The Worst Affected Warwick Family Part 2
Serjeant George William Howlett Royal Warwickshire Regiment
The Man George William Howlett (Bill) was born during the third quarter of 1916 in Inchicore, Dublin, Ireland, son of Alfred Patrick John, a Corporal in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and Margaret nee Burke. Alfred had been posted to Ireland with the Army and married Margaret, an Irish resident, in 1908, subsequently serving there for most of World War I.
Bill was one of six children, Eillen Margaret born in 1910, Alfred Patrick John junior 1911, died of wounds received during the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, William Henry 1913, killed in action in Tobruk on 14th June 1942, Leo Thomas (John) 1st July 1914 and Walter Aloysius 20th June 1920, all were born in Dublin South, except Slim.
Having left the Army Alfred senior and Margaret moved to Warwick, becoming the Licensees of the Warwick Tavern on Crompton Street in 1931.
Following his education and aged about 15 in 1931, Bill enlisted into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment with service number 5107689. He served for seven years and joined Coventry City Police on leaving. The 1939 Register shows him as a PC living at 4 Regent Street, Coventry together with a number of other lodgers and he is also noted as Army Reservist.
Bill was one of six children, Eillen Margaret born in 1910, Alfred Patrick John junior 1911, died of wounds received during the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, William Henry 1913, killed in action in Tobruk on 14th June 1942, Leo Thomas (John) 1st July 1914 and Walter Aloysius 20th June 1920, all were born in Dublin South, except Slim.
Having left the Army Alfred senior and Margaret moved to Warwick, becoming the Licensees of the Warwick Tavern on Crompton Street in 1931.
Following his education and aged about 15 in 1931, Bill enlisted into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment with service number 5107689. He served for seven years and joined Coventry City Police on leaving. The 1939 Register shows him as a PC living at 4 Regent Street, Coventry together with a number of other lodgers and he is also noted as Army Reservist.
Defence Medal. War Medal 1939-45.
Following the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September 1939, Bill was recalled into the RWR, he married Leonora Henrietta Long (Leon), a Stage Artist in Coventry during the final quarter of 1941. At some time he was attached to the King’s African Rifles (KAR), during the war they served in East Africa, including campaigns against the Italians in Italian East Africa and the Vichy French in Madagascar. Tragically having survived most of the war, Bill was killed in a car accident in Kenya on 8th February 1945 aged just 28 and following his brother’s Slim and Harry to early, but honourable grave.
He was buried in Nyeri War Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery, Kenya in plot 1.B.4. and posthumously awarded the Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45. His name was added to the Warwick War Memorial in Church Street, and on Slim’s grave together with Harry.
Leon was seemingly distraught at her loss and placed a notice in the Warwick Advertiser a year later, she later lived at 95 Warwick Street, Leamington Spa, never re-married and died in the second quarter of 1979 in Coventry aged 69.
He was buried in Nyeri War Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery, Kenya in plot 1.B.4. and posthumously awarded the Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45. His name was added to the Warwick War Memorial in Church Street, and on Slim’s grave together with Harry.
Leon was seemingly distraught at her loss and placed a notice in the Warwick Advertiser a year later, she later lived at 95 Warwick Street, Leamington Spa, never re-married and died in the second quarter of 1979 in Coventry aged 69.
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Bill Howlett's Commonwealth War Grave Nyeri Cemetery, Kenya.
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Warwick War Memorial showing names of George William Howlett and his brothers.
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Warwick Cemetery. Grave of Alfred Patrick John Howlett with memorial stone to George William and William Henry.
Warwick Advertiser. 8th February 1945.
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Warwick Advertiser. 8th February 1946
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Click here to read about George's Brothers:
The Worst Affected Warwick Family
Alfred and Margaret Howlett kept the Warwick Tavern, now The Old Fourpenny Shop, 27-29 Compton Street.
They had four sons serving in WW2; three of them did not survive. Alf ‘Slim’ Howlett was wounded in May 1940 during the British Expeditionary Force retreat towards Dunkirk and died of his injuries in Warwick Hospital. He is buried in Warwick Cemetery.
William Henry Howlett, known as Harry, was killed in action at Tobruk in 1942, and George William Howlett, known as Bill, died in a road accident in February 1945 while he was serving in East Africa.
The Warwick Advertiser reported that:
“The sympathy of the whole town has been deeply stirred by the tragic fate that has befallen the Howlett family”.
Alfred and Margaret Howlett kept the Warwick Tavern, now The Old Fourpenny Shop, 27-29 Compton Street.
They had four sons serving in WW2; three of them did not survive. Alf ‘Slim’ Howlett was wounded in May 1940 during the British Expeditionary Force retreat towards Dunkirk and died of his injuries in Warwick Hospital. He is buried in Warwick Cemetery.
William Henry Howlett, known as Harry, was killed in action at Tobruk in 1942, and George William Howlett, known as Bill, died in a road accident in February 1945 while he was serving in East Africa.
The Warwick Advertiser reported that:
“The sympathy of the whole town has been deeply stirred by the tragic fate that has befallen the Howlett family”.
Medal Details:
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
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This page last updated 5 Dec 26
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