Howard, Frederick James (Major, 1904 -1984)

Collection relating to VX12841 Major Frederick James Howard, War Correspondent and Army Public Relations, Middle East and South West Pacific, 1939-1945. Collection includes Howard's original diaries and later research papers for publications including the biography of Sir Wilfrid Selwyn Kent Hughes (1895-1970) published 1980.

This collection contains much of interest to the Australian War Memorial. Howard was officer in Charge, Historical Records, in North Africa, 1941, before John Treloar arrived and the subsequent reorganisation of the Military History and Information Section. Howard's diaries contain reference to Treloar and his working methods as well as information concerning the development of the sound and film collections of the Memorial. There is also mention of collecting trips made with official war artists and journalists, for example, Ivor Hele and Frank Hurley. Howard edited the Second AIF's Christmas Book "Active service : with Australia in the Middle East", 1941. The developing relationship between the Department of Information and the Military History Section can be seen from the diaries and correspondence. After North Africa, Howard worked as the Public Relations Liaison Officer, General Headquarters, South West Pacific Area (SWPA). The diaries and correspondence indicate the relationship between that department, the journalists and correspondents and the censorship authorities in Australia at the time.