Cedric Howell

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Cedric Ernest Howell
Greek Islands
AllegianceAustralia (1914–16)
United Kingdom (1916–19)
Service/branchAustralian Army
Royal Flying Corps
Royal Air Force
Years of service1914–1919
RankCaptain
Unit46th Battalion (1916)
No. 45 Squadron (1917–18)
Battles/warsFirst World War
Awards
Mentioned in Despatches

Cedric Ernest "Spike" Howell,

Italian theatre
.

Howell spent eight months flying operations over Italy, conducting attacks against ground targets and engaging in sorties against aerial forces. While in Italy, he was credited with shooting down a total of nineteen aircraft. In one particular sortie on 12 July 1918, Howell attacked, in conjunction with one other aircraft, a formation of between ten and fifteen German machines; he personally shot down five of these planes and was awarded the

England to Australia air race. Piloting a Martinsyde A1 aircraft, he attempted to make an emergency landing on Corfu
but the plane fell short, crashing into the sea just off the island's coast. Both Howell and his navigator subsequently drowned.

Early life

Cedric Ernest Howell was born in Adelaide, South Australia,[1][2] on 17 June 1896 to Ernest Howell, an accountant, and his wife Ida Caroline (née Hasch). He was educated at the Melbourne Church of England Grammar School from 1909,[3] and was active in the school's Cadet unit.[4] On completing his secondary studies in 1913, Howell gained employment as a draughtsman. By 1914, he held a commission in the 49th (Prahran) Cadet Battalion, Citizens Military Force, as a second lieutenant.[1][2][3]

First World War

Australian Imperial Force to Royal Flying Corps

On the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Howell attempted to enlist in the newly raised

Victoria, on 14 March.[6] Arriving in France, he was posted to the newly raised 46th Battalion on 20 May and promoted to corporal four days later. While the unit was engaged in action along the Somme, Howell was temporarily raised to sergeant in July, before taking part in the Battle of Pozières the following month. He relinquished his temporary appointments and reverted to lance corporal in August.[4][9] Considered an expert shot, Howell had been trained as a sniper during his service with the 46th Battalion.[5]

On 11 November 1916, Howell was among a group of 200 Australian applicants selected for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps to undergo flight training.[1][3] Shipped to the United Kingdom, he was posted to No. 1 Royal Flying Officers' Cadet Battalion at Durham for his initial instruction.[3][4][10] On graduating as a pilot, he was formally discharged from the Australian Imperial Force on 16 March 1917 and commissioned as a probationary second lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps the following day.[4][11] Howell was posted to No. 17 Reserve Squadron in April,[3] where his rank was made substantive. Appointed a flight officer on 25 July,[12] he was attached to the Central Flying School for duties.[10] On 12 September, Howell wed Cicely Elizabeth Hallam Kilby in a ceremony at St Stephen's Anglican Church, Bush Hill Park.[3]

Fighter pilot over Italy

In October 1917, Howell was posted to

Italian Front, Howell was engaged in both aerial combat missions and ground-attack sorties, which included "destroy[ing] enemy transport crossing the Alps".[3][13] On 1 April 1918, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service were combined to form the Royal Air Force, with personnel from the former services transferred to the new branch; Howell thus became a lieutenant in the new service from this date.[3][10]

A large group portrait of men in military uniform. The men in the front row are seated, while six successive rows are standing behind them on elevated platforms. The men are standing in front of a large building with stained glass windows.
Group portrait of flight instructors and pilot cadets in Oxford, England. The cadet pilots were among the batch of 200 men recruited from the Australian Imperial Force for flight training in the Royal Flying Corps. Howell is far left, back row.

Throughout the first half of 1918, Howell conducted several raids on ground targets,

London Gazette on 16 September 1918.[13]

Promoted to temporary captain on 1 June 1918,[3][10] Howell led a party of three machines out on patrol eight days later. The trio spotted a formation of six Austrian scout planes and went in to attack; Howell shot down two of the aircraft.[1][5] Later that month, he took off on a similar sortie with two other aircraft. They intercepted a party of nine machines, and during the consequent battle no less than six of the Central planes were destroyed with a seventh shot down as out of control; Howell was credited with two of these. Described as a "fine fighting officer, skilful and determined", Howell was commended for his efforts in destroying five aircraft during June, which resulted in his award of the Distinguished Flying Cross. The notice for the decoration was gazetted on 21 September 1918.[14]

Howell was out on patrol on 15 June 1918 when German and Austrian forces initiated the

Battle of the Piave River by striking Allied lines on the opposite bank. After landing back at base at 11:40, he was the first to bring news of the attack. With the aircraft refuelled and loaded with bombs, he—in company with the rest of the squadron—then led his flight on a total of four sorties against the enemy insurgents. No. 45 Squadron succeeded in destroying with its bombs a pontoon bridge, a boat, and a trench filled with soldiers, before inflicting at least a hundred casualties with machine gun fire. Heavy rain washed other bridges away and by 18 June the stranded Austrian forces on the Allied bank of the river were routed by a counterattack.[5]

A slightly side-on front view of a line of early aircraft on a flat piece of land. People are standing with the aircraft, with a group standing in front of the machines. Several tent-like structures can be seen in the background.
Sopwith Camels of No. 45 Squadron RFC at an airfield in Italy, December 1917.

On 12 July 1918, Howell and Lieutenant

mentioned in the despatch of General Rudolph Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan on 26 October 1918.[20] For his efforts in destroying eight aircraft over a four-day period in July, Howell was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. A supplement of the London Gazette carried the announcement on 2 November 1918, reading:[16]

Air Ministry, 2nd November, 1918.

His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to confer the undermentioned Rewards on Officers and other ranks of the Royal Air Force, in recognition of gallantry in Flying Operations against the Enemy: —

AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER.

Lieut. (T./Capt.) Cedric Ernest Howell, M.C., D.F.C.

This officer recently attacked, in company with one other machine, an enemy formation of fifteen aeroplanes, and succeeded in destroying four of them and bringing one down out of control. Two days afterwards he destroyed another enemy machine, which fell in our lines, and on the following day he led three machines against sixteen enemy scouts, destroying two of them. Captain Howell is a very gallant and determined fighter, who takes no account of the enemy's superior numbers in his battles.

England-to-Australia flight and legacy

While stationed in England, Howell attended an investiture ceremony at

King George V.[4] Howell was discharged from the Royal Air Force on 31 July 1919.[21] That year, the Australian Government offered a prize of £10,000 to the first aviator to pilot a British or Commonwealth-built aircraft from England to Australia within a period of 30 days. On 15 August, Howell was approached by British aircraft manufacturer Martinsyde to take part in the race flying their Type A Mk.I aircraft, powered by a Rolls-Royce engine; he accepted the offer.[3][7] He was to be accompanied by Lieutenant George Henry Fraser, a qualified navigator and engineer who had served with the Australian Flying Corps during the war.[3][22]

Howell and Fraser took off in their Martinsyde from Hounslow Heath Aerodrome on 4 December 1919. However, the pair soon ran into poor weather, and were forced to land the aircraft in Dijon, France later that day. Airborne again, they reached Pisa, Italy the following day, where a replacement tail skid was fitted to the A1; by 6 December, the duo were in Naples. On 10 December, Howell and Fraser took off in their fully fuelled plane from Taranto in the afternoon.[3] They intended to reach Africa next, but poor weather conditions forced them to alter their plan and they instead headed for Crete.[7] Their Martinsyde was reported flying over St George's Bay, Corfu at 20:00 that evening. For unknown reasons, Howell and Fraser attempted to execute an emergency landing at Corfu. They were, however, unable to make it to the coast and were forced to crash into the sea.[3][10][23] Citizens in the area later reported that they heard cries for help coming from the sea that night, but a rescue was not possible in the rough conditions.[5] Both Howell and Fraser were drowned.[3][23]

Howell's body later washed ashore and was returned to Australia for burial; Fraser's remains were never discovered.[3] Howell was accorded a funeral with full military honours,[3] which took place at Warringal Cemetery, Heidelberg on 22 April 1920, with several hundred mourners in attendance; his widow, parents and sister were chief among these. A firing party of the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery led the gun carriage bearing the coffin to the cemetery. Captains Adrian Cole, Frank Lukis and Raymond Brownell acted as pallbearers along with five other officers who had served in either the Royal or Australian Flying Corps.[24] On 12 February 1923, a stained-glass window dedicated to the memory of Howell was unveiled by General Sir Harry Chauvel at St. Anselm's Church of England in Middle Park; Howell had been a member of the congregation there in his youth.[7] Following the closure of St. Anselm's in 2001, the window was moved to St. Silas's Church, Albert Park, which is now also the parish church for the former parish of St. Anselm.[25]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Garrisson 1999, pp. 90–91
  2. ^ a b c d e Franks 2003, p. 83
  3. ^
    ISSN 1833-7538
    . Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Howell, Cedric Ernest". Records Search. National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Newton 1996, pp. 40–41
  6. ^ a b "Cedric Ernest Howell" (PDF). First World War Embarkation Roll. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  7. ^
    The Argus
    . 12 February 1923. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  8. ^ "Captain Howell Lost". The Mercury. 16 December 1919. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  9. ^ "46th Battalion". Australian military units. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  10. ^ a b c d e f "RAF officers' service records 1918–1919 – Image details – Howell, Cedric Ernest" (fee usually required to view pdf of full original service record). DocumentsOnline. The National Archives. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  11. ^ "No. 30014". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 April 1917. p. 3467.
  12. ^ "No. 30232". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 August 1917. p. 8312.
  13. ^ a b c d "No. 30901". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 September 1918. p. 10968.
  14. ^ "No. 30913". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 September 1918. p. 11252.
  15. ^ "No. 30989". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 November 1918. p. 12971.
  16. ^ a b c "No. 30989". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 November 1918. pp. 12959–12960.
  17. ^ Shores, Franks & Guest 1990, p. 201
  18. ^ Grinnell-Milne 1980, p. 223
  19. ^ Driggs 2008, p. 293
  20. ^ "No. 31106". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 January 1919. p. 287.
  21. ^ "No. 31510". The London Gazette. 19 August 1919. p. 10479.
  22. ^ "George Henry Fraser". The AIF Project. Australian Defence Force Academy. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  23. ^ a b Nasht 2006, pp. 85, 92
  24. The Argus
    . 23 April 1920. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  25. ^ "History of St Silas, Albert Park". Saint Silas Church, Kentish Town, London, NW5. Retrieved 16 January 2010.

References

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