P. Raymond Billington
Early Life
Percy Raymond Billington was born on September 15, 1888, in Rye, New York, the son of Edward B. Billington and Mary Ann Middleton. He was raised in Rye and educated in the local school system, growing up in a well-established family with deep roots in the community. His early life was shaped by both family stability and early responsibility, particularly following the death of his father in 1897.
By the time of his draft registration in June 1917, Billington was residing at 11 West Purdy Avenue in Rye and was employed by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, working along the line between New York and New Haven. His occupation placed him within one of the most critical transportation networks in the northeastern United States during a period of industrial expansion and wartime mobilization. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
World War I Service
Percy R. Billington entered naval service on July 23, 1917, when he enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve Force at Port Chester, New York. He was assigned the rating of Seaman Second Class and initially served aboard the USS Granite State, a training ship used to prepare sailors for naval service during the war.
He was subsequently assigned to the Federal Rendezvous in Brooklyn, New York, a major naval processing and staging center, before being transferred to the USS Martha Washington. This vessel, a former passenger liner converted for military use, served as a troop transport carrying American soldiers to and from Europe in support of the American Expeditionary Forces.
Billington’s service aboard the Martha Washington placed him within the vital naval transport system that enabled the movement of large numbers of American troops across the Atlantic. These voyages were conducted under the constant threat of German submarine activity, making transport service both demanding and strategically essential.
He served from July 23, 1917, through November 11, 1918, and remained in service until his discharge on July 22, 1920. His record reflects consistent service without recorded wounds, contributing to the Navy’s logistical and transport operations during the war.
Life After Service
Following his military service, Billington returned to civilian life and continued his career with the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, eventually residing in New Haven, Connecticut. His work remained tied to the transportation industry, reflecting continuity between his prewar and postwar occupations.
He married Katherine Mooney, and together they had a son, Percy Raymond Billington Jr. He remained connected to Rye through family and early life ties, while establishing his later life in Connecticut.
Percy Raymond Billington died on November 30, 1950, in New Haven, Connecticut, at the age of sixty-two, after suffering a heart attack while at work.
At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife, Katherine Billington; his son, Percy Raymond Billington Jr.; two grandchildren; and his sisters, Miss Florence Billington of Rye and Mrs. Harriet Brower of Larchmont.
He was buried in East Lawn Cemetery,
East Haven, Connecticut, concluding a life that combined naval service with a long career in one of the region’s most vital industries.