Victoria Cross : Corporal George Julian Howell, 1 Battalion, AIF

Place	Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Bapaume Cambrai Area, Bullecourt
Accession Number	REL43897.001
Collection type	Heraldry
Object type	Award
Physical description	Bronze
Location	Main Bld: Hall of Valour: Main Hall: Somme to Hindenburg Line
Maker	Hancocks
Place made	United Kingdom: England, Greater London, London
Date made	c 1917
Conflict	First World War, 1914-1918

Description

Victoria Cross. Impressed reverse suspender with recipient's details and reverse cross with date of action.

History / Summary

George Julian ‘Snowy’ Howell was born to Francis John and Martha (nee Sweeny) Howell at Enfield, Sydney on 19 November 1893. Following his education at Croydon Park and Burwood Public Schools, Howell was apprenticed as a bricklayer to a Mr Shannon of Campsie. He was a keen athlete and enjoyed football, playing with the local team, the Enfield Federals. It was as a bricklayer that he enlisted in the first AIF on 3 June 1915. His father, by now almost 60 years of age, enlisted a year later and was assigned to 54th Battalion.

Posted as private 2445 to the 1st Battalion, Howell embarked for Egypt from Sydney on 14 July 1915, aboard HMAT Orsova. He joined his battalion on Gallipoli on 4 November but returned to Alexandria on 28 December following the evacuation of the peninsula. Embarking again in March 1916, the battalion moved to France. A week after arriving Howell attended mortar training school. During the bitter fighting around Pozieres he was wounded in the back on 23 July and evacuated to England, only returning to his unit on 26 November. Promoted to lance corporal on 10 December, Howell attended a training school prior to a further promotion to corporal on 6 February 1917.

In April the 1st Division was tasked with the capture of three villages used by the Germans as outposts to the Hindenburg Line: Hermies, Boursies and Demicourt. The objectives were part of the larger Arras offensive aimed at smashing the German defences and bringing about a swift end to the war. Although significant advances were made, by the end of the offensive on 19 May, the war dragged on. It was during this offensive that Howell was twice recognised for acts of heroism. For his actions on the first day of the offensive, while leading a section during the capture of Demicourt, Howell was awarded the Military Medal.

In early May, during the Second Battle of Bullecourt, the battalion experienced some of its heaviest fighting of the war. At 9.00pm on 3 May, it moved forward to relieve elements of the 6th Infantry Brigade which were holding a section of the front line near Bullecourt known as OG1(Old German Trench1). The relief was complete by 3.30am the following morning but the trench which the battalion had taken over ‘was in very bad order being badly knocked about by shell fire’. Within 30 minutes the Germans made their first bombing (hand grenade) and flame thrower attack on the relieving troops. These attacks continued over the coming days as well as ‘shelling [that] was exceptionally heavy, destructive and constant.’

On the morning of 6 May, Howell, commanding a post on the right of the position, sent an urgent message to battalion headquarters informing them that the battalion on his right was retiring in the face of a heavy counter attack. Captain McKenzie, commanding 1st Battalion, ordered all headquarters staff, including batmen and signallers to reinforce the failing position. Enemy bombs continued to rain down on Howell’s position as the troops scrambled to retaliate with their own Mills bombs. As the situation became increasingly desperate, Howell was seen to leap on to the exposed trench parapet and run along until he was above the Germans, throwing bombs and forcing them back. After he had exhausted his supply of grenades he continued to pursue to retreating Germans with his bayonet until he fell, badly wounded, into the trench.

Following further desperate and close fighting the Australians recaptured all the ground that had been gained by the enemy counter attacks. By the time the battalion was relieved later that evening it had suffered 281 casualties. For his actions during the attack on Bullecourt Howell was awarded the Victoria Cross. The recommendation for the award reads:

‘For gallantry, fearlessness and initiative on 6th May 1917 in trench O.G.1 near BULLECOURT, FRANCE, part of which this Btn. was holding. The enemy attacked the Btn. which was occupying the trench on our right and succeeded in driving them from the trench and were approaching our right flank. Cpl. HOWELL, seeing this, without orders, immediately jumped up on the parapet and then singlehanded, though subjected to heavy bomb and rifle fire, threw bombs on the enemy and advanced on them at the same time. Having exhausted his supply of bombs he advance along the top of the parapet and attacked the enemy with his bayonet until he fell wounded into the trench. Seeing Howell’s action other men had come forward to support him and the enemy were finally driven out of the trench which was again occupied and held, being taken over by the Bn. who had formerly held it. HOWELL’S action in stemming the tide of the advance of the enemy and forcing them to draw back enabled the organisation of the counter attack which was immediately launched and drove the Germans from the position.

His action was witnessed not only by the whole of his Bn. but also by the Btn. occupying O.G.2. Apart from its great value tactically, his example had a great effect in inspiring other men and undoubtedly was greatly responsible for the enemy’s being driven back immediately, though it was some time before they were driven out of the whole position.

Furthermore the bravery of Cpl. HOWELL on the above occasion had been the topic of conversation in this and neighbouring Btn’s of the Bde, both Officers and men. He has done previous good work and already won the M.M. His wound has proved a very serious one.’

Howell’s survival was extraordinary. He later told reporters that ‘the Germans had thrown every available item of ironmongery at him’. He had sustained over 20 wounds during the action, including grenade damage to his hand and machine gun wounds to both legs, which effectively ended his active service.

In July due to the severity of his son’s wounds, Howell’s father, soon to be returned home after his true age had been discovered, was given special leave from France to visit his son in London. Howell had by now recovered sufficiently to be able to attend the investiture for both his Victoria Cross and Military Medal, which was made by King George V in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace on 21 July. It is thought that his father was able to attend the ceremony as well.

Howell was invalided to Australia on board HMAT Berrima on 31 October 1917. He was discharged on 5 June 1918. Of his two brothers who served, one, Private Frederick Francis Howell, of 1st Pioneer Battalion, survived the war, while Lance Corporal Valentine John Howell, of 18th Battalion, was killed at Morlancourt on 31 May 1918.

Howell did not return to his pre-war occupation, instead choosing to work on the advertising staff for a number of publications in New South Wales and Queensland. He married Sadie Lillian Yates on 1 March 1919.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Howell once again enlisted. The effects of his previous war service were evident in his medical assessment, which noted wound scars in his left forearm and hand, left shoulder, left thigh, left wrist, right chest and left knee. Enlisting on 14 October 1939, he was posted to the 2nd Garrison Battalion at Sydney Showground but was discharged in December. In all probability the posting was not close enough to the front line for Howell’s liking.

In June the following year he again enlisted, understating his age by three years in the hope of seeing overseas action. Disappointment followed with another domestic posting and eight months later he was again discharged. Finally, Howell managed to see fighting when he joined the United States Sea Transport Service in 1944 in time for the invasion of Leyte in the Philippines. He served on tug ST-131 under Captain Norman Philpott through October and November. During this period the tug it was attacked by Japanese suicide bombers. It also survived a monsoon while carrying a cargo of high octane fuel between Hollandia in New Guinea and San Pedro Bay in the Philippines.

In December 1953 Howell moved to Western Australia to live with his daughter, Norma, following the death of his good friend Bede Kenny VC in April and the loss of his wife in September. Kenny and Howell had marched together at every Anzac Day for 29 years. He attended the centenary celebrations of the Victoria Cross in London in 1956. Snowy Howell died in the Repatriation General Hospital in Perth on 23 December 1964, and was accorded a funeral with full military honours. His ashes were interred at Karrakatta Cemetery.