Jason Howard

Jason Howard

Henry back row 4th from left AWM photo E01501
Personal Information
Date of Birth	c1893
Place of Birth	Ballarat, Victoria
Death	11 May 1953, aged 60
Place of Death	Boulder, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	22 years, 8 months
Description	6 feet (1.83m) tall ; 157 lbs 71.214 kg ; fresh complexion ; grey eyes ; auburn hair
Occupation	Sleeper hewer
Religion	Church of England
Address	Railway avenue, Kelmscott, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr David Charles Howard
Military Information
Reg Number	308
Date of Enlistment	17 Jan 1916
Rank	Corporal
Unit/Formation	44th Battalion, B Company / 11th Brigade, 3rd Division
Date of Embarkation	6 Jun 1916 ‒ 26 Jul 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A29 Suevic Fremantle to Plymouth
Date of Return	1 Jun 1919 ‒ 8 Jul 1919
Ship Returned On	SS Somali Southampton to Fremantle
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Kelmscott War Memorial]] (North panel) [[Kelmscott Congregational Church Honour Board Property "Monument location" (as page type) with input value "Kelmscott War Memorial]] (North panel)[[Kelmscott Congregational Church Honour Board" contains invalid characters or is incomplete and therefore can cause unexpected results during a query or annotation process.
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Along with his brother Henry Ernest, he was an early member of the 44th Battalion's "B" Company, being posted to it 11 days after entering camp. He travelled with it to England where several more months of training followed

In England he had a brief spell in hospital during October 1916. The battalion participated in the first referendum on conscription on 16 Oct 1916. With a number of platoon members under the age of eighteen years, Jason was one of those who shepherded them to some extent. A.J. Sweeny is quoted in Neville Browning's book "The Westralia Battalion"

"Following a payday, some of the boys had spent the evening in the canteen. Tongues became loosened and the talk interspersed with Digger epithets. Bronze Howard lay on his bunk half asleep, then sitting up and looking in the direction of E.G. Mercer, Ike Standen and myself, he burst out: "Is that you blighters using that language?" "No!" Came the response from all three. "Just as ____ well," replied Bronze. "If I hear you swearing I'll knock your _____ heads off!"

Jason or 'Bronze' proceeded to France with 44th Battalion via Southampton on 25 Nov 1916. He spent a week in the 9th Field Ambulance with influenza in July 1917, and soon after, on 27 Oct 1917 was appointed Lance Corporal, and then promoted Corporal on 21 Nov 1917. Jason played a role in halting the German advance up the Somme valley on a ridge east of the forward slope of Sally-le-Sec when he led a bombing team forward and forced the enemy out of a dangerous position that had allowed them to open sustained and accurate fire on the trench that his company occupied.

On 3 Jun 1918 he joined the 9th Training Battalion at Fovant, and after a month with the School of Instruction at Tidworth on a Rifle Course (including Lewis gun) he returned to the 9th Training Battalion as an Instructor on 17 Jul 1918 and remained there until the war ended.

Discharged by the 5th Military District on 23 Aug 1919.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries - 1921 a sleeper hewer in "Sandy Springs" Bridgetown; 1925-31 a sleeper hewer living in Albany road, Kelmscott; 1943 a miner living at 59 Davis road Boulder with wife Grace Radiance Henrietta (who died in Carlisle 28 Sep 1975 aged 74). Grace (Radiance) in 1954 is at West Toodyay; 1963 at 360 Acton Ave, Kewdale; 1968-72 at 26 Jupiter street Carlisle.

Deaths - Howard. On May 11, 1953, at Belmont, Jason, the dearly loved husband of Radiance Howard of 59 Davis-street, Boulder aged 60 years.

His Mother was still living in Kelmscott at time of his death.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial