Master Pilot Godfrey Douglas Howarth

[Old-Duffer]

As many followers of this site will know, The Armed Forces Memorial (AFM), located at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) at Alrewas Staffordshire has the names of about 16000 service personnel who died whilst on duty in the forces from 1 January 1948. The date is significant because this was when the Commonwealth War Graves Commission mandate ceased. In addition, those service personnel whose deaths were not ‘on duty’ or were a result of natural causes, are not commemorated on the memorial but are recorded in service Rolls of Honour – eg The Roll for the RAF is lodged in St Clement Danes Church in the Strand London.

After an exchange of correspondence, which involved various checks with the MOD, I am pleased to record that the name of Master Pilot Godfrey Douglas HOWARTH age 42, who died on 6 May 1966, is to be added to the memorial wall soon.

M Plt Howarth was a student on a sea survival course at Mountbatten and on the second day of the practical phase, the students were to practice multi seat dinghy drills, having undertaken single seat drill the day before. In summary, Mr Howarth suffered a heart attack whilst in the water and was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. Although on duty at the time, when the memorial was being planned the RAF authorities believed from the existing records that Howarth was not on duty. In consequence, although his name appears in the Roll of Honour at St Clement Danes church, it was not carved into the memorial. I witnessed the events leading to M Plt Howarth’s death and wrote to propose that an error had been made and that he should be recorded on the memorial. After appropriate further enquiries it is intended to add his name shortly.

I have been promised a photograph when the amendment has been made but I feel that it would be more appropriate for Howarth’s family to be informed and for them to have an opportunity to see how Mr Howarth’s memory will be perpetuated.

Does anybody recall Mr Howarth and can help trace his family? At the time of his death, he was a staff pilot at RAF Gaydon but I did not know him before the sea survival course and as I departed ‘for the foreign’ shortly afterwards, never had a chance to contact his kith and kin.

Old Duffer

[Basil]

I remember hearing about that incident; if it's the same one.
We heard of an old* Master Aircrew having a heart attack in the North Sea in winter.
The legend suggested that the attending Air Sea Rescue launch crew misunderstood appeals for help as characteristic aircrew joking around.

Our sea survival dress went from overalls to immersion suit shortly afterwards.

* I guess 42 was 'old' cf late teens/early twenties.

[Old-Duffer]

As you have some of the basics, it was Mountbatten not the North Sea - but in my recollection it was B*&^^%y cold in the water and we were dressed in coveralls with swimming trunks and plimsolls but no immersion suits.

Frankly the staff and marine craft were useless and they did not respond quickly enough - although in this case it would have been too late anyway.

One of the DS was supposed to have been kitted up for just such an emergency but was not.

There should have been two marine craft but there was only one. After they picked Howarth from the water, those of us in the other dinghy were left to drift down Plymouth Sound - next stop USA and the light was fading. Surprisingly and after the alarm was raised, where was the SAR helicopter? Eventually, we were picked up by a second craft but you may imagine the atmosphere when they handed out the course certificates.

As far as I am aware, nobody from the course was called to the enquiry/inquest but I believe some pretty searching questions were asked.

Old Duffer

[nimbev]

Congratulations Old Duffer :D It sounds as if you were instrumental in getting a miscarriage of justice rectified.

I remember doing the course in the winter of 64/65, snow on the moors and bloody cold, wearing just overalls and plimsolls as you said. We heard following the death of MP Howarth that if the sea temperature went below ?degrees students would wear immersion suits. I did the course at least three more times (twice in winter) and I certainly never saw sight of an immersion suit.

[Tengah Type]

I was on the following week's Mountbatten course. The staff were, understandably, jumpy.
We still did the drills in overalls, but the staff DID check that we all had the correct certificates to show we had been checked by the medics at home base. Those who did not have medical chits were sent home.
I believe that MP Howarth did have the correct documentation.

Mt later courses (1969 to 1995)were done with Immersion Suits.