John F. G. Howe
Encyclopedia
Air Vice Marshal John Frederick George Howe CB
CBE
AFC
RAF
(born 26 March 1930) was a senior Royal Air Force
officer in the 1970s and 1980s, flying combat missions in the Korean War
and North Sea
interceptor air patrols during the Cold War
and finishing his distinguished career as the Commandant General RAF Regiment
and RAF Provost Marshal and Director General Security
. Howe also served as the sixteenth Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps
between 1977 and 1980.
Howe was born in South Africa and educated at St Andrew’s College, Grahamstown
. He joined the South African Air Force
immediately after leaving school.
, and learned to fly in Tiger Moth
s, Harvard
s and Spitfire
s. In 1950 he was posted to No 2 Squadron SAAF
“The Flying Cheetahs” and deployed to Korea to fly combat missions as part of South Africa's contribution to the Korean War
in support of the UN forces.
During his first tour of duty in Korea he flew the Mustang F-51D
fighter-bombers in front-line action. A later second tour saw him serving with US Infantry units, as a ground based Forward Air Control
ler, operating in the thick of the fighting. He was awarded the US Distinguished Flying Cross
and the US Air Medal
for his service during these actions.
in the rank of Flying Officer
(Service No. 503984) to fly early types of jet fighters. He became a QFI
on Vampires, later converting to the Hawker Hunter
, and serving the front line North Sea
interceptors of No. 222 Squadron RAF
at RAF Leuchars
in October 1957 as a flight commander on promotion to Flight Lieutenant
.
During the Suez crisis
in 1956 he had again operated as a Forward Air Control
ler and landed with the first invasion wave on the beaches with 40 Commando
. After Suez Howe returned to flying duties as a Flight Commander with No. 43 Squadron RAF
during which time he was awarded with the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air
. Four years after the Suez debacle Howe was promoted to Squadron Leader
in July 1960 and appointed as Officer Commanding No. 74 Squadron RAF
the 'Tiger' Squadron, to introduce the first of the supersonic English Electric Lightning
interceptors into service with the RAF. Howe also formed and led "The Tigers" RAF aerobatic display team during his time with No. 74 Squadron.
Howe was selected by the RAF to undertake several overseas demonstration tours where he showcased the remarkable capabilities of the new fighter in numerous air displays and demonstrations. He was awarded the AFC
on 2 June 1962. Promoted to Wing Commander
in January 1966 his developing career took him to a staff posting at Headquarters RAF Fighter Command
, a senior instructor posting at Royal Air Force College Cranwell
and later as a senior staff officer at the Joint Warfare School.
After a 1965 exchange tour posting to the United States where he flew most of the Century Series
Fighters and the Phantom
he returned to the UK as Officer Commanding No. 229 Operational Conversion Unit RAF at RAF Chivenor and later No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
at RAF Coningsby
where he oversaw the introduction of the Phantom FGR2 into operational service with the RAF. In 1969 on promotion to Acting Group Captain
he moved to two staff postings, firstly as 'Staff Officer Central Tactics and Trials' and later as 'Deputy Director Operational Research 1'. After his rank as a Group Captain
was made substantive, in 1973 he was appointed Officer Commanding RAF Gutersloh
on the front line of the Cold War
Iron Curtain
operations.
On his return from Germany in 1975 he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies for ten months and was posted to RAF Bentley Priory
as 'Operations Staff Officer (Training)' at Headquarters 11 Group, Strike Command
.
and took up the appointment as Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps
who were also located at Bentley Priory.
Howe applied the same exacting standards and tight discipline to the ROC as he did to his flying. He found an organisation that was superficially sound but with an underlying air of relaxed complacency. His first action was to insist that all wholetime ROC officers, both newly appointed and those already in service, must qualify through the Specialist Entrant and Re-entrant (SERE) Officers Course at RAF College Cranwell. The first intake of five officers to do so attended '157 SERE' in October to November 1979 and Air Commodore Howe was guest of honour at the formal end of course dinner. Also, for the first time in the Corps' history, Howe initiated a two pronged regime of both a Commandant's Command Inspection and Operational Evaluations that would continue until the Corps was stood down. The Command Inspections took place in every group headquarters once every three years, with three months prior notice. Howe himself led a two man team of HQROC staff officers in a two day detailed review of administration and organisation by the wholetime and spare time staff.
The operation evaluations were a two day “No Notice” assessment of the group’s operational performance similar to RAF station TACEVALs, from Transition To War
right through to prolonged operations under nuclear attack. The OPEVAL evaluation assessors consisted of a joint six man team from HQROC and the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation
who would arrive on an irregular basis and place the whole group on a realistic but simulated war footing. By the time Howe’s tenure ended in 1980 the dual regime of inspections left the ROC up to date, more efficient and comparable to any unit in RAF Strike Command
and he was subsequently considered to have had a greater impact on the operational efficiency of the ROC than any other post-war Commandant ROC.
Howe also spearheaded the rapid improvement of inter-group communications over the coming years with the introduction of computerised message switching and modern integrated, EMP hardened telephone systems.
During his time with the ROC Howe additionally oversaw the Corps’ contributions to the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
celebrations and events and ensured that every advantage was taken to publicise the unsung work of the Corps. On 30 June 1977 Howe led an ROC contingent that took part in the Royal Review of Reserve and Cadet Forces at Wembley Stadium. On 29 July 1977 he attended when the ROC was represented in the indoor exhibition at the Royal Review of the Royal Air Force at RAF Finningley
.
Air Commodore Howe handed over command of the ROC to Air Commodore R J Offord on 12 April 1981.
Director General of Security and Commandant General of the RAF Regiment
.
His biography, detailing a varied and distinguished military career over forty years and four continents, entitled “Onward and Upward” was published in the late Autumn of 2008. Since retirement Air Vice Marshal Howe has remained an active member of the No. 74 Squadron RAF
's Association and attends the many organised events. Both he and his wife Annabelle remain fit and healthy in their 70s.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(born 26 March 1930) was a senior Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
officer in the 1970s and 1980s, flying combat missions in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
interceptor air patrols during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and finishing his distinguished career as the Commandant General RAF Regiment
RAF Regiment
The Royal Air Force Regiment is a specialist airfield defence corps founded by Royal Warrant in 1942. After a 32 week trainee gunner course, its members are trained and equipped to prevent a successful enemy attack in the first instance; minimise the damage caused by a successful attack; and...
and RAF Provost Marshal and Director General Security
Provost Marshal
The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police .There may be a Provost Marshal serving at many levels of the hierarchy and he may also be the public safety officer of a military installation, responsible for the provision of fire, gate security, and...
. Howe also served as the sixteenth Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps
Royal Observer Corps
The Royal Observer Corps was a civil defence organisation operating in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 December 1995, when the Corps' civilian volunteers were stood down....
between 1977 and 1980.
Howe was born in South Africa and educated at St Andrew’s College, Grahamstown
St. Andrew's College (Grahamstown, South Africa)
St Andrew's College is a private senior school for boys located in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, one of the 23 elite, influential and prestigious Milner Schools. It offers boarding and day options for its pupils. The premium Anglican boarding school caters for 450 pupils from across the...
. He joined the South African Air Force
South African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
immediately after leaving school.
South African Air Force
John Howe began his military flying career in the post Second World War South African Air ForceSouth African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
, and learned to fly in Tiger Moth
De Havilland Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
s, Harvard
T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
s and Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s. In 1950 he was posted to No 2 Squadron SAAF
2 Squadron SAAF
-Background:2 Squadron is currently the premier squadron in the South African Air Force, and has a long history, having been involved in every single combat action in which the SAAF has taken part...
“The Flying Cheetahs” and deployed to Korea to fly combat missions as part of South Africa's contribution to the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
in support of the UN forces.
During his first tour of duty in Korea he flew the Mustang F-51D
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
fighter-bombers in front-line action. A later second tour saw him serving with US Infantry units, as a ground based Forward Air Control
Forward air control
Forward air control is the provision of guidance to Close Air Support aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller . For NATO forces the qualifications and experience required to be...
ler, operating in the thick of the fighting. He was awarded the US Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
and the US Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
for his service during these actions.
Royal Air Force
When the political situation in South Africa became more difficult and extreme in 1954 he decided to resign from the SAAF and moved to England where he transferred to the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in the rank of Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
(Service No. 503984) to fly early types of jet fighters. He became a QFI
Qualified Flying Instructor
Qualified Flying Instructor is a term mainly used in the UK and commonwealth Military, Army, Navy and Air Force for a person who has passed the appropriate course before being allowed to instruct in an aircraft. In the USA and elsewhere, the equivalent term is "IP"...
on Vampires, later converting to the Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
, and serving the front line North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
interceptors of No. 222 Squadron RAF
No. 222 Squadron RAF
-In World War I:The Squadron was formally formed at Thasos on 1 April 1918 from A squadron of the former No. 2 Wing, RNAS when the Royal Air Force was formed. Later, 6 April 1918 former Z Squadron of No. 2 Wing, RNAS was added to the strength. Renumbered No. 62 Wing and consisting of Nos...
at RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...
in October 1957 as a flight commander on promotion to Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
.
During the Suez crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
in 1956 he had again operated as a Forward Air Control
Forward air control
Forward air control is the provision of guidance to Close Air Support aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller . For NATO forces the qualifications and experience required to be...
ler and landed with the first invasion wave on the beaches with 40 Commando
40 Commando
40 Commando RM is a battalion sized formation of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
. After Suez Howe returned to flying duties as a Flight Commander with No. 43 Squadron RAF
No. 43 Squadron RAF
No. 43 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron originally formed in 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps. It last operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland in the air defence role until disbanded in July 2009.-In World War I:...
during which time he was awarded with the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air
Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service
The Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service is a British military award that recognises meritorious service during, or in support of, operations...
. Four years after the Suez debacle Howe was promoted to Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
in July 1960 and appointed as Officer Commanding No. 74 Squadron RAF
No. 74 Squadron RAF
No. 74 Squadron RAF, also known as a "Tiger Squadron" from its tiger head motif, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated fighter aircraft from 1917 to the 1990s.-First World War:...
the 'Tiger' Squadron, to introduce the first of the supersonic English Electric Lightning
English Electric Lightning
The English Electric Lightning is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, noted for its great speed and unpainted natural metal exterior finish. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. The aircraft was renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor; Royal Air Force ...
interceptors into service with the RAF. Howe also formed and led "The Tigers" RAF aerobatic display team during his time with No. 74 Squadron.
Howe was selected by the RAF to undertake several overseas demonstration tours where he showcased the remarkable capabilities of the new fighter in numerous air displays and demonstrations. He was awarded the AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
on 2 June 1962. Promoted to Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
in January 1966 his developing career took him to a staff posting at Headquarters RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
, a senior instructor posting at Royal Air Force College Cranwell
Royal Air Force College Cranwell
The Royal Air Force College is the Royal Air Force training and education academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to be commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and is responsible for all RAF recruiting along with...
and later as a senior staff officer at the Joint Warfare School.
After a 1965 exchange tour posting to the United States where he flew most of the Century Series
Century series
The Century Series is a popular name for a group of US fighter aircraft representing models designated between F-100 and F-106 which went into full production...
Fighters and the Phantom
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
he returned to the UK as Officer Commanding No. 229 Operational Conversion Unit RAF at RAF Chivenor and later No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit was a Royal Air Force Operational Conversion Unit. It was formed in No. 12 Group at RAF Leeming from Nos. 13 and 54 OTUs in 1947. The tasking of the OCU was the training of night fighter crews and its aircraft were the De Havilland Mosquito, Gloster Meteor and...
at RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England. It has been commanded by Group Captain Martin Sampson since 10 December 2010.-Operational units:...
where he oversaw the introduction of the Phantom FGR2 into operational service with the RAF. In 1969 on promotion to Acting Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
he moved to two staff postings, firstly as 'Staff Officer Central Tactics and Trials' and later as 'Deputy Director Operational Research 1'. After his rank as a Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
was made substantive, in 1973 he was appointed Officer Commanding RAF Gutersloh
RAF Gütersloh
The former Royal Air Force Station Gütersloh, more commonly known as RAF Gütersloh, was a Royal Air Force Germany military airbase, the nearest Royal Air Force airbase to the East/West German border, in the vicinity of the town of Gütersloh. It was constructed by the Germans prior to World War II...
on the front line of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
operations.
On his return from Germany in 1975 he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies for ten months and was posted to RAF Bentley Priory
RAF Bentley Priory
RAF Bentley Priory was a non-flying Royal Air Force station near Stanmore in the London Borough of Harrow. It was famous as the headquarters of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and the Second World War. The RAF Bentley Priory site includes a Grade II* listed Officers' Mess and Italian...
as 'Operations Staff Officer (Training)' at Headquarters 11 Group, Strike Command
No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century, finally disbanding in 1996. Its most famous service was during 1940 when it defended London and the south-east against the attacks of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.-First World War:No. 11 Group was...
.
Royal Observer Corps
Following a tour of duty as an Operations Staff Officer, in 1977 Howe moved across the road on promotion to Air CommodoreAir Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
and took up the appointment as Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps
Royal Observer Corps
The Royal Observer Corps was a civil defence organisation operating in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 December 1995, when the Corps' civilian volunteers were stood down....
who were also located at Bentley Priory.
Howe applied the same exacting standards and tight discipline to the ROC as he did to his flying. He found an organisation that was superficially sound but with an underlying air of relaxed complacency. His first action was to insist that all wholetime ROC officers, both newly appointed and those already in service, must qualify through the Specialist Entrant and Re-entrant (SERE) Officers Course at RAF College Cranwell. The first intake of five officers to do so attended '157 SERE' in October to November 1979 and Air Commodore Howe was guest of honour at the formal end of course dinner. Also, for the first time in the Corps' history, Howe initiated a two pronged regime of both a Commandant's Command Inspection and Operational Evaluations that would continue until the Corps was stood down. The Command Inspections took place in every group headquarters once every three years, with three months prior notice. Howe himself led a two man team of HQROC staff officers in a two day detailed review of administration and organisation by the wholetime and spare time staff.
The operation evaluations were a two day “No Notice” assessment of the group’s operational performance similar to RAF station TACEVALs, from Transition To War
Transition To War
Transition to war is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization military term referring to a period of international tension during which government and society move to an open war footing...
right through to prolonged operations under nuclear attack. The OPEVAL evaluation assessors consisted of a joint six man team from HQROC and the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation
United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation
The United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation was a British civilian organisation operating between 1957 and 1992 to provide the authorities with data about nuclear explosions and forecasts of likely fallout profiles across the country in the event of war.The UKWMO was established and...
who would arrive on an irregular basis and place the whole group on a realistic but simulated war footing. By the time Howe’s tenure ended in 1980 the dual regime of inspections left the ROC up to date, more efficient and comparable to any unit in RAF Strike Command
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007: it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations - No. 1...
and he was subsequently considered to have had a greater impact on the operational efficiency of the ROC than any other post-war Commandant ROC.
Howe also spearheaded the rapid improvement of inter-group communications over the coming years with the introduction of computerised message switching and modern integrated, EMP hardened telephone systems.
During his time with the ROC Howe additionally oversaw the Corps’ contributions to the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth realms...
celebrations and events and ensured that every advantage was taken to publicise the unsung work of the Corps. On 30 June 1977 Howe led an ROC contingent that took part in the Royal Review of Reserve and Cadet Forces at Wembley Stadium. On 29 July 1977 he attended when the ROC was represented in the indoor exhibition at the Royal Review of the Royal Air Force at RAF Finningley
RAF Finningley
RAF Finningley is a former Royal Air Force station at Finningley, South Yorkshire, partly within the traditional county boundaries of Nottinghamshire and partly in the West Riding of Yorkshire, now wholly within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster....
.
Air Commodore Howe handed over command of the ROC to Air Commodore R J Offord on 12 April 1981.
Later RAF service
Following his time in charge of the ROC he was promoted to Air Vice Marshal as AOC Southern Maritime Air Region and his final tour of duty was in the dual roles as Provost MarshalProvost Marshal
The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police .There may be a Provost Marshal serving at many levels of the hierarchy and he may also be the public safety officer of a military installation, responsible for the provision of fire, gate security, and...
Director General of Security and Commandant General of the RAF Regiment
RAF Regiment
The Royal Air Force Regiment is a specialist airfield defence corps founded by Royal Warrant in 1942. After a 32 week trainee gunner course, its members are trained and equipped to prevent a successful enemy attack in the first instance; minimise the damage caused by a successful attack; and...
.
His biography, detailing a varied and distinguished military career over forty years and four continents, entitled “Onward and Upward” was published in the late Autumn of 2008. Since retirement Air Vice Marshal Howe has remained an active member of the No. 74 Squadron RAF
No. 74 Squadron RAF
No. 74 Squadron RAF, also known as a "Tiger Squadron" from its tiger head motif, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated fighter aircraft from 1917 to the 1990s.-First World War:...
's Association and attends the many organised events. Both he and his wife Annabelle remain fit and healthy in their 70s.
Honours and awards
- Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United States)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
(United States) 1951 - Air MedalAir MedalThe Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
(United States) 1951 - Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Services in the AirQueen's Commendation for Valuable ServiceThe Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service is a British military award that recognises meritorious service during, or in support of, operations...
1957 - Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the AirQueen's Commendation for Valuable ServiceThe Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service is a British military award that recognises meritorious service during, or in support of, operations...
on 13 June 1959. - Air Force CrossAir Force Cross (United Kingdom)The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
on 2 June 1962. - Commander of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
on 30 December 1978. - Companion of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...