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Cedric Ernest HowellPrint Page Print this page

16-November-2015
16-November-2015

Photographs supplied by Neil Follett

The stained glass window commemorates Captain Cedric Ernest Howell of the Royal Air Force who was killed near Corfu whilst flying to Australia in December 1919.

The window was originally dedicated in 1923 at nearby St. Anselms Church but was moved when that church was sold. Captain Howell, together with Lieutenant Fraser drowned af­ter their Martinsyde Type A Mk. 1, G-EAMR, crashed into St. Georges Bay. Howell’s body was returned to Melbourne and was buried with full military honours at Heidelberg Cemetery.

Captain Howell was a resident of that parish, and a scholar of the Melbourne Grammar School. When World War One broke out he held a commission in the Citizen Forces, but being under age he enlisted as a private. Attached to the 46th battalion Captain Howell saw service in France as a sniper. He was one of 200 selected from the Australian Imperial Force for training for the Royal Air Force, in which he became a pilot, after passing through the training schools at Durham and Oxford.  While serving with the R.F.C. he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, the Military Cross,  Distinguished Flying Cross, was three times mentioned in despatches, and, in, addition, gained two Italian decorations.  He was officially credited with having "crashed" 32 enemy machines, and having "driven down" 11 more. Actually, his total was stated to have been 58.
 
After the armistice Captain Howell was in charge of the aerodrome at NetherWollop, Hampshire, and later began preparations for his flight to Australia. He used a Martinsyde machine, equipped with a 275 horse-power Rolls-Royce engine. It was his intention to reach Africa in the first stage of the flight, but striking adverse weather he headed for Crete. His plane crashed into the sea near the coast of Greece. Captain Howell stripped off his clothes in order to tow ashore his mechanic, who could not swim, but they were both drowned.
 

Location

Address:99 Bridport Street, St Silas` Anglican Church, Albert Park, 3206
State:VIC
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -37.840443
Long: 144.957404
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Window
Monument Theme:People
Sub-Theme:Tragedy
Actual Event Start Date:09-December-1919
Actual Event End Date:09-December-1919

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Sunday 11th November, 1923
Front Inscription

In loving memory of Cedric Ernest Howell, D.S.O., M.C., D.F.C., Captain R.A.F.

Killed near Corfu whilst flying to Australia 9th Dec. 1919, aged 22 years.

A member of this Church.

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au