Dick Howe

For other people named Richard Howe, see Richard Howe (disambiguation).
Captain
Richard Herbert Howe
MBE MC
Born 21 June 1912
Arecife, Brazil
Died 1981
Royal Tunbridge Wells, England
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  British Army
Rank Captain
Battles/wars World War II
Awards MBE
Military Cross

Captain Richard Herbert "Dick" Howe MBE, MC (21 June 1912 - 1981) was a British army officer during World War II.[1] He was captured by the Germans in 1940 and eventually held in Oflag IV-C, at Colditz Castle, where he served as Escape Officer from 1942 to 1945.[1] He organised many escapes including eight successful home runs of British officers.[1]

Life

Richard Herbert Howe was born on 21 June 1912 in Brazil, the son of Charles Herbert Howe and Ethyl Jeannie Maud Howe (née Nichols).[2] He was educated at Bedford Modern School between 1920 and 1930.[1][3]

Howe served as a lance corporal on the Officers' Training Corps at Bedford and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Tank Corps on 13 May 1933.[4] After a short period of time with the Royal Tank Corps, he worked in radio manufacturing for Kolster-Brandes Limited, A.C. Cossor Limited and Truphonic Radio Limited.[5] At the outbreak of World War II he rejoined the 3rd Battalion Royal Tank Regiment.[5]

In 1940, Howe was serving in the British Expeditionary Force, as a lieutenant, and temporary captain, in the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment, when he was awarded the Military Cross while defending troops evacuating Calais.[1][6][7]

After being captured following the Siege of Calais, he was imprisoned at Oflag VII-C at Laufen. Howe was one of six British officers who escaped, but were eventually recaptured. Howe and the rest of the "Laufen Six" — Harry Elliott, Rupert Barry (later Sir Rupert Barry), Pat Reid, Anthony "Peter" Allan and Kenneth Lockwood — were then sent to Colditz.[8] Howe later replaced Reid as Escape Officer, co-ordinating all escape plans, after Reid himself escaped in October 1942. He organised many escapes including eight successful home runs of British officers.[1]

Howe remained a prisoner until the end of the war, but his efforts were recognized by being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in June 1946.[9] Howe died in hospital in Tunbridge Wells, Kent in 1981.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Obituary in The Times, Captain Richard Howe, 4 June 1981, p.16
  2. ↑ "Ancestry™ - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records".
  3. ↑ "Bedford Modern School Memorials". Roll of Honour. 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 33939. p. 3205. 12 May 1933.
  5. 1 2 "Escape from Colditz".
  6. ↑ "Recommendation for Award for Howe, Richard Herbert". The National Archives. 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  7. ↑ The Edinburgh Gazette: no. 15725. pp. 447–449. 16 July 1940.
  8. ↑ "The Laufen Six". Pegasus Archive. 2006. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  9. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37595. p. 2736. 4 June 1946.
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