Archibald Robert Howard was born on 29 October 1886 in West Norwood, Surrey (now Greater London), the second of the seven children of George Howard (1855-1932) and Frances Margaret Faulkner Howard née McSporran (1860-1934). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1886 in the Lambeth Registration District, Surrey (now Greater London). His six siblings were: Frederick George Howard (1884-1949); Reginald Henry Howard (1889-1969); Edith Caroline Howard (1892-1976); Grace Elizabeth Howard (1894-1969); Beryl Alice Howard (1901-1915) and Arthur William Howard (1903-1974).
He attended the Council School, Salter’s Hill, Norwood and in the April 1891 census he was shown as aged 4 years and living in a four roomed property at 17 Oxford Terrace, Park Road, Lambeth, London, with his parents and his two brothers: Frederick George Howard and Reginald Henry Howard. His father was described as a police constable. Having attend Gypsy Road School, on 22 February 1892 he was admitted into the Woodland Road School, Lambeth, where in the admissions register he was shown as living at 5 Alexandra Road, Lambeth. He was withdrawn from this school on 26 September 1892 upon moving to London.
On 1 July 1896 his parents had him, together with his two brothers and two sisters, baptised at Emmanuel Church, West Dulwich, where in the baptismal register their family address was recorded as 37 Chalford Road, Dulwich, London.
In the March 1901 census he is shown as aged 14 years and a page boy living at the home of a Dr John Reynolds at 11 Brixton Road, Lambeth, London.
On 2 October 1902 he enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class, service number D.219014 and on 18 January 1903 he was rated as a Boy 1st Class. On 29 October 1904, his 18th birthday, he signed on for 12 years and was rated as an Ordinary Seaman. He was promoted to Able Seaman on 1 July 1906 but was discharged on 10 September 1908 suffering from defective vision.
He was appointed in November 1909 as an Assistant Postman at Norwood and when the April 1911 census return form was completed by his father he was listed as aged 24 years and a G.P.O. postman, living in a six roomed property at 48 Goodrich Road, East Dulwich, London, with his parents and his six siblings: Frederick George Howard who was also a G.P.O. postman; Reginald Henry Howard - a shipping clerk; Edith Caroline Howard - a dressmaker; Grace Elizabeth Howard - a dressmaker; Beryl Alice Howard - a scholar and Arthur William Howard who was also a scholar. His father described himself as a Metropolitan Police Constable.
In September 1911 he was appointed as a Postman in London’s Western District Office.
He was a Post Office Clerk when he enlisted on 5 September 1914 in the Royal Field Artillery, service number 9380 and entered France on 7 July 1915. He was serving as a Serjeant in C Battery, 70th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, when he was killed in action on 23 April 1917, aged 30 years and was buried near where he fell. His major wrote that he was invaluable in action, always calm when facing danger and set a splendid example to the whole battery. He was awarded the Military Medal for attending to the telephone whilst under gas attack and also for attending to the wounded under fire.
As he has no known grave he is commemorated in Bay 1 of The Arras Memorial to the Missing at Faubourg D’Amiens Cemetery, Arras, France.
On 28 June 1917 his father was sent his £94-6s-10d gratuity from the General Post Office for his 5 years and 5 months service as a postman. His army effects totalling £26-9s-1d were sent to his mother on 13 August 1917 and his £15-0s-0d war gratuity was sent to his father on 24 December 1919. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
It was not until 25 July 1925 that administration of his estate was granted to his father, who was by now a retired police officer. Probate records confirm that his address had been 54 St.Aidan’s Road, East Dulwich and that his effects totalled £99-6s-10d.
He is shown as 'HOWARD, A. R.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, on the A Street Near You website, on the London War Memorial website, on the Royal British Legion's Every One Remembered website and on page 184 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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