Royal Observer Corps Association
  • Home
  • National and Local Events
    • 100th Anniversary
    • VE Day
    • St Clement Danes 2025
    • Reunion 2024
    • Remembrance 2024
    • IBCC 2024
    • D Day Commemorations 24
    • Capel le Ferne 24
    • National Arboretum May 2024
    • The Not Forgotten Garden Party
    • St Clement Danes 2024
    • Reunion 2023
    • Remembrance 2023
    • Yorkshire Air Museum - Memorial Day
    • Battle of Britain 2023
  • National Heritage
    • Building 27 RAF Northolt
    • Portadown Post, 31 Group
    • D Day - 80 years on
    • Cold War Day - RAF West Raynham
    • Great Bedwyn Post Presentation
    • Stoke Golding Open Day 23
    • Remembering Jack Kelway
    • 1942 17 Group Banner
    • Observer Way, Reading
    • The Greatest Sacrifice
    • ROC in pursuit!
    • Heritage Awards 2022
    • Special Constables
    • Bury War Room May 2022
    • Falklands remembered
    • Cosford 2022
    • Heritage Snippets
    • NAFD 2018 Llandudno
    • NAFD 2016 Cleethorpes
    • Armed forces Day 2014 Stirling
    • Bury St. Edmunds Ops room restoration
    • Bentley Priory Museum
    • Armed Forces Week 2013
    • Bentley Priory Tours 2012
  • National News
  • Current Group News
  • Organisation - National
    • Organisation - Groups
  • Links
  • Archive
    • Group News 2010-2021
    • 2014 A year to Remember
    • St Clement Danes April 2017
    • 31 Group Belfast Dedication of Group Standard
    • FAIRFORD 2015
    • Remembrance 2017
    • Banner at Cranwell
    • 2014 National Reunion
    • Stoke Golding 2016
    • Channel islands Liberation Parade 2014
    • Bentley Priory reborn Sept 2013
    • No. 1 Group Maidstone 2014 Parades
    • D-Day 70 Years on
    • ROCA President
    • Battle of Britain Services 2016
    • The Battle of Britain
    • National Arboretum Group trees
AIR VICE MARSHAL J F G HOWE CB CBE AFC RAF
​

Picture

South African Air Force
    John Howe began his military flying career in the post-Second World War South African Air Force, and learned to fly in Tiger Moths, Harvards and Spitfires. In 1950 he was posted to No 2 Squadron “The Flying Cheetahs” and deployed to Korea to fly combat missions as part of South Africa's contribution to the Korean War in support of the UN forces.
     During his first tour of duty in Korea he flew the Mustang F-51D fighter-bombers in front-line action. A later second tour saw him serving with US Infantry units, as a ground based Forward Air Controller, operating in the thick of the fighting. He was awarded the US Distinguished Flying Cross and the US Air Medal for his service during these actions.




Royal Air Force
     When the political situation in South Africa became more difficult and extreme in 1954 he resigned from the SAAF and transferred to the Royal Air Force in the rank of Flying Officer to fly early types of jet fighters. He became a QFI on Vampires, later converting to the Hawker Hunter, and serving the front line North Sea interceptors of No. 222 Squadron RAF at RAF Leuchars in October 1957 as a flight commander on promotion to Flight Lieutenant.
      During the Suez crisis in 1956 he had again operated as a Forward Air Controller and landed with the first invasion wave on the beaches with 40 Commando.
      After Suez Howe returned to flying duties as a Flight Commander with No. 43 Squadron RAF during which time he was awarded with the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air.


Picture

       Four years after the Suez debacle Howe was promoted to Squadron Leader in July 1960 and appointed as Officer Commanding No. 74 Squadron RAF the 'Tiger' Squadron, to introduce the first of the supersonic English Electric Lightning interceptors into service with the RAF. Howe also formed and led "The Tigers" RAF aerobatic display team during his time with No. 74 Squadron.
       Howe was selected by the RAF to undertake several overseas demonstration tours where he showcased the remarkable capabilities of the new fighter in numerous air displays and demonstrations. He was awarded the AFC on 2 June 1962.
       Promoted to Wing Commander in January 1966 his developing career took him to a staff posting at Headquarters RAF Fighter Command, a senior instructor posting at Royal Air Force College Cranwell and later as a senior staff officer at the Joint Warfare School.
​


Picture

After a 1965 exchange tour posting to the United States where he flew most of the Century Series Fighters and the Phantom he returned to the UK as Officer Commanding No. 229 Operational Conversion Unit RAF at RAF Chivenor and later No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit RAF at RAF Coningsby where he oversaw the introduction of the Phantom FGR2 into operational service with the RAF.
N.B which is where the Assistant Web Editor served under him.

       In 1969 on promotion to Acting Group Captain he moved to two staff postings, firstly as 'Staff Officer Central Tactics and Trials' and later as 'Deputy Director Operational Research 1'.
       After his rank as a Group Captain was made substantive, in 1973 he was appointed Officer Commanding RAF Gutersloh on the front line of the Cold War Iron Curtain operations.
       On his return from Germany in 1975 he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies for ten months and was posted to RAF Bentley Priory as 'Operations Staff Officer (Training)' at Headquarters 11 Group, Strike Command.

​

Picture
RAF Coningsby Flight line 1968
Picture

      Royal Observer Corps


​


       
       Following a tour of duty as an Operations Staff Officer, in 1977 Howe moved across the road on promotion to
Air Commodore and took up the appointment as the 16th Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps who were also located at Bentley Priory.
      
      Howe applied the same exacting standards and tight discipline to the ROC as he did to his flying. He found an organisation that was superficially sound but with an underlying air of relaxed complacency. His first action was to insist that all wholetime ROC officers, both newly appointed and those already in service, must qualify through the Specialist Entrant and Re-entrant (SERE) Officers Course at RAF College Cranwell. The first intake of five officers to do so attended '157 SERE' in October to November 1979 and Air Commodore Howe was guest of honour at the formal end of course dinner. Also, for the first time in the Corps' history, Howe initiated a two pronged regime of both a Commandant's Command Inspection and Operational Evaluations that would continue until the Corps was stood down. The Command Inspections took place in every group headquarters once every three years, with three months’ prior notice. Howe himself led a two-man team of HQROC staff officers in a two-day detailed review of administration and organisation by the wholetime and spare time staff.
       
     The operation evaluations were a two-day “No Notice” assessment of the group’s operational performance similar to RAF station TACEVALs, from Transition to War right through to prolonged operations under nuclear attack. The OPEVAL evaluation assessors consisted of a joint six-man team from HQROC and the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation who would arrive on an irregular basis and place the whole group on a realistic but simulated war footing. By the time Howe’s tenure ended in 1980 the dual regime of inspections left the ROC up to date, more efficient and comparable to any unit in RAF Strike Command and he was subsequently considered to have had a greater impact on the operational efficiency of the ROC than any other post-war Commandant ROC.
        Howe also spearheaded the rapid improvement of inter-group communications over the coming years with the introduction of computerised message switching and modern integrated, EMP hardened telephone systems.
       
      During his time with the ROC Howe additionally oversaw the Corps’ contributions to the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II celebrations and events and ensured that every advantage was taken to publicise the unsung work of the Corps. On 30 June 1977 Howe led an ROC contingent that took part in the Royal Review of Reserve and Cadet Forces at Wembley Stadium. On 29 July 1977 he attended when the ROC was represented in the indoor exhibition at the Royal Review of the Royal Air Force at RAF Finningley.
         Air Commodore Howe handed over command of the ROC to Air Commodore R J Offord on 12 April 1981.


Picture
Later RAF service
​

Following his time in charge of the ROC he was promoted to Air Vice-Marshal as AOC Southern Maritime Air Region and his final tour of duty was in the dual roles as Provost Marshal Director General of Security and Commandant General of the RAF Regiment.

Picture

     Since retirement, on 30th November 1985, Air Vice-Marshal Howe remained an active member of the No. 74 Squadron RAF's Association and attended the many organised events. His biography, detailing a varied and distinguished military career over forty years and four continents, entitled “Upward and Onward” was published in the late Autumn of 2008.

​     On retirement John and his wife Annabelle retired to their farm in Norfolk. Whilst relaxing it was within view of aircraft landing at Norwich Airport (formally RAF Horsham St Faith) and until closure RAF Coltishall.

     Sadly, he was called to his final posting of ‘Little Snoring’ when he passed away on the 27 January 2016

​


The official website of the Royal Observer Corps Association

Return to Home Page
Data Protection
Links to external sites
Email Website Editor