George Julian Howell VC MM (1893 - 1964)

Ancestors

• AWM: HRH The Prince of Wales inspecting VC recipients 7 June 1920
  
  

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 First World War 1.2 Second World War 1.3 No more war 1.4 Honours, Awards and Legacy 2 Sources 3 See also

Biography

George Julian 'Snowy' Howell VC MM was born on 19th November 1893 in Enfield, New South Wales (Australia). He was the fourth surviving son of Frank Howell and Martha Sweeny, of Boyle Street, Enfield. ^[1] Educated at Croydon Park and Burwood Public Schools, he then completed an apprenticeship as a bricklayer and worked as a builder at Enfield.

First World War

Victoria Cross

George is an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross the highest decoration for gallantry 'in the face of the enemy' that could be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. He was decorated with the Victoria Cross following his actions during the Second Battle of Bullecourt, in which he ran along the parapet of a trench bombing the German forces attacking his position through the use of grenades, and thus driving them back. The award was gazetted in London on 27th June 1917. ^[2] He was invested by King George V in the Buckingham Palace forecourt on 21st July 1917. [https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C376067 AWM photo}

George enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 3rd June 1915. ^[3] Allocated to the 1st Australian Infantry Battalion, he embarked on 14th July 1915 aboard the HMAT A67 Orsova for service at Gallipoli and the the Western Front. Participating in the Somme offensive, in July 1916 he was wounded during the Battle of Pozières and was transferred to England for treatment. While in England, 'Snowy' attended a training school before returning to his unit on 26th November. He was promoted to Corporal in early 1917. During an attack on a German held village, he led a rifle bombing section (hand grenades) and was awarded the Military Medal (MM) for his actions. ^[4]

When he was brought in to the aid station following his Victoria Cross action, Howell had twenty-eight wounds; several very severe. Snowy underwent a prolonged hospitalisation period, during which time he received his Victoria Cross and Military Medal from King George V, before returning to Australia and receiving his discharge on medical grounds. For his war service he was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. Three of Howell's older brothers had also served on the Western Front during the First World War; Frederick, with the 1st Pioneer Battalion; Valentine, was killed in action in May 1918 with the 18th Infantry Battalion; and Frank with the 54th Infantry Battalion.

On 1st March 1919, Howell married Sadie Yates, a nurse, in St Stephen's Presbyterian Church, Sydney. ^{[5] [6] [7]} Settling in Coogee, on Sydney's south eastern seaboard, he gained employment with the advertising staff of several newspapers.

Second World War

Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Snowy enlisted once more in the Australian Army on 14th October 1939, being given serial number N69450 and taken on strength of 2nd Garrison Battalion located at Victoria Barracks, Paddington. Discharged in December as he was the sole provider for a dependent, he enlisted again on 25th June 1940 and allotted service number N75435. This time he was posted as a Staff Sergeant to the Australian Eastern Command Headquarters, also at Victoria Barracks. Finding staff work to be dull he sought his discharge in February 1941. ^[8] In 1944 he enlisted with the United States Sea Transport Service where he was deployed during the Battle of Leyte in the Philippines Campaign. He returned to Australia and released from military duty upon Japan's surrender in August 1945.

No more war

In December 1953, following his wife's death, Howell moved from Sydney to Western Australia. Accompanied by his grandson, the journey took four days by train before the pair arrived in the Perth suburb of Applecross, where Howell resided with his married daughter, Norma. He later moved to Gunyidi, via Watheroo, where he lived for a few years before returning to Perth.

He passed away, aged 71 years, on 23rd December 1964 in the Repatriation General Hospital, Hollywood, Western Australia. Following a funeral with military honours, his body was cremated and his ashes interred at Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth. ^[9] His name is commemorated by a plaque ^[10] in the Western Australian Garden of Remembrance. ^[11] His name is also recorded on the War Memorial erected near the corner of Coronation Parade and Liverpool Road, Enfield to commemorate the local men who served with the AIF in that first dreadful war. Snowy Howell's medal set is on display at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

KC00023346 Karrakatta Cremation

Honours, Awards and Legacy

• Victoria Cross
• Military Medal
• 1914-1915 Star
• British War Medal
• Victory Medal
• Pacific Star
• War Medal 1939-1945
• Australia Service Medal 1939-1945
• King George VI Coronation Medal
• Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
• Pacific War Zone Medal (US)
• Merchant Marine WWII Victory Medal (US)

Not included on his medal set, but said to have been awarded by the government of the United States were the:

• US Army Sea Duty Ribbon
• Merchant Marine Combat Bar
• Philippine Defense Ribbon and
• Philippine Liberation Ribbon

George Howell VC MM medal set

The Howell Soldiers Club of the Australian Army Canteens Service at Randwick, a suburb nearby to his post-war home suburb of Coogee is named in his honour. Howell Street in the Victorian suburb of Lalor is also named in his honour.

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #9725/1893
2. ↑ London Gazette 26 June 1917 Supplement: 30154 Page: 6382: Victoria Cross; accessed 22 Apr 2019
3. ↑ The AIF Project: George Julian Howell; accessed 22 Apr 2019
4. ↑ London Gazette 25 May 1917 Supplement: 30095 Page: 5196: Military Medal; accessed 22 Apr 2019
5. ↑ V.C.'S WEDDING (1919, March 1). With photos The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954), p. 6 (FINAL SPORTING). Retrieved November 23, 2020
6. ↑ A MEDLEY OF TOPICAL EVENTS (1919, March 5). Sydney Mail
   (NSW : 1912 - 1938), p. 6. Retrieved November 23, 2020
7. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #595/1919
8. ↑ DVA's Nominal Roll: N75435 (N69450) Staff Sergeant George Julian Howell; accessed 22 Apr 2019
9. ↑ Western Australia Death Index #4034/1964
10. ↑ Plaque: Garden of Remembrance dva.gov
11. ↑ WA Garden of Remembrance image MA.org

See also

• Connell, W H. Howell, George Julian (1893–1964), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1983; accessed online 22 Apr 2019.
• Victoria Cross Recipients - Australia.
• Noble Numismatics: George Howell medal set.
• Virtual War Memorial Australia: George Howell VC MM.
• Wikipedia profile: George Howell.