| The History of Coagh booklet lists Sergeant Charles Howe as having served with the Royal Irish Rifles in the war.
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| Charles Howe was the son of William and Mary Howe (nee McKeown).
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| Charles Howe was born on 7th July 1891 in Coagh, County Tyrone.
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| The 1901 census records Charles as age 9 living with the family at house 6 in Hanover Street, in Coagh. He was still attending Tamlaght National School, in Coagh. His father was a Constable in the Royal Irish Constabulary (R.I.C.).
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| Known family: William Howe, Mary Jane Howe, William James Howe (born 3rd August 1885), Thomas John Howe (born 11th January 1887), Robert Howe (born 29th November 1888), Charles Howe (born 7th July 1891), Lily F Howe (born 24th February 1893), Ethel M Howe (born 16th March 1898), Clara Howe (born 7th July 1903).
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| Charles’ father, William Howe, died on 18th March 1909.
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| The 1911 census records that Charles no longer lived with the family.
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| Like his brother Robert and his father, Charles Howe became a Constable in the Royal Irish Constabulary (R.I.C.).
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| Constable Charles Howe was stationed at Stewartstown for a time.
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| 1915
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| Charles’ brother Robert Howe emigrated to Canada and enlisted in January 1915.
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| In November 1915, Constable Charles Howe was transferred from Stewartstown to the Rock.
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 6th November 1915: Stewartstown
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| Constable Charles Howe has been transferred from Stewartstown to Rock, and replaced by Constable Meenaghan, Rock. During Constable Howe’s stay in Stewartstown, he was deservedly popular and made hosts of friends. Constable Robinson, Stewartstown, has been temporarily transferred to Broughderg. He was several years in Stewartstown and was extremely popular.
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| 1916
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| In March 1916, in response to the authorities’ appeal to constables of the R.I.C. to undergo a course training at Portobello Barracks, Dublin, over one hundred were selected. The arrangement was that if, after eight weeks instruction, they passed the necessary tests, they would take the rank immediately as sergeants in the Army. They would also have the right to select the Irish regiment they wish to join. Charles Howe went through this course.
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 11th March 1916: Coagh
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| Constable Ryan has joined the army. He left for Dublin on Monday, where he will be in training for eight weeks, and if he succeeds in passing the necessary test, he will be promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the army, and getting selecting any regiment he wants to join. All his friends in Coagh wish him good luck. Another Coagh R.I.C. man, Constable Charles Howe (son of Mrs Howe, Coagh), has also joined. Previous to joining he was stationed at Rock.
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 11th March 1916: 100 R.I.C. Men as Army Sergeants
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| In response to the authorities’ appeal to constables of the R.I.C. to undergo a course training at Portobello Barracks, Dublin, the response has been good, and over one hundred have been selected. These men went up for training on Monday last. The arrangement is that if, after eight weeks instruction, they pass the necessary test, they rank immediately as sergeants in the Army, having the right to select the Irish regiment they wish to join. Of eight men selected from Tyrone, four are from the Cookstown district, namely Constable Ryan from Coagh, Constables Fox and Howe from Rock and Constable Loughlin from Broughderg. The latter has just been transferred from Broughderg to Dungannon on the day he got intimation of his selection. Constable Howe, whose mother (widow of an R.I.C. man) resides in Coagh, has a brother at present serving who is well known in Cookstown. He served his time to the drapery business with Mr Joseph Geddes, afterwards joining the R.I.C. After a short term of service however, he emigrated and was doing well in Canada when war broke out. He volunteered and is now a sergeant in a Canadian unit at the front.
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| At the time of Robert’s death in action in June 1916, Charles was attached to the Royal Irish Rifles as a drill instructor in Celley Park, Reading.
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 17th June 1916: Sergeant Robert Howe (brother of Charles Howe)
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| On Monday last the sad intimation was received by Mrs Howe, Coagh that her son, Sergeant Robert Howe, had died of wounds received in action by the following letter from the Rev A D Brooke, chaplain:-
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| ‘Dear Mrs Howe, I am very sorry indeed to tell you that your son, Sergeant R Howe, died in hospital on 3rd June. He was admitted just a few hours before with serious wounds in the abdomen and thigh and was conscious only a short time, during which I was with him and prayed with him and did all I could to help to comfort him. I told him I would write to you and he sent you his dearest love. That was his only message. He soon became unconscious and later, in spite of all the doctors’ efforts, passed quietly away without feeling any pain. He was buried with church services in the Military Cemetery on the Poperinghe-Baeschepe Road. His grave will be marked with a cross bearing his name. Please accept my deepest sympathy and I hope you will feel he was not alone but with friends who did their very best for him. His personal effects will all be sent to you later by the authorities.’
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| The late Sergeant Howe, who was only 27 years of age, volunteered in January 1915 from Guelph, Ontario, Canada, where he had been for about a year. Before going out, he was six years on the R.I.C., been stationed in Queen’s County and Lurgan and also Cullingtree Road Barracks, Belfast, from where he resigned. When in Belfast he was attached to Abercorn Memorial Masonic Lodge No 347, and in Belfast, as well as other places he had been, he made a wide circle of friends. He received his training at Shorncliffe and Bramshott Camps and in May last he was sent to the danger zone where, in his second engagement in the vicinity of Ypres, he got mortally wounded, dying on the evening he was admitted in the Field Hospital. Great sympathy is felt for his grief stricken mother, sisters and brothers, one of whom, Charles, is at present attached to the Royal Irish Rifles as drill instructor in Celley Park, Reading, having also formerly been a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary (R.I.C.)
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| After this there are no further details. It is not known if Sergeant Charles Howe went to the front.
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