Howard Frank Ayers was born on January 6, 1924, in Crystal City, Texas. He was the son of Howard E Ayers and Lillian Elizabeth Vandervort Ayers.

Howard served in the 603rd Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Radio Operator of the B-17G #43-38944 during World War II. On January 2, 1945, 1st Lt De Cleene and the crew flying with him had flown over to Burtonwood to collect a new replacement aircraft for one which had either been lost or withdrawn from service. They were flying the new aircraft back to their home airfield at Nuthampstead near Royston in Hertfordshire and had taken off at just about 19:00. The weather was fairly good with about 2 miles visibility and broken cloud at 3,000 feet, however, it was dark, and there was no snow lying on the ground. At approximately 19:25, the aircraft was heard by local farmers flying very low. Shortly after, it flew into the western edge of the Birchenough Hill close to a small quarry and broke up across the hill and burned out.

TSgt Ayers is now buried in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk