549:
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
518:
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
501:
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
510:. 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
530:
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
459:
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
943:
948:
411:
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
963:
933:
913:
893:
389:
180:
903:
898:
538:
Howe also spearheaded the rapid improvement of inter-group communications over the coming years with the introduction of computerised message switching and modern integrated,
266:
527:
341:
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
923:
918:
908:
558:
214:
172:
928:
326:
185:
448:
440:
134:
129:
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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.
526:
right through to prolonged operations under nuclear attack. The OPEVAL evaluation assessors consisted of a joint six-man team from HQROC and the
855:
582:
112:
953:
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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
380:
in 1956 he had again operated as a
Forward Air Controller and landed with the first invasion wave on the beaches with
350:
474:
On his return from
Germany in 1975 he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies for ten months and was posted to
401:
306:"The Flying Cheetahs" and deployed to Korea to fly combat missions as part of South Africa's contribution to the
262:
43:
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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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246:
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83:
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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
436:
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346:
877:
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491:
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124:
565:, Howe handed over command of the ROC to Air Commodore R J Offord on 12 April 1981.
468:
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After a 1965 exchange tour posting to the United States where he flew most of the
420:
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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384:. After Suez Howe returned to flying duties as a Flight Commander with
318:
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Howe had married and had three daughters, he died on 27 January 2016.
349:(Service No. 503984) to fly early types of jet fighters. He became a
286:
Howe began his military flying career in the post-Second World War
428:
and later as a senior staff officer at the Joint Warfare School.
404:
interceptors into service with the RAF. Howe also formed and led
550:
indoor exhibition at the Royal Review of the Royal Air Force at
400:
the 'Tiger' Squadron, to introduce the first of the supersonic
229:
officer in the 1970s and 1980s. He flew combat missions in the
944:
Recipients of the Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air
333:
from the United States for his service during these actions.
325:, operating in the thick of the fighting. He was awarded the
949:
Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
573:
Following his time in charge of the ROC he was promoted to
392:. Four years after the Suez debacle Howe was promoted to
504:
Specialist Entrant and Re-entrant (SERE) Officers Course
762:
Upward & Onward: Life of Air Vice Marshal John Howe
369:
in October 1957 as a flight commander on promotion to
249:. Howe also served as the sixteenth Commandant of the
593:
In retirement, Howe remained an active member of the
390:
Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air
181:
Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air
313:During his first tour of duty in Korea he flew the
164:
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98:
90:
72:
62:
50:
30:
23:
964:South African military personnel of the Korean War
934:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
528:United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation
914:Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell
494:and took up the appointment as Commandant of the
396:in July 1960 and appointed as Officer Commanding
247:RAF Provost Marshal and Director General Security
241:, finishing his career as the Commandant General
225:(26 March 1930 – 27 January 2016) was a senior
713:"Units directly responsible to Ministry level"
619:
617:
904:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
899:British military personnel of the Suez Crisis
502:already in service, must qualify through the
8:
559:Commander of the Order of the British Empire
478:as 'Operations Staff Officer (Training)' at
439:he returned to the UK as Officer Commanding
173:Commander of the Order of the British Empire
894:Alumni of St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown
353:(QFI) on Vampires, later converting to the
786:
746:(Supplement). 30 December 1978. p. 7.
388:during which time he was awarded with the
20:
670:(Supplement). 13 June 1959. p. 3733.
498:who were also located at Bentley Priory.
924:Military personnel from the Eastern Cape
701:(Supplement). 2 June 1962. p. 4340.
625:"Air Vice-Marshal John Howe – obituary"
613:
449:No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
441:No. 229 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
406:"The Tigers" RAF aerobatic display team
856:Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment
583:Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment
408:during his time with No. 74 Squadron.
117:Southern Maritime Air Region (1980–83)
919:People from East London, South Africa
480:Headquarters 11 Group, Strike Command
7:
909:Companions of the Order of the Bath
237:interceptor air patrols during the
135:No. 229 Operational Conversion Unit
130:No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit
929:People of the Royal Observer Corps
273:immediately after leaving school.
169:Companion of the Order of the Bath
14:
581:Director General of Security and
424:, a senior instructor posting at
519:wholetime and spare time staff.
426:Royal Air Force College Cranwell
267:St Andrew's College, Grahamstown
265:, South Africa, and educated at
829:Commandant Royal Observer Corps
512:Commandant's Command Inspection
650:South African military history
547:Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
16:Senior Royal Air Force officer
1:
357:, and serving the front line
310:in support of the UN forces.
954:Royal Air Force air marshals
764:. Pen & Sword Aviation.
542:hardened telephone systems.
416:on 2 June 1962. Promoted to
939:Recipients of the Air Medal
351:Qualified Flying Instructor
302:. In 1950 he was posted to
980:
402:English Electric Lightning
327:Distinguished Flying Cross
203:John Frederick George Howe
186:Distinguished Flying Cross
25:John Frederick George Howe
862:
853:
845:
835:
826:
820:
812:
802:
794:
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464:on the front line of the
321:units, as a ground-based
290:, and learned to fly in
257:Early life and education
516:Operational Evaluations
288:South African Air Force
282:South African Air Force
271:South African Air Force
253:between 1977 and 1980.
79:South African Air Force
959:South African aviators
323:Forward Air Controller
823:Michael Horace Miller
798:Michael Horace Miller
563:1979 New Year Honours
91:Years of service
760:Cossey, Bob (2008).
508:RAF College Cranwell
496:Royal Observer Corps
486:Royal Observer Corps
363:No. 222 Squadron RAF
251:Royal Observer Corps
120:Royal Observer Corps
681:74 Squadron history
595:No. 74 Squadron RAF
422:RAF Fighter Command
398:No. 74 Squadron RAF
386:No. 43 Squadron RAF
804:Station Commander
743:The London Gazette
698:The London Gazette
667:The London Gazette
631:. 25 February 2016
533:RAF Strike Command
476:RAF Bentley Priory
304:No 2 Squadron SAAF
872:
871:
863:Succeeded by
849:Henry Reed-Purvis
836:Succeeded by
813:Succeeded by
790:Military offices
569:Later RAF service
524:Transition To War
435:Fighters and the
371:flight lieutenant
261:Howe was born in
197:
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846:Preceded by
821:Preceded by
795:Preceded by
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621:
597:'s Association.
575:air vice marshal
361:interceptors of
269:. He joined the
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200:Air Vice Marshal
103:Air Vice Marshal
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754:Further reading
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579:Provost Marshal
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414:Air Force Cross
394:squadron leader
345:in the rank of
343:Royal Air Force
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337:Royal Air Force
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227:Royal Air Force
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193:(United States)
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177:Air Force Cross
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140:No. 74 Squadron
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84:Royal Air Force
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54:27 January 2016
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839:Raymond Offord
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552:RAF Finningley
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433:Century Series
418:wing commander
347:flying officer
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277:Flying history
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68:United Kingdom
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58:(aged 85)
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46:, South Africa
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806:RAF Gutersloh
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771:9781844158201
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492:air commodore
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462:RAF Gutersloh
458:
457:group captain
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453:RAF Coningsby
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355:Hawker Hunter
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315:Mustang F-51D
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41:26 March 1930
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720:. Retrieved
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633:. Retrieved
628:
604:
592:
572:
557:Appointed a
556:
544:
537:
521:
515:
511:
500:
489:
473:
471:operations.
469:Iron Curtain
445:RAF Chivenor
430:
410:
375:
367:RAF Leuchars
340:
312:
285:
260:
243:RAF Regiment
202:
198:
147:Battles/wars
113:RAF Regiment
66:South Africa
56:(2016-01-27)
18:
889:2016 deaths
884:1930 births
866:David Leech
815:P S Collins
738:"No. 47723"
693:"No. 42683"
662:"No. 41727"
635:26 February
601:Family life
382:40 Commando
378:Suez crisis
376:During the
319:US infantry
292:Tiger Moths
263:East London
155:Suez Crisis
44:East London
878:Categories
860:1983–1985
833:1977–1980
810:1973–1974
717:rafweb.org
609:References
589:Retirement
447:and later
308:Korean War
231:Korean War
151:Korean War
63:Allegiance
37:1930-03-26
780:463630861
359:North Sea
331:Air Medal
300:Spitfires
235:North Sea
191:Air Medal
142:(1960–62)
137:(1967–68)
132:(1968–69)
127:(1973–74)
122:(1977–80)
115:(1983–85)
86:(1954–85)
81:(1949–54)
466:Cold War
329:and the
296:Harvards
239:Cold War
159:Cold War
109:Commands
73:Service/
561:in the
437:Phantom
94:1949–85
778:
768:
722:7 June
165:Awards
75:branch
220:
218:,
213:
211:,
776:OCLC
766:ISBN
724:2015
637:2016
514:and
298:and
245:and
233:and
99:Rank
51:Died
31:Born
540:EMP
506:at
451:at
443:at
365:at
222:AFC
215:CBE
183:(2)
880::
774:.
740:.
715:.
695:.
664:.
627:.
616:^
585:.
554:.
482:.
373:.
294:,
208:CB
205:,
782:.
726:.
639:.
39:)
35:(
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