Harry George Howes was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, on 15 June 1905, the son of John William and Harriett Martha Howes (née Rayner). He joined the Royal Navy as an Engine Room Artificer Apprentice on 22 January 1921. On completion of his apprenticeship, he was drafted to the battleship HMS IRON DUKE on 7 August 1925, and he served in that ship until 11 May 1928 and was drafted to the battleship HMS BENBOW on the following day. He then joined the cruiser HMS CHAMPION on 14 May 1929.

Harry Howes joined submarines on 10 January 1929 when he was drafted to HMS DOLPHIN ‘for the Submarine Course‘ and then served in HMS DOLPHIN until 15 April 1930, when he joined HMS L71. He was next drafted to HMS THAMES on 15 July 1932 and continued to serve in THAMES until 18 February 1939. Chief Engine Room Artificer Second Class Howes was promoted to Acting Warrant Engineer on 1 July 1939. Following his post promotion courses he was appointed to HMS DOLPHIN on 27 November 1939 and appointed to HMS L26 as the Engineer on 4 June 1940.

He was appointed to HMS OLYMPUS as Engineering Officer on 20 February 1941. Harry Howes died when OLYMPUS was lost after being mined off Malta on 8 May 1942.

Harry Howes was the husband on Edith A Howes (née Gardner), and he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel No. 62 Column No. 2 and on the OLYMPUS Memorial in Valetta in Malta.