Colonel Murray Venables HILTON
Commanded the 3rd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment from February 1900 to February 1904.
Murray Venables Hilton was born at Badlesmere, Kent in 1856, son of the Reverend Clarence Jones Hilton and Katherine Elizabeth Hilton (nee Shirreff). Murray spent his early childhood with his parents at the Rectory of Badlesmere and Leaveland in Kent. Murray was educated at boarding school in Rugby, Warwickshire and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in to the 29th Foot (Worcestershire) from the Royal Military College on the 30th January 1878. Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on the 31st August 1878. On the 24th April 1879 he was made Adjutant of the 29th Foot with the rank of Lieutenant. Served with a wing of the Regiment with the Zhob Valley Expedition (Afghanistan) of 1884 under the command of Lieut.-Colonel J. C. Douglas, and was Adjutant. Promoted to the rank of Captain on the 20th November 1885 and the following year in June 1886 he transferred from the 1st Battalion to the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment. Promoted to the rank of Major on the 6th July 1892. Married Dora Elizabeth Watson in the winter of 1892 at Cuckfield, Sussex. Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on the 15th February 1900. |
Colonel M. V. Hilton |
As Lieutenant Colonel he commanded the 3rd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment from the 15th February 1900 to 14th February 1904 when he was placed on half-pay.
With the rank of Brevet Colonel he retired from the army on the 27th September 1905.
At the start of the First World War he was recalled to the Army as a General Staff Officer, 2nd Grade (GSO 2) on the 5th August 1914.
As Temporary Colonel he later Commanded the 7th Battalion East Lancashire Regiment during WW1 and was killed in action on 20/10/1915 (age 59) whilst commanding that battalion. His grave is at the Le Touret Military Cemetery, Richebourg-L'Avoue, France (Grave Reference: III. A. 28.).