Robert Henry Howard was born on 17 October 1895, a son of Robert Henry Howard and Jane Howard née Walker. His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1895 in the Paddington registration district. He was baptised on 10 November 1895 in St Mary's Church, Paddington Green, where the baptismal registers show the family to have been residing at 29 North Wharf Road, Paddington and that his father was a carman.
When the 1901 census was taken he was still living at 29 North Wharf Road together with his parents and his sister Emily Howard. His father's occupation was described as a carrier carman.
When his father completed his 1911 census return form it showed that he was aged 15 years and a Post Office messenger, living in four rooms at 20 Amberley Mews, Paddington, with his parents and his six surviving siblings: Emily Howard aged 11 years, Alice Howard aged 9 years, Jane Elizabeth Howard aged 7 years, Florrie Howard aged 6 years, Henry George Howard aged 4 years and Margaret Howard aged 1 year 6 months. His father's occupation was listed as a lime & cement carman and the census also showed that his parents had eight children but that one had died.
U.K. Postal Service Appointment Books show that on 29 December 1915 he was engaged as a postman in the London Postal Service West.
In February 1916 he enlisted in the 8th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Post Office Rifles), service number 5197 and entered France on 4 February 1917. When in 1917 Territorial Force service numbers where changed his was renumbered to 372549. He was attached to the Regiments 2nd/8th Battalion when his death was presumed, aged 22 years, on 30 October 1917 at the 2nd Battle of Passchendaele. His body was later discovered and identified by his service disc and reburied on 2 September 1919 in Plot 7, Row B, Grave 10 in the Cement House British Cemetery, Boezingestraat, 8920 Langemark-Poelkapelle, Belgium.
On 16 October 1918 his army effects totalling £10-19s-9d were sent to his father who was also sent his £7-10s-0d war gratuity on 19 November 1919. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website and on page 184 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
