Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

Louis Meredith Howard, born in Canada, was the son of Rice Meredith Howard, a Queens Council (Barrister). Louis served in the Boer War (1899 to 1902) as a Corporal with the Cape Mounted Rifles and during this war gained promotion to a commissioned rank because of an act of gallantry. On November 19th 1914, whilst holding the rank of Captain in the Royal West Surrey Regiment, he was gazetted into the Leeds ?Pals? and was appointed their Adjutant. He played an active part in the recruitment of the battalion and on many occasions would travel with the recruitment party on the recruiting tram. (this role formerly been undertaken by Lieutenant Leslie Christian Kirk.) On battalion sports day, at Colsterdale camp, on Wednesday 12th May 1915, Major Howard was to not only judge, but also present the trophy to the Competitor who obtained the highest number of points. On the 28th August 1915, 3 weeks before the battalion moved to Fovant camp, and 9 months after joining them, Major Howard left the battalion to take command of the 24th (service) battalion (1st Tyneside Irish), Northumberland Fusiliers When he left the ?Pals?after only seeing service with them at Colsterdale and Ripon, he was the ?Subject of a popular demonstration?, given in his honour by his ?pals?. This popularity was simply, because of his rise through the ranks. On the 1st July 1916 Louis Meredith Howard was wounded, during the battle of the Somme. He succumbed to his wounds one day later. Source; http://www.leeds-pals.com/howard.htm

Masonic :

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley