George Howell (VC) - First World War

First World War

On 3 June 1915, Howell enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force for service in the First World War. Allotted to the 7th Reinforcements of the 1st Battalion as a private, he embarked from Sydney for Egypt on 14 July aboard HMAT Orsova. Joining the 1st Battalion at Gallipoli on 1 November, Howell served on the peninsula until the Allied evacuation the following month. Returning to Egypt, the battalion spent several months training in the desert in preparation for service on the Western Front.

The 1st Battalion embarked for France in March 1916, and by April the unit was entrenched in the Fromelles sector. In the third week of July, Howell was wounded in the Battle of Pozières while taking part in the Somme offensive. Evacuated to a hospital in Sheffield, England, during early August, Howell attended a training school before returning to his battalion on 26 November. Appointed lance corporal on 10 December, he was promoted to corporal on 6 February 1917.

On 9 April, Howell took part in the 1st Battalion's attack on the German held village of Demicourt. During the engagement, Howell led a rifle bombing section at the forefront of his company against the German position. The section was held up several times in their advance due to heavy machine gun fire, but managed to overcome the opposition and continue the advance each time. For his actions during the battle, Howell was awarded the Military Medal, the recommendation of which cited his "... courage and devotion to duty ... was of great assistance to his company in the capture of its objectives". The notification of the award was published in a supplement to the London Gazette on 26 May 1917.