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Dianne Howe, born in 1948, was raised in the country town of Boorowa. After working as a doctor’s receptionist, in 1970 she married local man Paul Elliott. Paul’s work with the Rural Bank took his wife and two children to various country towns, before a final move in 1984 to Canberra. Di, an accomplished golfer, joined the Yowani Country Club, where she played in many inter-club pennant matches and had the distinction of achieving two holes-in-one. However, a serious car accident in Thailand in 1997, which resulted in a broken spine that almost took her life, put an end to her golfing days. After defying medical opinion and learning to walk again, Di entered the most rewarding part of her life – researching Australian prisoners of war in the far east, especially those sent to the Burma-Thai railway, where her father, Sergeant Fred Howe, 2/19 Battalion, had slaved from May 1942 until war’s end. Like so many POWs, Fred had suffered from undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder but it was not until almost 20 years after his rather premature death, in 1975, that Di had decided to see if she could understand his often erratic and volatile behaviour. In the process she became an excellent researcher, and a recognised expert on the railway, which she visited several times. She generously shared her vast knowledge with visitors to the Australian War Memorial, where she worked as a volunteer in the research area for 20 years. Apart from providing valuable input into a dozen books on military history, Di also worked tirelessly to correct a large number of errors on the memorial’s honour rolls, and overhauled nominal and other rolls in various unit histories. With her closest friend and research colleague, Lynette Silver, she was consultant to the Honours and Awards Tribunal, providing detailed information on nominees under consideration. Always a champion for the POW community, Di was successful in having several ex-servicemen, who had died after returning home, recognised as official war casualties, which entitled them to a war grave. With Lynette, Di helped expose a number of military frauds, including the notorious Rex Crane, a fake POW who was jailed for defrauding the government of hundreds of thousands of dollars in false pension claims. Her final major piece of research was to do the lion’s share in collating the names of 4,500 nurses who served in World War II – an exacting and tedious task as no list had ever been compiled. The results of her painstaking efforts were published in Lynette’s book Angels of Mercy in 2019. Di died in Canberra on 12 October, exactly one month before her 72nd birthday, from an aggressive and incurable brain cancer. She never said much or even complained about her illness and just soldiered on with whatever treatment was necessary to extend her life. She had set various goals after her diagnosis in July 2019 – 71st birthday, Christmas, her 50th wedding anniversary in January. Despite undergoing intensive treatment, and walking with the aid of a stick, Di accompanied Lynette on February 15, Singapore Day, to lay a wreath on behalf of POWs at the war memorial. This event, and a thrilling helicopter flight over Canberra, were her final outings before her condition worsened. Di did all this and more with the grace of the lady that she was, and forever shall be. Modest and self-effacing, she never sought glory or recognition for herself. Her sole aim was to ensure that the sacrifice and suffering of those who had fought or died for their country were remembered and honoured – a priceless legacy to the nation.
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Dianne Elliott helped expose a number of military frauds, including the notorious Rex Crane. Pictures: Supplied
Dianne Howe, born in 1948, was raised in the country town of Boorowa. After working as a doctor’s receptionist, in 1970 she married local man Paul Elliott.
Paul’s work with the Rural Bank took his wife and two children to various country towns, before a final move in 1984 to Canberra.
Di, an accomplished golfer, joined the Yowani Country Club, where she played in many inter-club pennant matches and had the distinction of achieving two holes-in-one.
However, a serious car accident in Thailand in 1997, which resulted in a broken spine that almost took her life, put an end to her golfing days.
After defying medical opinion and learning to walk again, Di entered the most rewarding part of her life – researching Australian prisoners of war in the far east, especially those sent to the Burma-Thai railway, where her father, Sergeant Fred Howe, 2/19 Battalion, had slaved from May 1942 until war’s end.
Like so many POWs, Fred had suffered from undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder but it was not until almost 20 years after his rather premature death, in 1975, that Di had decided to see if she could understand his often erratic and volatile behaviour.
In the process she became an excellent researcher, and a recognised expert on the railway, which she visited several times.
She generously shared her vast knowledge with visitors to the Australian War Memorial, where she worked as a volunteer in the research area for 20 years.
Apart from providing valuable input into a dozen books on military history, Di also worked tirelessly to correct a large number of errors on the memorial’s honour rolls, and overhauled nominal and other rolls in various unit histories.
With her closest friend and research colleague, Lynette Silver, she was consultant to the Honours and Awards Tribunal, providing detailed information on nominees under consideration.
Always a champion for the POW community, Di was successful in having several ex-servicemen, who had died after returning home, recognised as official war casualties, which entitled them to a war grave.
With Lynette, Di helped expose a number of military frauds, including the notorious Rex Crane, a fake POW who was jailed for defrauding the government of hundreds of thousands of dollars in false pension claims.
Her final major piece of research was to do the lion’s share in collating the names of 4,500 nurses who served in World War II – an exacting and tedious task as no list had ever been compiled.
The results of her painstaking efforts were published in Lynette’s book Angels of Mercy in 2019.
Di died in Canberra on 12 October, exactly one month before her 72nd birthday, from an aggressive and incurable brain cancer.
She never said much or even complained about her illness and just soldiered on with whatever treatment was necessary to extend her life.
She had set various goals after her diagnosis in July 2019 – 71st birthday, Christmas, her 50th wedding anniversary in January.
Despite undergoing intensive treatment, and walking with the aid of a stick, Di accompanied Lynette on February 15, Singapore Day, to lay a wreath on behalf of POWs at the war memorial.
This event, and a thrilling helicopter flight over Canberra, were her final outings before her condition worsened.
Di did all this and more with the grace of the lady that she was, and forever shall be.
Modest and self-effacing, she never sought glory or recognition for herself.
Her sole aim was to ensure that the sacrifice and suffering of those who had fought or died for their country were remembered and honoured – a priceless legacy to the nation.
- Lynette Silver, AM, FAIHA, is a military historian.
