewhere where the locals had long narrow canoes and sold pineapples, coconuts and mangoes etc. He also mentions about the local women carrying around massive loads on their heads. (Probably was a colonial possession as he describes the port as having European shops.
- He met my great grandmother at a dance at St John's Hall (probably in Morecambe) but I can find little record of this place. This means he may have had some connection up in Lancashire.

I know that was probably hard to understand but I would be most grateful if any of you could help me or at least advise me on any place or website I could look for records.

[Andy J2022]

It appears your posting has slipped under the radar of the RAF experts here, so I'll give it bash.

Nothing turns up in the service records that are available online which completely fit the description you provided but on the assumption that he survived WW2 that's not surprising as his service record will still be with the MOD. Unfortunately,you can't request a copy of his service record as you can't prove that he is dead. For the sake of completeness the process for applying is explained here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/request-records-of-deceased-service-personnel

I have found a reference to a Sergeant Harry Dennis Houghton in the RAF Volunteer Reserve a fighter pilot who was killed in action over France on 28 Apr 1943 (full details on FindMyPast). However this is not the same man, as his service number was 939010.

I have no idea what A6458A refers to. It looks like a Unit Identity Number but that doesn't really get us anywhere.

As for his birthday, surely 2 to 3 weeks from 20th April puts it in mid May rather than July/August?

Nothing obvious turns up for a Harry Houghton in the Lowestoft, Uxbridge, Gloucester or Penarth areas in the 1939 register, but I imagine you've already tried that possibility.

The only other thing I can suggest is that you go on one of the many RAF old comrades forums (eg https://www.facebook.com/RAFMSVA/ ) and see if his name rings a bell. Quite a long shot I admit, since most of his former colleagues will now be dead, but his name may just crop up in some reminiscences or in the unit entries in old RAF journals ( https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/perusing-periodicals-in-the-raf-museum-library/ )

[steviebyday]

 there's a Dennis A Houghton, b 11/7/1922,living in Lowestoft in 1939, apprentice printer
   address 56 stevens st with his mother, father, sister and a brother.

[Annette7]

there's a Dennis A Houghton, b 11/7/1922,living in Lowestoft in 1939, apprentice printer
   address 56 stevens st with his mother, father, sister and a brother.

This was Dennis Albert Houghton and he is listed in UK London Gazettes World War II Military Notices on Ancestry - confirms his service number was indeed 1257998 - and has a date of 5/2/1945.   I thought these notices referred to people killed in the war but there is nothing shown for this person on CWGC casualty listings.    Nor can I find a likely death in UK for this person at any time so as he effectively 'disappears' after this 1945 listing perhaps it was indeed a notice of his death.   However, if so, why is he not listed as a casualty on CWGC? 

Annette

[mckha489]

There is this death


HOUGHTON, DENNIS  ALBERT     1922 
GRO Reference:  DOR  Q3/2015 in ESSEX  (463-1E)  Entry Number 512495964

[Genealogist19]

there's a Dennis A Houghton, b 11/7/1922,living in Lowestoft in 1939, apprentice printer
   address 56 stevens st with his mother, father, sister and a brother.

This was Dennis Albert Houghton and he is listed in UK London Gazettes World War II Military Notices on Ancestry - confirms his service number was indeed 1257998 - and has a date of 5/2/1945.   I thought these notices referred to people killed in the war but there is nothing shown for this person on CWGC casualty listings.    Nor can I find a likely death in UK for this person at any time so as he effectively 'disappears' after this 1945 listing perhaps it was indeed a notice of his death.   However, if so, why is he not listed as a casualty on CWGC? 

Annette

Thanks so much for the help. My dad and I found a record on a family tree for a Dennis Houghton (1922 -2015) who lived in Lowestoft and after more research are pretty certain it could be him. It's just a shame that it's difficult for me to get hold of records for him as I don't have the luxury of visiting the libraries as I don't live in the UK but hopefully I can find more about him.