Master Pilot Godfrey Douglas Howarth
During sea survival training at RAF Mountbatten on 6 May 1966, S1622139 Master Pilot Godfrey Douglas HOWARTH age 42 died. Howarth was in the water on the second day of practical instruction when he suffered a massive heart attack. In those days, students wore ordinary overalls, despite the cold and, in dealing with this incident a number of inadequacies were revealed by the subsequent enquiry.
When the Armed Forces Memorial at Alrewas was being planned, the criteria for those to be commemorated on the walls of the memorial were determined. In essence, the names would be those personnel who were killed or died whilst on duty and the names of those who died in service but not in the line of duty, would only appear on the Roll of Honour.
With the passage of time it seems probable that Master Pilot’s Howarth’s death was seen only as a heart attack and the circumstances in which it was suffered were not known or recalled. In consequence, his name was left off the memorial.
I have petitioned to have his name added to the memorial wall and have submitted a detailed statement of the circumstances, which I witnessed as a fellow student on that course. I am pleased to say that Mr Howarth’s name is to be added to the memorial in the near future.
The next issue is to try to trace surviving children or other family of Master Pilot Howarth and arrange for them to be informed of the update and invited to see the new inscription.
Does anybody have a connection with Howarth’s family? At a distance of 49 years, the official records are now out of date.
Old Duffer