The Brian Kieran Collection

A fine Great War M.C. group of four awarded to Captain A. G. “Jock” Howitt, East Surrey Regiment, a gallant officer of the 12th Battalion who was killed in action at Hollebeke in August 1917 - ‘If there was anything to be done needing courage and a cool head, Jock was the man for the job’

Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; 1914-15 Star (2nd Lt. A. G. Howitt, 6th Infantry); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. A. G. Howitt), extremely fine (4) £1200-1500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brian Kieran Collection.

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M.C. London Gazette 26 July 1917:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in leading a raid upon the enemy trenches. The success of the raid was due to his good leadership and cool judgement. He personally reconnoitred No Man’s Land afterwards to make sure that everyone had returned to our lines.’

Adam Gordon “Jock” Howitt first entered the French theatre of war in late May 1916, and quickly saw action on the Somme, when the 12th Battalion launched an attack against Flers on 16 September, losing six officers and 112 other ranks killed, and 10 officers and 224 other ranks wounded - he was among the latter, severely so, and did not rejoin the Battalion until the Messines offensive in June 1917, when he won his M.C. for a successful raid on the enemy’s front line trenches on the 1st of that month, returning with several prisoners and a machine-gun. A few weeks later, on 13 July, he was presented with his M.C. riband by Major-General Lawford.

As stated above, Howitt was killed in action at Hallebeke in August 1917, when he led his company into the attack on the 4th-5th of that month. Lance- Corporal Farrell, also of ‘D’ Company, later described the advance:

‘At zero hour our guns opened up and the K.R.R.Cs went over the top and we took what shelter we could in their trench. Within a few minutes the wounded started coming back ... the trench we were in was used as a first dressing station, it was packed with wounded. Whether they had advanced into the creeping barrage or the Jerry had got the range, I do not know, but it was evident in a very short time that the attack on this sector had failed ... during the period I saw many V.Cs earned.

However I return to the East Surreys. As the day advanced, things slowed down a bit, and Captain Howitt came along and told us to get ready to go over, and we had to advance to Hollebeke Village. It was peculiar to go over without a barrage of any sort, and all seemed quiet. I was crawling along with my Lewis Gun when the man just in front of me was caught by a sniper in the centre of the forehead, so after that we lay doggo a bit and then went forward again led by Captain Jock. We bombed a few dugouts and soon arrived at some heaps of bricks, which after a bit of map reading Captain Jock decided was the village, the red bricks being the church. Our orders now were to dig in and make a strong point, which we did as well as possible, although the water did not allow us to get very deep. However, we found a Jerry trench later on and tumbled in. We soon went off to sleep, dead beat, but woke to find the water over our necks and my Lewis Gun gone. I dug into the mud and found it.

During the day a sniper got busy and picked off several of our men, so Captain Jock and a Sergeant decided to find him. Off they went with revolvers, and a couple of hours later came back saying the sniper would not trouble us again. A brave action this to find a sniper in broad daylight ... During this time we saw one Jerry only, and he was wondering about lost, so we took him in tow, and he was a surprised man when Captain Jock gave him a drop of whisky from his waterbottle instead of shooting him.’

Having largely achieved his objective, Howitt’s temporary H.Q. at Forret Farm was suddenly stormed by superior numbers of the enemy. Early reports indicated that he had fallen to a sniper, but as a fellow officer later confirmed - an officer who referred to him as ‘the legendary hero of the 12th Battalion’ - his fate was of a different nature:

‘The real facts were not forthcoming until a runner from ‘D’ Company reported that he had found the Captain dead at Forret Farm with several of the enemy dead around him. Beside him was a man of his company who was severely wounded. Dead men tell no tales but, knowing the man as we did, we could only assume that he and the man beside him made a gallant fight against odds that were too great for them. “Jock” the name by which the men under him knew him, received no posthumous award for gallantry and skilful leading at Hallebeke, but his memory is enshrined in the hearts of the men whom he led as a gallant and loveable personality.’

Aged 33 years, he left a sister who was resident in Aberdeen, has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) memorial.