Shortly after the outbreak of war, Pilot Officer Howley was one of the first pilots to be posted to No 141 Squadron, reforming at Turnhouse, Edinburgh with Gladiators and later flying Blenheims. The squadron switched to Defiants and eventually moved to West Malling, Kent, often operating from the forward airfield at Hawkinge.
On the morning of 19 July 1940, Howley was the pilot of one of nine Defiants attacked by Bf 109s off Dover. His aircraft was among six lost and he and his gunner, Sergeant A G Curley, were reported missing. Dick Howley is commemorated on panel 27 of the Runnymede Memorial.
