South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 24 October 1942
Broadcast From India.
A letter from the British Broadcasting Corporation, informing Mr. and Mrs. G. Horton, 16, Albert Road, West Melton that their younger son, Pte. William Horton K.0.Y.L.I., would broadcast a message of greetings to them from India on Friday morning was received with great joy, not only the clerks they hear their son’s voice for the first time in nearly three years, but because they had had no letter from their son since, before Christmas, and no definite news of his whereabouts since the beginning of February this year.
Two days after receiving the welcome letter they had an air graph from their own, in which he said: “Just a few lines to let you know that I am all right and hoping you are the same. I have not received a letter for the last twelve months, mother, but don’t worry. I told you I was all right.”
Mr. and Mrs. Horton have always written to William regularly and sent cablegrams. His broadcast message on Friday came over the air quite clearly, although Mrs. Horton thought he sounded much older than when he went away. He said he was safe and happy in India and in the best of health, asked to be remembered to his brothers and sisters, and wished them all the best of luck.
“Billie.” as he is known to his West Melton friends, was formerly employed at Wath Main Colliery. He volunteered for the Forces In Nov. 1939, along with his friend, Ernest Caddick, of Garden Street, West Melton, and was drafted to Burma two months later.
In February his parents received notification from the Record Office that he had been reported wounded on Feb. 15th, but it had not been reported to what hospital he had been admitted.
Mrs. Horton made enquiries, in which she was greatly helped by Mrs. M. C. Martyn, of Wath, but could get no definite news of her son’s whereabouts, although two sons of Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Sam and Arthur), serving in India, wrote a letter to their parents in which they said they had seen Billie in India and he told them he was going into the hills for a rest.
Mr. and Mrs. Horton’s elder son, Bernard, who is married, is a member of the N.F.S. at Doncaster.
One daughter, Muriel, is a land girl at Southport, and a married daughter. Jean, was formerly a nurse at Mexborough Montagu Hospital.