It's rather difficult to sort fact from fiction when it comes to this pilot. He went by the name of Starkey-Howe, but later in court said that his real name was Daniel Leroux. The information he gave in his ATA personnel file is very suspicious: he said that he served as a Captain in WW1, despite having claimed to being born in 1901 - so, 13 when WW1 broke out; he said he had an MBE (for which I can find no evidence), he gave his infant daughter as his next-of-kin, etc.. In fact, it later emerged that he had a series of convictions in South Africa and he was, shortly after his ATA contract was terminated, sent to prison for 3 years for attempted blackmail. --------------------------- This is from his Personnel File: "Ed. Milton College, Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia Captain in British South African Police, Motor Transport Corps, East Africa in WWI 1916-18 Next of Kin: Anne Yvonne Starkey Howe, 24 York Rd, Maidenhead (daughter) (later Flat 2, King St, Maidenhead) [His daughter Anne was born c. 1938, so this is rather unusual] prev. Starkey-Howe Aviation, South Africa: Director of Union Flying School, Managing Director Air Operating Taxis. prev. exp. 1577 hrs MBE" Address in 1940: c/o Barclays Bank, Maidenhead ---------------------------
He part-owned, with AJAL Veber, G-AAWI, a 1930 Avro 616 Sports Avian which was sold in South Africa in Feb 1937 He also owned G-ACYH, a 1934 Cierva C.30A (Avro 671) autogyro which was impressed 1 Jun 1941 as DR622 and later became G-AHRP.
It was presumably this aircraft which, with co-pilot J R Wetton, he piloted from South Africa to London in 1937. During the flight, it "jounced about, flopped over on its back, leaving them dangling heads down against their safety belts." - The Charlotte Observer
His wife, Phyllis Marjorie Howe, sailed from Southern Rhodesia (via Durban, SA), unaccompanied, to England in June 1937. She gave her address as Glenwood, West Ave, Clacton on Sea, Essex. She and her infant daughter (Anne Yvonne) sailed back to South Africa in July 1938, apparently intending to live there. He definitely sailed to England in March 1939 from South Africa with Phyllis (age 30) and Anne, aged 1. They gave their future address as Clacton on Sea, as above. Phyllis and Anne also sailed to England from Kenya in Feb 1940. Postings: 4FPP, 6FPP Of sick from 15 Sep to 15 Oct 1941 with 'flying fatigue'
Suspended for 1 day without pay in September 1941 for going AWOL Contract Terminated (after his fourth'at-fault' accident), as of 12 Jan 1942 Those accidents were: - 22 Feb 1941, 'taxying without due care', his Audax K7386 collided with a lorry - 10 Aug 1941, he stalled during landing and hit a boundary fence in Magister R1834 - 4 Nov 1941, he damaged the undercarriage of his Spitfire P8794 during a bad landing at Kirton-in-Lindsey - 5 Jan 1942, he got lost, ran out of fuel, and landed his Hurricane BH119 with the wheels up. On a golf course...
Either a "good pilot" (Frank White, his CO in 4FPP), or "A rather rough and unstable pilot. Would be more useful if he talked less and flew more" (Peter Mursell, his CO in 6FPP) 3 months after leaving ATA, he was in court in Leicester, accused of blackmail: "Smartly attired, his grey hair neatly brushed, 45 year old Holman Roland Starkey-Howe, alias Jack Stevens, alias Daniel Matthew Joseph Leroux, described as an aviation pilot", pleaded not guilty. He was accused of demanding money with menaces; £50 from garage owner Sidney Wakefield in 1939, regarding certain letters about the disposal of petrol without coupons, just before rationing began. He told Sidney he was Jack Stevens, Head of the Investigation Department of the Petroleum Board", and was "investigating petrol matters to help the war effort", and added, "The Board consider your case to be a bad one." Anyway, he was found guilty and sentenced to 3 years in prison. "Pleading that prison would not do him any good, Starkey-Howe urged that he would be more benefit to his country flying a plane than in a prison cell. 'Couldn't you bind me over for 10 years, sir?' he asked." "The Chairman: 'I should't like to bind you over for 10 minutes" "Convictions in South Africa [for theft, injury to property, and demanding more than the legal fare] and in this country were proved, and it was stated that Starkey-Howe's real name was Leroux. He stated he was born in the Transvaal, but his criminal record showed he was born at Small Heath, Birmingham, in 1894." - Leicester Evening Mail
After that, he appears to have returned to South Africa. Here is an advertisement from The Guardian, Nov-Dec 1948: "IMMIGRANTS to South Africa Secure your home before arrival. Caravan Homes 18ft x 7ft x 6ft 3in high, furnished with own electric plant. From £650. Starkey-Howe, PO Box 895, Port Elizabeth" Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file): |
1935
