Richard Watson Howard was born on the 9th of October, 1896 in Sydney and enlisted for the Australian Imperial Force Engineers in Hamilton, Newcastle. A steel making and coal mining city 200 kilometres north of Sydney in new South Wales. Howard was studying Engineering in most likely what is now the University of Newcastle. After service with the AIF in France Howard transferred to the Australian Flying Corps and was transferred to 2 Sqn AFC on the 7th of April 1917. As part of the squadron working up to operational strength and experience Howard was attached to 57 Sqn Royal Flying Corps until the 2nd of July flying DH4 aircraft.

In November of 1917 Howard after having rejoined his original unit flew to France again, this time with the complete 2 Squadron in their DH5 aircraft. Howard's operational experience was to be to his advantage as he was involved in the first aerial combat the squadron had in the air in France on October 2nd. A flight of four aircraft led by Captain W.A. McCloughry were flying over St Quentin at 10,000 feet and dived at a German two seater aircraft several thousand feet below, the two seater spotted them however and easily outsped the speed deficient DH5 aircraft in a dive. Less than 15 minutes later another two seater came across their path and Howard in conjunction with Lieutenant L.H. Holden attacked the aircraft. Once again the two seater was able to speed away from the DH5 aircraft of 2 Squadron.

Howard was to score one of the few decisive aerial victories that the squadron was to score in their DH5 aircraft. On November 22nd of 1917 during the fierce ground battle of Cambrai, Howard was providing forward support for entente troops near Raillencourt village, bombing and machine gunning German troops. After his ground attack Howard found himself alone in enemy territory and climbed to join a formation of SE5a scouts from 84 Sqn RFC. One of the 84 Sqn SE5a's was attacked by a fast diving Albatros Scout, Howard turned into the attacker and helped drive the German scout off. The German Scout pilot wisely using the advantage of speed in his attack to make a get-away as being the lone aggressor and dogfighting a formation of fast and powerful SE5a scouts with a slower and more nimble DH5 is not good odds. Howard and the SE5a aircraft followed the Albatros to 1,000 feet but came across a DFW two seater aircraft near Graincourt and Howard fired the opening shots into the aircraft with two SE5a aircraft joining the attack. The DFW was forced to land behind entente lines and Howard and Captain J.M. Child of 84 Sqn RFC shared the victory. Captain R.C. Phillipps of 2 Sqn AFC witnessed the latter battle.

On November 29th Howard engaged in another battle with a German DFW two seater aircraft, this time at the low altitude of 400 feet. After manoeuvring behind the machine in a fairly spirited engagement, Howard fired into the German observer who was wounded or killed in the volley of fire and the German pilot quickly landed. Howard was to take part in no more decisive engagements with his DH5 aircraft but continued as weather permitted, to attack German ground forces who were now counter-attacking as the Cambrai offensive from the entente forces petered out due to lack of reserves. The Australian Flying Corps and Royal Flying Corps pilots trying to stem the tide of the German ground forces reclaiming the land that had been taken from them only one week earlier. Howard led the squadron's last operational flight in the DH5 aircraft type, when Howard leading four machines on December 6th, 1917 strafed and bombed the roads east of Bantouzelle.

2 Squadron Australian Flying Corps were removed from the line for the next 9 days of December and re-equipped with a much superior scout, the SE5a aircraft. So named due to it originally being the Farnborough produced Scouting Experimental. The SE5a was a fast machine, capable of speeds up to 120 mph in level flight at 15,000 feet and much higher speeds in a dive as it was stronger than most aircraft when diving or when "Split-arsed". The SE5a had the added advantage due to it's high powered inline motor, generous flying surfaces and generous dihedral, being capable of high performance at high altitudes. An area where the rotary powered aircraft dropped in performance due to the thinning oxygen and the large amounts of oxygen the rotary engines require. The squadron began patrolling at 18,000 feet in the role of scouts and air superiority rather than Army support as they had been in their DH5 aircraft.

During the heavy fighting of March 1918 when Ludendorff pressed his ground troops in an attack designed to defeat the entente forces before the American manpower and potential manufacturing might could be brought to bear on the Western Front, 2 Squadron was again in the thick of the fighting but this time at altitude in the scout role the squadron had been trained for initially 12 months previously. During the heavy fighting of March on the ground and in the air, Howard claimed six decisive Out of Control combats with German aircraft, including chasing a DFW two seater aircraft to land on the 8th of March. Howard's 9th victory was to come on the 18th of March when Howard, leading a flight of SE5a aircraft cornered a lone Rumpler two seater near Lille and shot it down in flames.

On the 22nd of March, 1918, Howard led Lieutenant A.R. Rackett in an offensive patrol during the evening. Howard and Rackett had dived on a two seater below them partially hidden in some cloud at 9,000 feet but as they neared the aircraft a German force of approximately 30 single seat and two seat scouts attacked them. The lone two seater flying near cloud may have been a trap, a decoy or a ruse to lure down unwary entente pilots. Rackett claimed one two seater Out of Control before diving away. The weather for the previous three days had been heavy and inclement and the 22nd was no different. With heavy fog and low visibility, Rackett landed at Candas, the aerodrome of 49 Squadron RFC and remained there for the night. Rackett was not aware Howard was missing until the next day when he flew back to 2 Squadron's aerodrome.

Racket reported having last seen Howard south of Honnecourt but ground observers had placed Howard at Epehy, both are geographically close. In his book, "Who Downed the Aces", Norman Franks places the most likely victor of Howard as Leutnant Hans Bohning of Jast 79. Both Bohning and another Jasta 79 pilot, Leutnant Buchstett claimed victories over Sopwith Camel aircraft at Vermand. Vermand is 16 kilometres south and two 3 RNAS Sopwith Camels were lost to a collision in that vicinity. But Jasta 68 claimed two Sopwith Camels in that area. The Nachtrichtenblatt however has Bohning's and Buchstett's victories as SE aircraft. It is possible the fight drifted south and that Buchstett claimed Rackett as a victory. Franks writes, "There are no other obvious claimants."

Howard was one of the earliest aces and leaders of the Australian Flying Corps forces on the Western Front. Setting a standard for aggression and skill in the squadron that was to become a trademark of 2 Squadron and the AFC Squadrons in France.