HOWLETT, Abel
No. GS/29048, Private, Abel HOWLETT
Aged 36
7th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
Killed in Action on Monday 23rd April, 1917
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Born in Exning in Q4-1880, son of William and Harriet HOWLETT (née PARR) of Bedlam Square, Exning. 1881 census...At Bedlam Square, Exning were Abel [0], his father William[38] Agr.Labourer..his mother Harriet [35], brothers William[13] Ag.Labourer, Thomas [9], Albert [6] and James [5] all born in Exning, plus grandmother Sarah Howlett [85] born Burwell. 1891 census...In Oxford Street, Exning were Abel [10] a scholar, his parents and elder brothers all the males being Farm Labourers plus new sisters May[7] and Caroline [6] and brother Freddy [2] all born in Exning 1901 census...At 5 Eleanor Terrace, Exning were Abel [19] now a labourer in sewerage, his father and mother, brother William, now a labourer in stone pit,Thomas a soldier on furlough, James, a gashouse Fireman. Also sisters May [18] a domestic nurse, Caroline [6] and brother Freddy [12] 1911 census...Abel, a sewerage labourer and his brother James were lodging at 40 Castle Street, Saffron Walden with the Flack family. His parents, and brothers, (all still single) Thomas, Albert and Fred were still in Exning at 5 Eleanor Terrace, Burwell Road. Also there was grandson William [16] He was a younger brother of Thomas HOWLETT and uncle of William HOWLETT . Abel enlisted in Bury St Edmunds. The dates and occupation below appear to be in error. CWGC record 1,853 army deaths in France on 11 April, 1917 and Abel was not one of them, they have his death as 23rd April and in 7th Royal Fusiliers. The illuminated scroll in St Martin's Church has him in the Royal Field Artillery. Abel's entry in "Our Exning Heroes" reads as follows: Howlett, A. 7th Fusiliers. Abel Howlett had lived with his parents along the Burwell Road all his life, and worked at the Cement Factory. He joined the Army in 1915, and was killed at Loos on April 11th, 1917, at the age of thirty-six. His death, we understand, was instantaneous. |
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The German’s front line positions had been breached during the preceding weeks, and now, on the 23rd April, the British were confronted in this sector by a
trench system known as the Oppy line [named after the village north of Gavrelle]. Despite a earlier bombardment, the German wire north of Gavrelle was barely
cut and 1st Army decided that their part in the renewed offensive would be limited to taking Gavrelle. On the right of the 63rd Div. the Drake Battalion (189th Brigade) had also noted sections of uncut wire and limited its attack to the northern half of its objective where there were sufficient holes. Advancing through these gaps they made good progress and having attained the top end of their objective they then bombed their way down the rest, securing the position. On the left however, the 4th Bedfords and 7th Royal Fusiliers managed to get into their first objective but the Fusiliers who were working with an open left flank were now held up by a swathe of uncut wire in front of them. Whilst the Fusiliers were checked, the other battalions pushed on into the centre of the village where the Bedfords in turn found their own left flank compromised. Instead of being able to advance as far as the railway line they were forced to hang back. 88 of Abel's battalion were killed on this day, mostly commemorated on the Arras Memorial, just 12 having identified graves. |
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