Howard (1893-1985) was Dora’s brother and grandfather of the author. He was educated at Bedford School and then joined the Royal Artillery in 1911. In the First World War he won the Military Cross in 1917 for his “conspicuous gallantry” in Mesopotamia. He married Phyllis Compton (1896-1946) in 1925 in Cairo and had a son (Bill) and a daughter (Betty).
In the Second World War he was mentioned in dispatches for his bravery in Iraq in 1943 and Sicily in 1944. In August 1944 he was awarded the CBE for his fire plan for the difficult and complex invasion of Italy by 13 Corps in September 1943. He earned the DSO in December 1945 for “most devoted and gallant service” during the Italian Campaign of 1944-45, in particular at Montecassino, the forcing of the Gothic Line in September 1944 and in the final offensive of April 1945. By this time a Brigadier, he was responsible for the preparation and execution of the Corps artillery fire plan. Post-war he mainly served at Larkhill, teaching gunnery strategy and tactics. After Phyl died he married Frances Mawson in 1950 and later retired to Warminster in Wiltshire.
Power On 