Arthur Douglas Howlett was born in London on 15 February 1911 but moved to New Plymouth as a young child with his parents Arthur and Ethel Howlett and his younger brother David.
He attended Central School and then New Plymouth Boy’s High School. After two years at high school he worked as a butter maker for the Bell Block Dairy Company.
In 1940 he applied to join the RNZAF. He began his training in Levin in 1941 before embarking for Canada for further training. He arrived in England towards the end of 1942 where he was posted to No 75 (NZ) Squadron, stationed at Mepal, Cambridgeshire.
From June 1943 until his death on 23 September 1943 he took part in 18 missions, which included bombing missions over Germany, France and Italy.
His plane was shot down while on a mission over Dirmstein, Germany. None of the crew survived. He was buried at Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany. He was 32.
In 1996 Arthur's brother David, who also served during World War Two, visited Germany for a special commemorative service at Rheinburg Military Cemetery when more human remains were found at Arthur's crash site and interred at the cemetery.
Books
Lest We Forget, Jack West (1995) p.192
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