Major Neville Martin Charles HOWARD MC
A Battery, 69th (East Anglian) Howitzer Brigade, Royal Field Artillery

Date of birth: 10th March 1890
Date of death: 2nd May 1977

Died aged 87
Unknown
Neville Martin Charles Howard was born at 68 Gloucester Crescent, Paddington in London on the 10th of March 1890 the second son of Charles William Howard, a ship owner and insurance broker, and Beatrice Emma (nee Holman) Howard of 109 Gloucester Terrace in London. He was christened at St Stephen's Church, Paddington on the 27th of March 1890 and again at St Mary's Church, Reigate on the 21st of April 1890.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until July 1903 where he was a member of the Football XI in 1902 and of the Cricket XI in 1903. The school magazine wrote the following on his 1902 football season: - "(Goalkeeper) - Made considerable advance as a custodian, effecting two brilliant saves in our final match; kicks off strongly from behind, but his punting is open to criticism."

They wrote of his 1903 cricket season: - "Thinks more of the style of his stroke than of making the bat and ball meet, and ought to hit much harder. Does his best in the field."

On leaving the school the magazine wrote of him: - "....goes to his brother's house at Charterhouse. He has been in both Elevens and winner of the Golf Open Competition."

He went on to Charterhouse School where he was in Hodgsonites from September 1903 to July 1908. He went on to Trinity College Cambridge where he was registered as a dental student on the 18th of January 1909. On leaving university he worked as a clerk at the London Stock Exchange.

He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Suffolk Battery, 3rd East Anglican (Howitzer) Brigade on the 19th of November 1908. He served with the Royal Artillery at Gallipoli, landing there in August 1915, where he was wounded and was mentioned in despatches. He served later in Mesopotamia and was awarded the Military Cross which appeared in the London Gazette of the 11th of January 1917. The citation reads:-

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Although under an intense fire he continued to engage an enemy battery, and twice silenced the enemy's guns. On the third occasion he continued shooting after his wireless aerials had twice been broken."

He was wounded twice during the war and was mentioned in despatches in the London Gazette of the 15th of August 1917. After the war he returned to the Stock Exchange where he worked as a stockjobber and applied for membership of the Stock Exchange from the 25th of March 1919.

He was married at St James's Church, Piccadilly on the 16th of February 1920 to Sybil Dorothea (nee Jecks), with Hazelwood old boy Major John Cecil Petherick as their best man; they lived at Draycott House, Draycott Avenue London SW3 and later at "Little Croft", Esher in Surrey. He was initiated as a freemason on the 28th of January 1919 as a member of the Prince of Wales' Lodge and later became the Master of the Lodge of Assistance in 1927. During the Second World War, he served as a member of the ARP Service at Esher.

He died suddenly at Esher.
Went on to Charterhouse School

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