Page 128 - WHO'S WHO OF DUDLEY ROTARY

Council from its inception in 1974 until retiring in 1982. He lived in Dudley all his life except for
an eventful period of wartime service. He went to the Sir Gilbert Claughton School, transferred
to Dudley Grammar School at 14, then started as a junior with Dudley
Council aged 16. When the War came he joined the Royal Norfolks and
was posted to the Far East as a Corporal. He was taken prisoner-of-war
when Singapore fell to the Japanese in February 1942 and after some
weeks in the infamous Changi jail he was sent to work in appalling
conditions on the Burma-Siam ‘Death Railway’ as a lumberjack. Although
the harshest task of building the railway was completed in 16 months he
spent the remainder of the War in jungle camps. These three years of
forced labour permanently affected his health. Remarkably he never
expressed bitterness or resentment against the ordinary Japanese soldiers and described how a
few of the guards even helped smuggle components of a radio from one camp to the next.
Howard served the Rotary Club well, as Honorary Secretary, long time member and Secretary
of the International Service Committee, instrumental in the setting up of Rotary House and
Board member and Secretary (1986-1993) of the Housing Association. He was an active member
at St James church, Eve Hill throughout his life, having joined its Anglican Young Person's
Association as a teenager.

426 Rev Richard (‘Dick’) OWEN (1923-1981) (Inducted 21.10.1968; left about April 1970.) Parish
Priest. Vicar of St James’s Church, Eve Hill from 1965 to 1970 (during which he officiated at the
wedding of Dennis Walker, club member #546, and his wife Margaret). He then became Rector
at St Peter’s Church, Walgrave near Northampton until 1977. He died at Altea near Alicante,
Spain, in 1981. He came originally from Liverpool but moved to the Droitwich area about 1949
where he was an agricultural fertiliser salesman until being called to the ministry. He read
theology at Queen’s College Birmingham before being ordained in 1963 and becoming curate at
Pershore Abbey. From there he moved to Dudley.

427 Victor (‘Vic’) Alan COWEN [mistakenly called Cowan throughout his time
in the Rotary Club!] (1929-2016) (Inducted 9.6.1969; left in mid-1986.)
Optical Service. Proprietor of A J Moore (Dudley) Ltd, dispensing opticians
of Castle Street, Dudley from at least the mid-1960s until retiring in 1992.
He was brought up at Mossley just east of Manchester but at the age of 21,
already qualified as an optician, emigrated to Kenya with the intention of
settling there. However after 18 months he returned to England and was
soon married. He moved to the Black Country a couple of years later and
for most of the subsequent period lived at Wordsley.

428 Colin Victor KNIPE, JP (1943- ) (Inducted 9.6.1969; President 1980-81, 1993-94 and 2021-22;
made a Paul Harris Fellow 2001, with added ‘sapphire’ in 2011; still a member at 2022.)
Geologist. Engineering geologist and mining engineer, chartered engineer
and chartered geologist. Partner of Johnson Poole & Bloomer,
geotechnical and environmental consultants, based in Brierley Hill with
offices in Glasgow, Cardiff and Wells. He joined the practice as senior
geologist in 1968, when it was run by Basil Poole, club member #303. He
became a partner in 1973 and Senior Partner in 1978. He retired from the
management of the firm in 2003 but continues on a part-time basis as
Principal Consultant. Among his more interesting projects were a survey
of over 200 waste tips and report on the design and management of
landfill sites for the regional government of Castilla y Leon, Spain; a published report on the
Engineering Implications of Rising Groundwater in Birmingham; and acting as Technical Assessor
assisting the Inspector at a number of major planning inquiries including a proposed