Widow of bomb disposal expert Ken Howarth - nd [1975-1986]

Title

Widow of bomb disposal expert Ken Howarth - nd [1975-1986]

Description

See also AV769/335/S1. Ann and son Steven Howarth. 6, Malham Fell, Wildridings, Bracknell. Their house is at the end of a little cul-de-sac, opposite the Green Man Pub. Ken Howarth went to a Wimpey bar on Monday 25 Oct 1981, and the bomb exploded within a few seconds of his arrival, killing him instantly. On Wed 25th Met police commissioner David McLee visited the family in Bracknell. Ken Howarth served in Brit army for 23 years including deffusing bombs in Ulster before joining Met police [as a bomb disposal expert] in 1974. He was 49 when killed. Funeral was Nov 3, 1981, a fund raised several thousand pounds. Waddington scrapped controversial board game bombshell in November. The medal will be presented by the Queen probably in October. A colleague of Ken Howarth, Peter Gurney, has today been given a bar to the George medal he has already got for work in Northern Ireland. Mr. Gurney was working in Oxford Street with Ken Howarth and went on to successfully defuse a second bomb when he knew the first bomb had already exploded killing Mr Howarth. Ken Howarth was in the army for 22 years and defused terrorist bombs in Ulster before he transferred to the Metropolitan Police. Ann Howarth says she never put pressure on her husband to do a less dangerous job, but now she says-if only he had stopped earlier. The family are strong supporters of capital punishment. Mr Howarth’s son Steve is still hoping the IRA bombers, who killed his father, will be brought to justice. The citation for today’s award says that Ken Howarth displayed outstanding gallentry since he knew the device he’d been called to defuse was probably fully armed - and about to explode. He acted with complete disregard for personal safety. In fact, the bomb left in a toilet in the Oxford Street Wimpey bar exploded a couple of minutes after he arrived, killing him instantly. It is nearly 2 years now since that tragedy. Ann says she has been hoping since then for her husband bravery to be officially recognised. Messages of sympathy poured in after the tragedy, and a fund set up in his memory received thousands of pounds in donations from the public. The family are now strong supporters of capital punishment. [Box 2]

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Duration

00:02:26

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Unedited

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Single Track

Production company

Radio 210

Extent

1 tape

Credits

Interviewees

Ann Howarth