FSGT Walter F Howard 420898

Kiriwina Island, Trobriand Islands, Papua. 1944. Identification portrait of 420898 Pilot Officer W. F. (Wal) Howard, GD Pilot, No. 79 (Spitfire) Squadron RAAF.

Aircraft Details

A58-182 F.VC JG957

Arrived in Australia on SS Tijuga 13/04/43. Rec 1AD ex UK 15/04/43.Rec 79Sqn RAAF ex 1AD 07/05/43. Rec 1AD ex 79Sqn RAAF for Temperate Cowling Modification (Tropical Volks intake removed) 27/05/43. Rec 79Sqn RAAF ex 1AD 01/06/43. Accident 17/06/43 at Horn Island (28OBU)during ferrying Flight ("C"Flight) to PNG when after landing during taxying, aircraft hit a rut and damaged Propeller and broke tail strut. Pilot was Sgt W F Howard Serv#420898 who was not injured. Rec 12RSU ex 79Sqn RAAF 18/06/43. Rec 1RSU ex 13ARDRP 22/08/43. Issued 13ARDRP ex 1RSU 21/10/43. Issued 15ARDRP ex 13ARDRP 31/12/43. Accident 31/12/43 during ferry flight when brakes failed on landing at Aitkenvale. Pilot; F/Lt Rowe, of 15ARD not injured. Allocation 15ARDRP canc. Rec 2OTU ex 13ARDRP 20/08/44. Rec 8OTU ex 2OTU 01/11/44. Accident 10/11/44 when aircraft taxied into fence posts at Parkes Aerodrome. Pilot; F/O P J Nicholls not injured. Rec 6AD ex 8OTU 20/11/45.Natural Meta, Marked "182"fuselage. Authorised for write off 22/05/46. Passed to DAP 26/11/47. Struck off 15/11/48. RR Merlin M46 #79883. Pic held accident Horn Island, never used operationally. Pic held wreck Oakey 1948. ADF SERIALS

A58-231 F.VC MA352

Arrived in Australia on LS627 02/08/43. Rec 1AP ex UK 08/08/43. Rec 1AD ex 1AP 24/08/43. Rec 13ARD RP 03/09/43. Issued 15ARD RP ex 13ARD RP 31/12/43. Aircraft stripped to Natural metal Finish with black anti glare top cockpit frames. Accident 30/01/44 when undercarriage failed to lower on landing at Port Moresby. Pilot; F/Sgt W.F. Howard was un-injured. Issued 15ARD ex 15ARD RP 07/02/44. Rec 79Sqn RAAF ex 15ARD 18/08/44. Coded UP-? (Question Mark) in black. Accident 0940hrs 15/09/44 when on take-off for a test flight the engine stopped, and whilst keeping the aircraft on the strip, the starboard tyre blew out. The pilot selected gear up so as to avoid running past the end of the strip into the sea. Pilot; F/O L S Reid DFC Serv#400735 was not injured. Rec 6AD ex 79Sqn RAAF 26/11/44. Rec 8OTU ex 6AD 15/07/45. Rec 6AD ex 8OTU 14/11/45.Authorised for write off 22/05/46. Passed to DAP 26/11/47. Struck off 15/11/48. Installed RR Merlin M46#115517. ADF SERIALS

MOMOTE, LOS NEGROS ISLAND, ADMIRALTY ISLANDS. C. 1944-04. THREE MEMBERS OF NO. 79 (SPITFIRE) SQUADRON RAAF STAND TOGETHER UNDER A SIGN READING "MEN OF BOYS TOWN". COULD BE FLIGHT SERGEANT "SLEEPY" FAULKS; CLEM SCHMITZER AND WAL HOWARD.

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RAAF No. 79 Squadron fighter pilots discuss operations over New Britain from which they have just returned, with the Squadron's Intelligence and Operations officers. Left to right: 411822 Flying Officer (FO) William Jasper Pickard; 420898 Pilot Officer (PO) W. F. (Wal) Howard; 400109 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Llewellyn Wettenhall; 255395 FO William John Clarke, Intelligence Officer; 264992 FO John Keith Walton Cowie, Operations Officer; 410760 FO George Wilson Voges; 407174 FO David Henry Hopton; 418232 Flight Sergeant George Alec Chomley; 406799 FO (later Flight Lieutenant) Kenneth Henry Slatyer; 417398 FO Owen Brakspear Morgan (at rear); 405026 FO Paul Francis Sebire. A Spitfire Mk Vc aircraft is in the background. Flt Lt Wettenhall and Flt Lt Slatyer were both lost on operations while serving with 79 Squadron, RAAF near New Guinea, respectively on 31 Dec, 1943 and 19 Feb 1944. Flt Lt Wettenhall has no known grave and is commemorated on the Rabaul Memorial, while Flt Lt Slatyer is buried in the Bomana War Cemetery near Port Moresby, Papua.

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Kiriwina, Trobriand Islands, Papua. October 1943. Group portrait of pilots of No. 79 (Spitfire) Squadron RAAF with two female members of the musical entertainment group, The Rockettes, visiting Kiriwina from Sydney, NSW. Identified, left to right: 420930 Sergeant (Sgt) N. S. I. (Neville) Faulks; Miss Joyce Fletcher; 421830 Sgt C. J. (Clem) Schmitzer; 420898 Sgt W. F. (Wal) Howard. Collectively they referred to themselves as members of "Boys Town".

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Kiriwina, Trobriand Islands, Papua. September 1943. 420898 Flight Sergeant W. F. (Wal) Howard (left) and 421830 Flt Sgt C. J. (Clem) Schmitzer, on "Standby" beside the No. 79 Squadron RAAF Spitfire Mk Vc A58-28, UP-M (RAF No. BR485) on the airfield. The aircraft was that of their Flight Commander, 260779 Flight Lieutenant M. S. (Max) Bott, and the battery cart lead, plugged in for a quick engine start, can be seen between the two pilots.

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