Howard J.T Saint DSC 1893-1976

Capt. Howard Saint was Gloster's Chief test pilot from 1926 until 1933.

Saint was a student at Manchester University.Held the rank of Chief Petty Officer with the Royal Naval Armoured Cars, and was commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant in August 1915.Undertook flying instruction in 1916.8 Flight B Squadron 5 Wing (later No.5 Squadron) flying bombers from September 1916 to 24th July 1917.No.10 Squadron from 26th July 1917 to 26th October 1917.Martlesham Heath serving as a test pilot until the end of the war.Holder of Commercial Licence No.1.Commercial pilot for Air Transport and Travel until 1922.Regularly competed in air races. In June 1919, Placed 5th in the Victory Aerial Derby around London (6th on handicap) flying an Airco DH9B. In September 1919 won a race around Holland. Rejoined the RAF in 1922, serving as a test pilot at the Royal Aircraft Factory.Joined the Gloster Aircraft Company in 1927 as Chief Test Pilot. In 1934 the Gloster Aircraft Company was acquired by Hawker Aircraft Ltd., and Saint was replaced by P.E.G. Sayer, Hawker’s Assistant Chief Test Pilot. Saint moved on to test machines for George Parnall and Company Ltd. This employment lasted just one year as Parnall and Company was acquired by Nash & Thompson Ltd. in 1935, the new company being concerned with the design and manufacture of aircraft gun turrets.Worked for the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough as a Flying Control Officer, until his retirement when he lived at Hove, Sussex. DSC gazetted on 2nd November 1917.