560:
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
529:
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
512:
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
521:. 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
541:
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
470:
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
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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
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Howe also spearheaded the rapid improvement of inter-group communications over the coming years with the introduction of computerised message switching and modern integrated,
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When the political situation in South Africa became more difficult and extreme in 1954 he decided to resign from the SAAF and moved to
England where he transferred to the
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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.
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right through to prolonged operations under nuclear attack. The OPEVAL evaluation assessors consisted of a joint six-man team from HQROC and the
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123:
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The operation evaluations were a two-day "No Notice" assessment of the group's operational performance similar to RAF station TACEVALs, from
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where he oversaw the introduction of the
Phantom FGR2 into operational service with the RAF. In 1969 on promotion to acting
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in 1956 he had again operated as a
Forward Air Controller and landed with the first invasion wave on the beaches with
361:
485:
On his return from
Germany in 1975 he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies for ten months and was posted to
412:
317:"The Flying Cheetahs" and deployed to Korea to fly combat missions as part of South Africa's contribution to the
273:
54:
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Following a tour of duty as an
Operations Staff Officer, in 1977 Howe moved across the road on promotion to
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as AOC Southern
Maritime Air Region and his final tour of duty was in the dual roles as
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During his time with the ROC Howe additionally oversaw the Corps' contributions to the
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576:, Howe handed over command of the ROC to Air Commodore R J Offord on 12 April 1981.
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After a 1965 exchange tour posting to the United States where he flew most of the
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in January 1966 his developing career took him to a staff posting at Headquarters
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fighter-bombers in front-line action. A later second tour saw him serving with
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395:. After Suez Howe returned to flying duties as a Flight Commander with
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Howe had married and had three daughters, he died on 27 January 2016.
360:(Service No. 503984) to fly early types of jet fighters. He became a
297:
Howe began his military flying career in the post-Second World War
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and later as a senior staff officer at the Joint Warfare School.
415:
interceptors into service with the RAF. Howe also formed and led
561:
indoor exhibition at the Royal Review of the Royal Air Force at
411:
the 'Tiger' Squadron, to introduce the first of the supersonic
240:
officer in the 1970s and 1980s. He flew combat missions in the
955:
Recipients of the Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air
344:
from the United States for his service during these actions.
336:, operating in the thick of the fighting. He was awarded the
960:
Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
584:
Following his time in charge of the ROC he was promoted to
403:. Four years after the Suez debacle Howe was promoted to
515:
Specialist Entrant and Re-entrant (SERE) Officers Course
773:
Upward & Onward: Life of Air Vice Marshal John Howe
380:
in October 1957 as a flight commander on promotion to
260:. Howe also served as the sixteenth Commandant of the
604:
In retirement, Howe remained an active member of the
401:
Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air
192:
Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air
324:During his first tour of duty in Korea he flew the
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73:
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34:
975:South African military personnel of the Korean War
945:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
539:United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation
925:Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell
505:and took up the appointment as Commandant of the
407:in July 1960 and appointed as Officer Commanding
258:RAF Provost Marshal and Director General Security
252:, finishing his career as the Commandant General
236:(26 March 1930 – 27 January 2016) was a senior
724:"Units directly responsible to Ministry level"
630:
628:
915:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
910:British military personnel of the Suez Crisis
513:already in service, must qualify through the
8:
570:Commander of the Order of the British Empire
489:as 'Operations Staff Officer (Training)' at
450:he returned to the UK as Officer Commanding
184:Commander of the Order of the British Empire
905:Alumni of St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown
364:(QFI) on Vampires, later converting to the
797:
757:(Supplement). 30 December 1978. p. 7.
399:during which time he was awarded with the
31:
681:(Supplement). 13 June 1959. p. 3733.
509:who were also located at Bentley Priory.
935:Military personnel from the Eastern Cape
712:(Supplement). 2 June 1962. p. 4340.
636:"Air Vice-Marshal John Howe – obituary"
624:
460:No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
452:No. 229 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
417:"The Tigers" RAF aerobatic display team
867:Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment
594:Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment
419:during his time with No. 74 Squadron.
128:Southern Maritime Air Region (1980–83)
930:People from East London, South Africa
491:Headquarters 11 Group, Strike Command
7:
920:Companions of the Order of the Bath
248:interceptor air patrols during the
146:No. 229 Operational Conversion Unit
141:No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit
940:People of the Royal Observer Corps
284:immediately after leaving school.
180:Companion of the Order of the Bath
25:
592:Director General of Security and
435:, a senior instructor posting at
530:wholetime and spare time staff.
437:Royal Air Force College Cranwell
278:St Andrew's College, Grahamstown
276:, South Africa, and educated at
840:Commandant Royal Observer Corps
523:Commandant's Command Inspection
661:South African military history
558:Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
27:Senior Royal Air Force officer
1:
368:, and serving the front line
321:in support of the UN forces.
965:Royal Air Force air marshals
775:. Pen & Sword Aviation.
553:hardened telephone systems.
427:on 2 June 1962. Promoted to
950:Recipients of the Air Medal
362:Qualified Flying Instructor
313:. In 1950 he was posted to
991:
413:English Electric Lightning
338:Distinguished Flying Cross
214:John Frederick George Howe
197:Distinguished Flying Cross
36:John Frederick George Howe
18:John Frederick George Howe
873:
864:
856:
846:
837:
831:
823:
813:
805:
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475:on the front line of the
332:units, as a ground-based
301:, and learned to fly in
268:Early life and education
527:Operational Evaluations
299:South African Air Force
293:South African Air Force
282:South African Air Force
264:between 1977 and 1980.
90:South African Air Force
970:South African aviators
334:Forward Air Controller
834:Michael Horace Miller
809:Michael Horace Miller
574:1979 New Year Honours
102:Years of service
771:Cossey, Bob (2008).
519:RAF College Cranwell
507:Royal Observer Corps
497:Royal Observer Corps
374:No. 222 Squadron RAF
262:Royal Observer Corps
131:Royal Observer Corps
692:74 Squadron history
606:No. 74 Squadron RAF
433:RAF Fighter Command
409:No. 74 Squadron RAF
397:No. 43 Squadron RAF
815:Station Commander
754:The London Gazette
709:The London Gazette
678:The London Gazette
642:. 25 February 2016
544:RAF Strike Command
487:RAF Bentley Priory
315:No 2 Squadron SAAF
883:
882:
874:Succeeded by
860:Henry Reed-Purvis
847:Succeeded by
824:Succeeded by
801:Military offices
580:Later RAF service
535:Transition To War
446:Fighters and the
382:flight lieutenant
272:Howe was born in
208:
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16:(Redirected from
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857:Preceded by
832:Preceded by
806:Preceded by
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608:'s Association.
586:air vice marshal
372:interceptors of
280:. He joined the
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211:Air Vice Marshal
114:Air Vice Marshal
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765:Further reading
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425:Air Force Cross
405:squadron leader
356:in the rank of
354:Royal Air Force
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348:Royal Air Force
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238:Royal Air Force
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204:(United States)
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188:Air Force Cross
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65:27 January 2016
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444:Century Series
429:wing commander
358:flying officer
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817:RAF Gutersloh
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503:air commodore
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473:RAF Gutersloh
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468:group captain
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464:RAF Coningsby
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326:Mustang F-51D
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52:26 March 1930
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743:
731:. Retrieved
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656:
644:. Retrieved
639:
615:
603:
583:
568:Appointed a
567:
555:
548:
532:
526:
522:
511:
500:
484:
482:operations.
480:Iron Curtain
456:RAF Chivenor
441:
421:
386:
378:RAF Leuchars
351:
323:
296:
271:
254:RAF Regiment
213:
209:
158:Battles/wars
124:RAF Regiment
77:South Africa
67:(2016-01-27)
29:
900:2016 deaths
895:1930 births
877:David Leech
826:P S Collins
749:"No. 47723"
704:"No. 42683"
673:"No. 41727"
646:26 February
612:Family life
393:40 Commando
389:Suez crisis
387:During the
330:US infantry
303:Tiger Moths
274:East London
166:Suez Crisis
55:East London
889:Categories
871:1983–1985
844:1977–1980
821:1973–1974
728:rafweb.org
620:References
600:Retirement
458:and later
319:Korean War
242:Korean War
162:Korean War
74:Allegiance
48:1930-03-26
791:463630861
370:North Sea
342:Air Medal
311:Spitfires
246:North Sea
202:Air Medal
153:(1960–62)
148:(1967–68)
143:(1968–69)
138:(1973–74)
133:(1977–80)
126:(1983–85)
97:(1954–85)
92:(1949–54)
477:Cold War
340:and the
307:Harvards
250:Cold War
170:Cold War
120:Commands
84:Service/
572:in the
448:Phantom
105:1949–85
789:
779:
733:7 June
176:Awards
86:branch
231:
229:,
224:
222:,
787:OCLC
777:ISBN
735:2015
648:2016
525:and
309:and
256:and
244:and
110:Rank
62:Died
42:Born
551:EMP
517:at
462:at
454:at
376:at
233:AFC
226:CBE
194:(2)
891::
785:.
751:.
726:.
706:.
675:.
638:.
627:^
596:.
565:.
493:.
384:.
305:,
219:CB
216:,
793:.
737:.
650:.
50:)
46:(
20:)
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