1066301 Pte. Thomas Howard and 1066296 Pte. William Howard were two sons of nine children born to Charles and Elizabeth Howard. Thomas was born on March 8th, 1894, in Euphrasia, Ontario, and William was born on April 15th, 1897, in Duncan, Ontario.
The Howards were a farming family in the community of Duncan and saw the brothers attesting into the 248th Battalion in April 1917, just weeks before the unit mobilized in Owen Sound on May 4th, to conduct final administration before proceeding overseas.
Sailing with the unit in early June, the 248th Battalion was absorbed into the 8th Reserve Battalion upon its arrival in England, whose mandate was to supply reinforcements to the 58th Battalion and the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles.
Both men were taken on strength of the 4th C.M.R. in the field on November 9th, 1917 reporting to them on the 24th, while the unit was being billeted in Equin-les-Mines (12 miles / 20km NW of Bethun&233;, France). Serving through the winter, the Howard brothers were transferred to the Canadian Machine Gun Corps in May of 1918.
1066296 Private William Howard was taken ill with bronchitis. Medically evacuated to England he was also diagnosed with pleurisy and then tuberculosis. He was struck off strength of the Canadian Expedition Force on March 8th, 1919, as being medically unfit. William would pass away on May 12th, 1922, from tuberculosis attributed to his military service. His family received the tokens of bereavement issued by the Canadian and British governments but as his death came after the arbitrary date of April 30th, 1922, his name is not found in the Canadian Book of Remembrance or the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's records as having died while in service.
1066301 Private Thomas Howard returned to the 4th C.M.R. where he served out the war. In February Thomas was medically evacuated to England and was struck off strength of the Canadian Expeditionary Force on April 25th, 1919. Thomas passed away on January 24th, 1921, from pulmonary tuberculosis, also attributed to his military service. As Thomas' death happened prior to April 30th, 1922, his name is found in the Canadian Book of Remembrance as well as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's records as he is considered to have died while in service.
William and Thomas Howard were both laid to rest in the Thornbury-Clarksburg Union Cemetery, Ontario.
Biography credit: George Auer, with thanks.