John Francis Howells – Royal Navy (Attached Royal Army Medical Corps), 19th Field Company

 Surgeon Lieutenant John Francis Howells – Royal Navy (Attached Royal Army Medical Corps), 19^th Field Company

Early Life and Family Background

John Francis Howells was born in 1894 in Willesden, London, the son of John Howells and Elizabeth Jannett Francis, both originally from Carmarthenshire. Although his birth took place in Middlesex—reflecting the mobility of professional families during the late Victorian period—his upbringing and family identity remained strongly rooted in Wales. His father’s medical profession would shape not only the family’s social standing but also the direction of young John Francis’s own future career.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the Howells family living at Mount Pleasant, Pembrey, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire. At this point, John Howells, aged 37, was working as a Physician and Surgeon, a respected and much‑needed role in the rural communities of the county. His wife, Elizabeth Janet, aged 34, managed the household and cared for their two children: John Francis, aged 7, and Gladys Margaret, then just 8 months old. Also residing with the family was a domestic servant, Annie Evans, aged 33, indicating a comfortable middle‑class household supported by a professional income.

Growing up in a medical household, and under the influence of a father who was deeply respected in the community, it is likely that John Francis was exposed early to the expectations, responsibilities, and discipline associated with medical service.

1911 Census

By 1911, the Howells family had moved to 18 Northampton Lane, Swansea, where Dr. John Howells had set up his medical practice. Swansea, a rapidly expanding urban centre, would have offered greater opportunities and a wider patient base than more rural Carmarthenshire.

Meanwhile, John Francis, now aged 16, was a pupil at Llandingat House School, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire—a school known for preparing boys for university, the armed forces, or the professions. His entry in the census lists Middlesex as his place of birth, confirming his early London origins despite his Welsh family background. His education at Llandovery suggests that his family were determined to equip him with strong academic foundations, likely anticipating a professional future—possibly even in medicine, like his father.

Path into Military Medical Service

As a young adult, John Francis pursued a medical career, following in his father’s footsteps. With the outbreak of the First World War, the demand for trained medical officers grew sharply across all branches of the armed services. John Francis joined the Royal Navy as a Surgeon Lieutenant, one of the commissioned medical officer ranks responsible for the care, treatment, and welfare of naval personnel.

However, due to the intense need for medical officers on the Western Front, he was attached to the Royal Army Medical Corps (R.A.M.C.), specifically serving with the 19th Field Company. This cross‑service attachment was common during the war, as medical personnel were frequently reassigned wherever the need was greatest. Field Companies provided immediate medical care close behind the front lines, often under dangerous conditions and requiring great courage and resilience.

Marriage in 1918

John Francis Howells and Dora Gwendoline Miles
marriage certificate
parish church of Llanishen

South Wales Daily Post

Despite the pressures of wartime service, August 1918 marked a joyful moment in his personal life: the marriage of John Francis Howells to Dora Gwendoline Miles at the parish church of Llanishen. The wedding was reported in the South Wales Daily Post, a testament to the family’s standing and the significance of the event within their community. Their marriage took place only weeks before his deployment to France and tragically just months before the end of the war.

Final Illness and Death

In the late autumn of 1918, Europe faced not only the final offensives of the First World War but also the peak of the deadly influenza pandemic—often called the “Spanish flu.” Millions of soldiers and civilians succumbed to the illness, and medical staff were among the most vulnerable due to their constant exposure.

South Wales Daily Post

Western Mail

While serving with the R.A.M.C., Surgeon Lieutenant Howells fell gravely ill, contracting influenza, which progressed rapidly to pneumonia. Despite the efforts of his colleagues at No. 45 Casualty Clearing Station, he died just days before the Armistice that would end the war. His death was reported in both the Western Mail and the South Wales Daily Post, reflecting the widespread sense of loss felt by those who knew him or recognised his family’s contribution to Welsh public life.

Burial and Commemoration

John Francis Howells
Awoingt British Cemetery, Nord, France
credit - findagrave

Surgeon Lieutenant John Francis Howells is buried at Awoingt British Cemetery, Nord, France—a site that holds many servicemen who died in the final weeks of the war. His grave stands as a testament to a young doctor who followed in his father’s profession, served with dedication, and ultimately lost his life while caring for others.

His story is one of both promise and tragedy: a young Welshman, highly educated, newly married, and devoted to healing, who died in service at the very moment peace was within reach