William Howard
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
John Howard had been born in Adelaide, Australia but returned to be bought up in Manchester by the age of six. He married Ada Horrox in 1884 at Prestwich, Lancs. He was a blacksmith by trade. The couple had their first four children whilst resident in Moston, Manchester who were, John H born 1886, William born 1891, Lydia E born 1893 and died 1901 and Frederick F in 1896. This family then moved to Retford after 1896, where they had two more children, Joseph Frank (usually referred to as Frank) and Violet Ethel born 1900 but died 1902. After about five years in Retford they returned to Manchester having a son Arthur, born there in 1903. In 1911, William was working as a blacksmith’s striker and young Frank as a butcher’s boy. Although John and Ada had already lost two children, they were soon to grieve over two sons lost in the war.
William Howard and his brother, Frank Howard probably joined up together as both enlisted at Sheffield and their regimental service numbers are only 20 numbers apart. William went to France with the 1st Battalion on the 3rd May 1915. He was killed in action six weeks later in Belgium, on the 16 June 1915. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the same memorial as his brother, Frank, the Menin Gate, Ypres.
CWG additional information:- Son of John and Ada Howard, of Dogdyke Bank, Dogdyke, Lincoln.
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