[3] He served throughout World War I in the Royal Fusiliers where he attained the rank of Major.
In 1939 he rejoined the army, went to France with the British Expeditionary Force, taken prisoner at Dunkirk and did not return until 1945.
He was chairman of the Cumberland Foxhounds under successive Masters and the chairman of the committee responsible for reviving the Cumberland point-to-point steeplechasing at Moota, Cockermouth, where he officiated as judge.
[5] In politics he forsook the Liberal Party family tradition and supported the Conservative Party, he was the principal nominee of Helen Fox in the 1950 election for the Workington (UK Parliament constituency).
[6] Hilton, who was unmarried, died at Isel on 12 January 1959, and the baronetcy expired with him.