Captain
Charles Reginald HOWARD
OBE
Medical Services
Died: 16th September 1918 - Age: 43

Commemorated:

1. Memorial:Lumbo British CemeteryII. C. 2.
2. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.126
3. Memorial:The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour16A GQS
    

Awards & Titles:

Officer, The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
 

Family :

youngest son of Mr. Robert Luke Howard of Teignmouth, Devon, formerly of St. Albans. He was married to Hilda Margaret Moore, and had two daughters and a son.

Education & Career :

Repton, Pembroke College, Cambridge
Doctor, M.D.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: King's African Rifles 

"The KAR began World War I with 21 small companies in 3 battalions (each with up to 8 companies following the British pre-1913 half-company TOE): the 1st Nyasaland (half of the battalion was located in northeast Nyasaland), 3rd East Africa (with one company on Zanzibar) and the 4th Uganda, both of the latter included a 4th platoon of Sudanese with the 4th platoons of 4th battalion being led by Sudanese officers. Additionally the companies were scattered all over British East Africa. Full strength in 1914 was 70 British officers, 3 British NCO's, and 2,325 Africans. There were no organic heavy weapons (each company had only one machinegun), including artillery, or organized reserves and the companies were in reality large platoons of 70 to 80 men. The regiment fought in the East African Campaign against the German commander Paul Erich von Lettow-Vorbeck and his forces in German East Africa. Transport and support into the interior was provided by over 400,000 porters of the Carrier Corps. By the end of the Great War the KAR comprised 1,193 British officers, 1,497 British NCO's and 30,658 Africans in 22 battalions, including two made up of former German askaris, as noted above. In ""Armies in East Africa 1914-18"", Peter Abbot notes that the KAR units recruited from former prisoners of war were used as garrison troops by the British, to avoid any conflict of loyalties. However, one of these battalions was involved in the pursuit of one Hauptman Wintgens from February to October 1917. KAR casualties in World War One were 5,117 killed and wounded with another 3,039 dying from diseases. "

Action : Africa 

The East African Campaign was a series of battles and guerrilla actions which started in German East Africa (now Tanzania) and ultimately impacted portions of Mozambique, Northern Rhodesia, British East Africa, Uganda, and the Belgian Congo. The German colonial forces, led by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck, skillfully fought for the duration of World War I and surrendered only after that war had ended. Other campaigns were conducted in West and South West Africa.

Detail :

Charles Reginald HOWARD of Garston House, Frome was educated at Bengeo, Hertfordshire, Repton, Pembroke College, Cambridge and Guy's Hospital, London. Reading a special study of plague, and choosing the subject Plague in Zanzibar for his medical thesis when sitting for his M.D, he qualified B.A., B.C., M.D., MRCS England in 1906, and L.R.C.P., London. He eventually published a book on the subject. Charles acted as assistant house surgeon at Guy's Hospital, and then went to East Africa as bacteriologist to the Zanzibar government. He served in the Boer War in South Africa with the Dorset Yeomanry, and was awarded the South Africa Medal with five bars. Settling in Frome during 1910, Charles was appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Frome Rural District, and held a number of appointments as examining medical officer for insurance companies. He also held the post of honorary surgeon to the Frome Victoria Hospital, and an assistant medical inspector of schools under the Somerset Education Committee. When the war broke out Charles was commissioned a lieutenant in the RAMC (September 1914), and went to France in charge of the 1st Motor Red Cross Ambulance, he was present at the Mons retreat. Due to bad health, he returned home, but after recuperation returned to active service with the RAMC. Due to the fact Charles had a good knowledge of the Swahili language, a knowledge of tropical diseases, and with his studies and experiences in Zanzibar, he was selected for service in German East Africa. He was subsequently promoted to Captain and attached to the King's African Rifles, where he served from March 1916 to the date of his death. Charles was serving as acting Lieutenant Colonel, with the expectation of receiving the rank within a day or two when he was killed. A letter from his fellow officers reads, On the morning of 6th September the King's African Rifles, 'bumped,' the Hun's main fighting force at Pere. As fierce fighting ensued, the ambulance section, unfortunately, feeling the brunt of it, being centrally placed in the column. Captain Howard, who was the senior medical officer to the column, was seen to rush, when the fight was at its height, towards 'No man's land' endeavouring, it seemed, to pull into safety some badly wounded lying there, and before he could accomplish his objective, he himself fell, shot through the chest dying instantly. We could not recover the body that day, but on the next. He was accorded a full military funeral, every officer being present to pay a last respect. He was most popular and beloved by all out here. Charles was the youngest son of Mr. Robert Luke Howard of Teignmouth, Devon, formerly of St. Albans. He was married to Hilda Margaret Moore, and had two daughters and a son. Source; Frome's Fallen Heroes in The Great War by David L. Adams

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Royal Somerset No. 973 E.C.Somerset

Initiated
Passed
Raised
9th February 1911
9th March 1911
6th April 1911
 

Source :

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Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2018-10-27 14:33:43