Avro 504a D194 near Cherry Burton.
During the afternoon of 21st April 1918 at least three aeroplanes of No.72 Training Squadron undertook a training exercise. At 14.45hrs Avro 504 A2636 and D194 collided in midair in the Cherry Burton area. Both pilots lost control and the two aeroplanes fell near Cherry Burton killing all flying in them. It was believed that Lt Howell (flying D194) had mistaken the aeroplane being flown by 2Lt Robinson (A2636) for that being flown by 2Lt Pearce, with whom he had previously arranged to undertake a practice dog fight and that Lt Howell then miscalculated his turn and struck A2636.
Pilot - Lt Evan Idris Howell RAF, aged 25. Buried Pontypridd (Glyntaff) Cemetery, Glamorganshire.
Evan Howell was born on 22nd August 1892 and as a young man studied at the University of Wales from October 1914 to July 1915. After attending Infantry training at the Officer Training Corps he was granted a commission as Second Lieut on 12th July 1915. He enlisted into the Northamptonshire Regiment and entered France in August 1916. He later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in September 1917 and was posted to No.41 Training Squadron on 23rd October 1917 and to No.72 Training Squadron on 4th February 1918. When the RAF was formed on 1st April 1918 he transferred across.