Captain Charles Reginald Howard, M.D., OBE
Royal Army Medical Corps attached King's African Rifles
Killed in Action
Date of Birth: 1875
Place of Birth: Tottenham, Middlesex
Date of Death: 6 September 1918 aged 43
Buried: Lumbo British Cemetery, Mozambique.Remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. Michael’s Church, Teignmouth, Devon
Captain Charles Reginald Howard, M.D., OBE age 43. Born 1875, son of Mr & Mrs R L Howard, Ravensburn, New Road, Teignmouth He was married to Hilda Margaret Moore, and had two daughters and a son.
He served with the Royal Army Medical Corps; was subsequently promoted to Captain and attached to the King's African Rifles, where he served from March 1916 to the date of his death. Charles was serving as acting Lieutenant Colonel when he was killed in action in East Africa on 6 September 1918. Buried in Lumbo British Cemetery, Mozambique. Remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. Michael’s Church, Teignmouth.
“Capt. Charles Reginald Howard, R.A.M.C. attached King’s African Rifles, was killed in action in East Africa on September 6th. He was the youngest son of Robert Luke Howard of Tynemouth, formerly of St. Albans and was educated at Guy’s Hospital, and at Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. with honours, M.B. and B.C. in 1904, and M.D. in 1907, also taking the diplomas M.R.C.S. and L.R.C.P.Lond. in 1902. After acting as assistant house-surgeon and house-surgeon at Guy’s, he went to East Africa as bacteriologist to the Government of Zanzibar. On his return to England he settled in practice at Garston, Frome, Somersetshire, where he was honorary surgeon to the Victoria Hospital, Frome, medical officer of health to the Frome Rural District Council, and assistant school medical officer to the Somersetshire Education Committee. He took a temporary commission as lieutenant in the R.A.M.C. on March 1st, 1916, and was promoted to captain on the completion of a year’s service.” Guy’s Hospital Gazette 30 Nov, 1918
Charles Reginald HOWARD of Garston House, Frome was educated at Bengeo, Hertfordshire, Repton, Pembroke College, Cambridge and Guy's Hospital, London. Reading a special study of plague, and choosing the subject Plague in Zanzibar for his medical thesis when sitting for his M.D, he qualified B.A., B.C., M.D., MRCS England in 1906, and L.R.C.P., London. He eventually published a book on the subject. Charles acted as assistant house surgeon at Guy's Hospital, and then went to East Africa as bacteriologist to the Zanzibar government. He served in the Boer War in South Africa with the Dorset Yeomanry, and was awarded the South Africa Medal with five bars. Settling in Frome during 1910, Charles was appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Frome Rural District, and held a number of appointments as examining medical officer for insurance companies. He also held the post of honorary surgeon to the Frome Victoria Hospital, and an assistant medical inspector of schools under the Somerset Education Committee.
When the war broke out Charles was commissioned a lieutenant in the RAMC (September 1914), and went to France in charge of the 1st Motor Red Cross Ambulance, he was present at the Mons retreat. Due to bad health, he returned home, but after recuperation returned to active service with the RAMC. Due to the fact Charles had a good knowledge of the Swahili language, a knowledge of tropical diseases, and with his studies and experiences in Zanzibar, he was selected for service in German East Africa. He was subsequently promoted to Captain and attached to the King's African Rifles, where he served from March 1916 to the date of his death. Charles was serving as acting Lieutenant Colonel, with the expectation of receiving the rank within a day or two when he was killed.
A letter from his fellow officers reads, “On the morning of 6th September the King's African Rifles, 'bumped,' the Hun's main fighting force at Pere. As fierce fighting ensued, the ambulance section, unfortunately, feeling the brunt of it, being centrally placed in the column. Captain Howard, who was the senior medical officer to the column, was seen to rush, when the fight was at its height, towards 'No man's land' endeavouring, it seemed, to pull into safety some badly wounded lying there, and before he could accomplish his objective, he himself fell, shot through the chest dying instantly. We could not recover the body that day, but on the next. He was accorded a full military funeral, every officer being present to pay a last respect. He was most popular and beloved by all out here.”
Source; Frome's Fallen Heroes in The Great War by David L. Adams.
