Date of birth:

March 22nd, 1912

Date of death:

August 4th, 2000

Service number:

36027

Nationality:

British (1801-present, Kingdom)

Edward Howell was educated at Glasgow Academy, graduated BSc with first-class honours from Glasgow University. Whilst studying for a PhD at St Andrews University he joined the Universitair Air Force
Posted at Crete during the German parchutist invasion, he was seriously wounded after a ground fight and he was left for dead before being picked up by German paratroopers and taken to a prison camp hospital in Thessalonica - Greece. However, in 1942, he managed to escape from the hospital and travelled over the the Greek mountains, boarding a smugglers' boat from Mount Athos, the Holy Mountain, to Turkey and then Egypt.
Following his escape he was appointed to the Air Staff in Whitehall as a Wing Commander in 1943, working closely with the inventor Barnes Wallis in the development of new bombs to attack hard targets. He later served on the planning staff for D-Day and ended the war on the Joint Staff Mission in the US at the Pentagon in Washington.
Postwar he was much involved in reconcilitation projects in Europe and Asia.

Promotions:
9 April 1932: Commissioned as Pilot Officer Auxiliary - Air Force
9 October 1933: Flying Officer
28 February, 1935: commission relinquished on appointment to a permanent commission in the R.A.F as Pilot Officer.
? Flying Officer
8 June, 1937: Acting Flight Lieutenant
28 August, 1937: Flight Lieutenant
? Squadron Leader
22 December, 1942: Temporary Wing Commander
28 May, 1946: retirement on account of medical unfitness for Air Force service

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Wing Commander

Awarded on:

November 21st, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Squadron Leader

Awarded on:

December 18th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Wing Commander

Citation:
"The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, 20 July 1942, takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit, in the Degree of Officer to Wing Commander Edward A. Howell, Royal Air Force, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services from January 1943 to May 1945."

• - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33822/page/2892
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  - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35187/page/3322
  - Page 5423 | Issue 35279, 19 September 1941 | London Gazette | The Gazette
  - The London Gazette Publication date:18 November 1941 Supplement:35353Page:6704
  - Page 5505 | Supplement 35827, 15 December 1942 | London Gazette | The Gazette
  - Page 5639 | Supplement 35837, 25 December 1942 | London Gazette | The Gazette
  - Page 332 | Supplement 35864, 12 January 1943 | London Gazette | The Gazette
  - Page 5703 | Supplement 37362, 20 November 1945 | London Gazette | The Gazette
  - Page 2903 | Supplement 37605, 7 June 1946 | London Gazette | The Gazette
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