Rspalmora: adding some stub first draft

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adding some stub first draft

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{{Short description|English cricketer and British Army officer (1898–1943)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2026}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix = [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]]
|name= Bernard Howlett
|honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DSO*}}
|image=
|image_size=
|alt=
|caption=
|nickname= "Swifty"
|birth_date= {{Birth date|1898|12|18|df=yes}}
|birth_place= [[Stoke Newington]], London, England
|death_date= {{Death date and age|1943|11|29|1898|12|18|df=yes}}
|death_place= [[Santa Maria Imbaro]], [[Abruzzo]], Italy
|burial_place= [[Sangro River War Cemetery]], Italy
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch= [[British Army]]
|service_years= 1918–1943
|rank= [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]]
|service_number= 13838
|unit= [[Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment]]
|commands= [[36th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|36th Infantry Brigade]] (1942–1943)<br/>6th Battalion, [[Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment]] (1940–1941)
|battles= [[First World War]]
*[[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]]
**[[Hundred Days Offensive]]
***[[Second Battle of the Somme]]
***[[Battle of Cambrai (1918)|Battle of Cambrai]]
[[Second World War]]
|awards= [[Distinguished Service Order]] & [[Medal bar|Bar]]<br/>[[Mentioned in Despatches]] (2)
|relations= [[Geoffrey Howlett|Sir Geoffrey Howlett]] (son)
|other_work=
}}
[[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] '''Bernard Howlett''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|DSO1}} (18 December 1898 – 29 November 1943), known as '''Swifty Howlett''', was a professional soldier in the [[British Army]] who was killed in action in Italy in 1943.<ref name=wisden44>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/233836.html Howlett, Brigadier Bernard], Obituaries in the war, 1943, ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]'', 1944. Retrieved 14 November 2017.</ref> He served as a young officer at the end of the [[First World War]] and commanded the 6th Battalion, [[Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment]] from 1940 to 1941.

During the [[Second World War]], Howlett fought in France, North Africa and Italy, commanding the [[36th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|36th Infantry Brigade]] from December 1942 until his death. Howlett also played [[cricket]] as an amateur for [[Kent County Cricket Club]] in 1922 and 1928 and for a range of other [[first-class cricket]] teams.<ref name=ca>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/13/13749/13749.html Bernard Howlett], CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 November 2017. {{subscription required}}</ref>

==Early life==
Howlett was born in [[Stoke Newington]] in London in 1898.<ref name=ci>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/14392.html Bernard Howlett], ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 November 2017.</ref> His father, Reverend Thomas Edwin Howlett, was the vicar of St Michael & All Saints in Stoke Newington, and his mother was Gertrude Howlett.<ref name=carlaw>Carlaw, pp.95–96. (Retrieved 23 December 2020.)</ref><ref name=ths>[http://www.tonbridgehistory.org.uk/people/ww2-obits-2.htm Tonbridge men who died in World War 2 and later conflicts: D – J], Tonbridge History, Tonbridge Historical Society. Retrieved 16 November 2017.</ref> His father died when Howlett was five years old.<ref name=lewis211>Lewis, Paul (2013). ''For Kent and Country'', pp.211–214. Brighton: Reveille Press. {{isbn|978-1-908336-63-7}}</ref>

Howlett was educated at [[St Edmund's School]] in [[Canterbury]], [[Kent]] from 1908. He played football, hockey and cricket for the school and was a house captain and a sergeant in the school [[Officer Training Corps|OTC]].<ref name=wisden44 /><ref name=mccrery>McCrery N (2017) ''The Coming Storm: test and First Class Cricketers Killed in World War II'', pp.222–224. Barnsley: Pen & Sword.([https://books.google.com/books?id=RYQwDwAAQBAJ&dq=bernard%20howlett&pg=PA222 Available online]. Retrieved 16 November 2017.</ref> On leaving school he entered the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]] in December 1916.<ref name=lewis211 /><ref name=mccrery />

==Military career==
Howlett was at Sandhurst during the [[First World War]] on one of the shorter, war-time courses for young officers. He was commissioned as a [[second lieutenant]] in April 1918 into the [[Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment]] (RWK) and served in the Special Reserve in England throughout the summer of 1918.<ref name=gaz4848>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30644/supplement/4848 Supplement to the London Gazette], 1918-04-18, p.4848. Retrieved 16 November 2017.</ref><ref name=qog3817>''The Queens Own Gazette'', no. 517, August 1918, p.3817–3819. ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20171115083150/http://thequeensownbuffs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/QO-Gazette-Juy-Dec1918.pdf Available online]}}. Retrieved 16 November 2017).</ref> In August he was posted to the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] and served with the 7th Battalion of the RWK in the [[Second Battle of the Somme (1918)|Second Battle of the Somme]], seeing action almost immediately at [[Sailly-Saillisel]].<ref name=lewis211 /> During the following months he fought in the more mobile advances around [[Ronssoy]], [[Le Cateau]] and [[Cambrai]] until the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918|Armistice]] in November.<ref name=lewis211 />

After the end of the war, Howlett fell ill and underwent treatment in England before serving with the 1st Battalion RWK.<ref name=qog3944>''The Queens Own Gazette'', no. 528, July 1919, p.3944. ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20171117001335/http://thequeensownbuffs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/QO-Gazette-July-to-Dec-1919.pdf Available online]}}. Retrieved 16 November 2017).</ref> Promoted to [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]] in October 1919, he remained in the army during the [[interwar period]], and was promoted further to [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]]. He was stationed at [[Maidstone]] at the RWK depot before being posted to India in the mid-1920s. From 1930 he spent four years serving as [[adjutant]] of the 4th Battalion RWK, a [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] (TA) unit based at [[Tonbridge]], between December 1930 and December 1934.<ref name=unit>[http://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_H02.html Howlett, Bernard "Swifty"], British Army Officers 1939–1945. Retrieved 16 November 2017.</ref>

Howlett then spent time as a [[Staff (military)|staff officer]] with the [[49th (West Riding) Infantry Division]], another TA formation, from April 1936 to March 1939 and was promoted to [[Major (United Kingdom)|major]] in 1938.<ref name=lewis211 /> On leaving the divisional staff he was promoted to [[brigade major]] of the TA [[132nd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|132nd Infantry Brigade]] and, soon after the outbreak of the [[Second World War]], served with the brigade in France with the [[44th (Home Counties) Division|44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division]] in the [[British Expeditionary Force (World War II)|British Expeditionary Force]] (BEF) before being withdrawn from [[Dunkirk evacuation|Dunkirk]] when the BEF was evacuated. He was [[Mentioned in Despatches]] in December 1940.<ref name=lewis211 /><ref name=unit /><ref name=lewis362>Lewis ''[[Op. cit.]]'', p.362.</ref>

In October 1940 Howlett was promoted to temporary [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|lieutenant colonel]] and assumed command of the 6th Battalion, RWK, then serving as part of the [[36th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|36th Infantry Brigade]]. The brigade was trained in amphibious warfare in Scotland and took part in the [[Operation Torch#Algiers|amphibious landings at Algiers]] in November 1942 before [[Tunisian Campaign|advancing across North Africa to Tunis]]. Howlett took command of the 36th Brigade as acting [[brigadier]] during December 1942 and, temporarily, the [[139th (Sherwood Foresters) Brigade|139th Brigade]] in March 1943.<ref name=unit /><ref name=gen>[http://www.generals.dk/general/Howlett/Bernard/Great_Britain.html Howlett, Bernard], Generals of World War II. Retrieved 16 November 2017.</ref><ref name=rolf156>Rolf D (2015) ''The Bloody Road to Tunis'' p.156. Barnsley: Frontline Books. ([https://books.google.com/books?id=l8YCDQAAQBAJ&dq=swifty%20howlett&pg=PA156 Available online]. Retrieved 16 November 2017).</ref> He led the brigade in the [[Battle of Longstop Hill (1943)|attack on Longstop Hill]] and was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]] (DSO) for his brigade's success in North Africa.<ref name=lewis211 /><ref name=unit /><ref name=rolf242>Rolf ''[[Op. cit.]]'' p.242.</ref>

Howlett fought in [[Allied invasion of Sicily|the invasion of Sicily]] in July 1943 and was awarded a [[Medal bar|Bar]] to his DSO for the brigade's part in the [[Battle of Centuripe]] in August.<ref name=gaz5061>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36251/supplement/5061/data.pdf Supplement to the London Gazette], 18 November 1943. Retrieved 16 November 2017.</ref><ref name=isa>[http://www.italystarassociation.org.uk/history/the-battle-for-centuripe-july-august-1943/ The Battle for Centuripe July -August 1943], Italy Star Association, 26 October 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2017.</ref> The brigade then took part in the [[Allied invasion of Italy|invasion of Italy]] in September. Howlett was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 24 November 1943, still acting as brigadier. 36th Brigade was engaged with the enemy along the [[Sangro|River Sangro]] at the time and Howlett was killed by German artillery fire on 29 November at [[Santa Maria Imbaro]]. He had gone forward on horseback to visit his forward troops and was caught in the artillery fire. He was 44 and had been due to be promoted to [[Major general (United Kingdom)|major general]] to command a division in the [[Normandy landings]].<ref name=lewis211 /> Howlett is buried in the [[Sangro River War Cemetery]].<ref name=cwgc>[https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2375280/howlett,-bernard/ Howlett, Brigadier Bernard], [[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]]. Retrieved 16 November 2017.</ref> He was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches.<ref name=unit />

==Cricket career==
{{Infobox cricketer
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm fast
| columns = 1
| column1 = [[First-class cricket|First-class]]
| matches1 = 42
| runs1 = 319
| bat avg1 = 9.38
| 100s/50s1 = 0/1
| top score1 = 58
| deliveries1 = 3,156
| wickets1 = 108
| bowl avg1 = 29.22
| fivefor1 = 3
| tenfor1 = 0
| best bowling1 = 6/35
| catches/stumpings1 = 23/–
| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/14392.html ESPNcricinfo
| date = 16 November
| year = 2017
}}
Howlett played cricket at school and for Sandhurst as a right-arm fast bowler. He played in a number of matches for Royal West Kent in 1918 whilst serving in England.<ref name=qog3817 /> He was described as bowling a "very fast ball" and the regimental magazine of the RWK remarked that he had needed to reduce his pace in regimental matches "as we are out to kill Huns and not our opposing team".<ref name=qog3842>''The Queens Own Gazette'', no. 519, October 1918, p.3842–3843. ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20171115083150/http://thequeensownbuffs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/QO-Gazette-Juy-Dec1918.pdf Available online]}}. Retrieved 16 November 2017).</ref>

Whilst stationed at Maidstone in 1919, Howlett played for The Mote as well as the RWK, bowling 204 overs for the RWK 1st Battalion in 1919, taking 64 wickets at a [[bowling average]] of 10.28 runs per wicket – easily the best figures for his team.<ref name=qog3978>''The Queens Own Gazette'', no. 532, October 1919, p.3978. ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20171117001335/http://thequeensownbuffs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/QO-Gazette-July-to-Dec-1919.pdf Available online]}}. Retrieved 16 November 2017).</ref> He played for [[Kent County Cricket Club]], making six [[first-class cricket|first-class]] appearances in 1922 and 20 in 1928 as well as playing four times for the Second XI in 1923.<ref name=lewis211 /><ref name=qog3944 /> He made his first-class debut for Kent in May 1922 against [[Worcestershire County Cricket Club|Worcestershire]] at [[Bat and Ball Ground|Gravesend]], going on to play in a total of 42 first-class matches, 26 of which were for Kent.<ref name=carlaw/><ref name=jeater>Jeater D (2020) ''County Cricket: Sundry Extras'' (second edition), p.87. ([https://acscricket.com/wp-content/uploads/Sundry_Extras_Second_Edition.pdf Available online] at the [[Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians]]. Retrieved 23 December 2020.)</ref>

Howlett played for a variety of teams in India, most frequently for the [[Europeans cricket team]] for whom he appeared eight times in competitions such as [[Bombay Quadrangular]] Tournament and in [[Madras Presidency Match]]es.<ref name=mccrery /> He played some matches for the [[British Army cricket team|Army team]] between 1928 and 1931 and made his last first-class appearance for the Army team in July 1931 against the [[Royal Air Force cricket team|RAF team]] at [[The Oval]]. He also appeared for [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] (MCC) in 1931 and was still playing for the Royal West Kents in 1934.<ref name=wisden44 /><ref name=carlaw/> Primarily a bowler, he took a total of 108 wickets in first-class matches. His highest score batting was 58 runs, the only half-century of his career.<ref name=mccrery />

==Family==
Howlett married Helen Whitby in 1929 at [[Holy Trinity Church, Bangalore]]. The couple had one son, General [[Geoffrey Howlett|Sir Geoffrey Howlett]], and one daughter.<ref name=carlaw/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last=Carlaw |first=Derek |title=Kent County Cricketers, A to Z: Part Two (1919–1939) |publisher=[[Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians|ACS]] |location=Cardiff |year=2020 |url=https://archive.acscricket.com/books/Kent_Cricketers_A_to_Z_Part_Two.pdf}}

==External links==
*[http://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_H02.html#Howlett_B British Army Officers 1939–1945]
*[http://www.generals.dk/general/Howlett/Bernard/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howlett, Bernard}}
[[Category:1898 births]]
[[Category:1943 deaths]]
[[Category:British Army cricketers]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British Army personnel killed in World War II]]
[[Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order]]
[[Category:English cricketers]]
[[Category:Europeans cricketers]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]
[[Category:Kent cricketers]]
[[Category:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers]]
[[Category:Mumbai cricketers]]
[[Category:People educated at St Edmund's School Canterbury]]
[[Category:People from Stoke Newington]]
[[Category:Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment officers]]
[[Category:British Army brigadiers of World War II]]
[[Category:Military personnel from the London Borough of Hackney]]
[[Category:Cricketers from the London Borough of Hackney]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]

Bernard Howlett - Revision history

Rspalmora: adding some stub first draft