A Son of Lynn: Marine David Howard

This is one of the shortest blogs that I’ll write, and is brought about by my reflections on remembrance as we approach November 11th.

We remember the fallen for all sorts of reasons linked to sacrifices made on our behalf, and we sometimes become distracted from the need to support the living: – the veterans who served and their dependents. The annual Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal exists for that reason; and although it is wrapped up in the debts owed from the world wars, sometimes we overlook a bigger picture.

In any case, remember in your own way and for your own reasons, and always look out for our veterans.

We may well all stand at war memorials this weekend and be able to read the names of 1914-18 and 1939-45. In some places the names of subsequent conflicts have been added. In most, they are absent, and absent by decisions made long ago for good reasons. And it is for this reason I reflect upon King’s Lynn lad, Marine David Howard.

I volunteer for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and monitor various local graves in a handful of cemeteries near where I live. As I stroll through the service plot at Gayton Road cemetery in King’s Lynn, the familiar standard headstones are easy to spot. But just nearby, unnoticed unless you know where to look, is the grave of a 19 year old lad from North Lynn who died in a near forgotten battle almost 70 years ago. His is not a recorded war grave, but simply a private family plot.

David Howard was the only child of Muriel and Horace Howard, born on 15th May 1937. I believe they were living at 8 Hillen Road, South Lynn at that time, but by the time of David’s death they were living at 16 Greenland Avenue, North Lynn.

What I know of his life is that he went to Gaywood Park school, and was a Cadet Petty Officer and band leader with King’s Lynn Sea Cadets, before becoming Marine 15145 with 42 Commando, Royal Marines. I can imagine how proud his family would have been, and what an inspiration his service was to his cadet corps.

David was one of 22 British soldiers killed in ‘Operation Musketeer’, the ill-fated Anglo-French operation to seize control of the Suez Canal from Egypt. You can read about the political chaos and fallout from the Suez crisis elsewhere, but in short David Howard died in the seaborne assault on Port Said on Tuesday November 6th 1956. The circumstances of the incident in which he died are not described, but 42 Commando landed at the beach head shortly after 7am and fought their way into the town, achieving their objectives after stiff resistance.

Marine Howard was initially buried in Port Said, but the decision was made to repatriate the men to England. Some of his comrades were buried at Portsmouth, but the family choice was for him to be brought back to his home town. He was buried on 21st December after a funeral at St Margaret’s church.

History may judge the campaign as foolhardy and a political embarrassment to Britain, but David was simply doing his duty. A forgotten casualty in a forgotten campaign.

So as you come to reflect on this remembrance weekend, think of David and all the others like him who died in other less well recorded conflicts. You won’t find memorials to them; those who served in forgotten battles tell forgotten stories.

Step back and think about those names we can see carved in stone, then think of names lost to time.

At the going down of the sun….