Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War D.S.O. group of eight awarded to Air Commodore G. R. Howie, 216 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.I.R., silver-gilt and enamel, reverse officially dated 1942, with integral top riband bar; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (Sqn. Ldr. G. R. Howie. R.A.F.) officially re-engraved naming; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Coronation 1953; together with the recipient’s related miniature awards, these mounted court-style as worn, the GSM officially renamed and as such probably a replacement group, good very fine (16) £1,000-£1,400

D.S.O. London Gazette 18 September 1942.

Gilbert Ritchie Howie was born on 24 March 1910 and joined the Royal Air Force for training as a Pilot. After he qualified he remained as an instructor at No. 7 F.T.S. Peterborough for some years. He was posted to Palestine as a Squadron Leader and saw service there in 1939 before the outbreak of the war. He remained in the Middle East and as Wing Commander and Officer Commanding 216 Squadron, was awarded the D.S.O. for services in connection with air trooping. No. 216 Squadron was equipped with Bombay aircraft and was responsible for the quick movement of troops from Syria and other trouble spots in that area.

Howie returned to the U.K. and assisted in D-Day operations and the occupation of North West Europe. After the War he was promoted to Group Captain on 1 January 1952, and in 1956 sent to Ankara as Air Attaché to Turkey. He retired from the R.A.F. in March 1960, on his 50th birthday, and subsequently lived at Thames Ditton.

At the time of Arnhem, Howie was a Station Commander, and one of the pilots under his command was Flight Lieutenant J. K. O’N. Edwards, who won the D.F.C. for Arnhem, but who was later better known in the entertainment word as Jimmy Edwards. In his book ‘Take it from Here’ he makes several references to Group Captain Howie.

Sold with large file of research including Squadron’s operational log.

Note: Howie’s original group of full sized medals sold at in these rooms in June 1994.