TOPIC:

William Lewis Powell

Corporal, Oxfordshire Light Infantry (India and Boer War)
Sergeant (Driver), South African Service Corps, Mechanised Transport – German East Africa (WWI)

- India General Service Medal (1895) with clasp Punjab Frontier 1897-98 to 5136 Pte. W. Powell, 2nd Bn. Oxf. Lt. Inf.
- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State and South Africa 1901 & 1902 to 5136 Corpl. W. Powell, Oxford L.I. (not entitled to South Africa 1901)
- Kings South Africa Medal with clasps South Africa 1901 & 1902 (self-named and not entitled)
- British War Medal to A/Sjt. W.L. Powell, S.A.S.C.
- Victory Medal to A/Sjt. W.L. Powell, S.A.S.C.

William Powell was born June 1876 in the Parish of Ebw Valley, Llanafen near the town of Aberystwith in the County of Cardiganshire, Wales, the son of William and Hannah Powell.

According to the 1881 census, the Powell family was resident at Frondeg in Aberystwith. William Powell senior was a Carpenter by trade and William Lewis, aged 5, was the only child.

Ten years on, at the time of the 1891 census, William Lewis, aged 15, was resident with his paternal grandparents, Lewis aged 67 and Winifred aged 74, in Aberystwith. Grandfather Lewis was a Carrier by trade.

Four years later, on 2 December 1895, Powell aged 19 years and 6 months, completed the Short Service attestation form for seven years with the Colours and five years with the Reserve, thereby enlisting with the Oxfordshire Light Infantry as a Private with no. 5136. He claimed prior service with the Cardigan Artillery, a Militia unit. Physically, Powell was of a diminutive stature being 5 feet 4 inches in height. He had a fresh complexion, hazel coloured eyes and brown hair and was a Groom by occupation. By way of distinctive marks, he had tattoos in the shape of a cross and dot on the front and back of his left forearm. His father, Mr. William Powell of 18 Clydach Street, Brynmawt, Precon, was listed as his next of kin. Major Lever of the R.A.M.C, passed him as Fit for the Army whereupon he was mustered to the 1st Battalion, stationed at Oxford.

Whilst undergoing training, on 24 April 1896, Powell obtained a 2nd Class Certificate of Education. This was followed by an increase in pay on 2 December 1897 when he was granted G.C. pay of 1d. per day. At the same time, he was trained as a Mounted Infantryman and granted a Certificate at the Curragh, confirming that he was competent in the role.

On 1 February 1898, after two years and sixty-one days at home Powell was posted to the 2nd Battalion as a Private and embarked for India, arriving there with his Battalion on 23 February 1898.


Powell can just be made out sitting on his camp cot in the bush. The photo was reproduced from an old negative the family had

Powell was part of the Tirah Campaign, an Indian frontier war which took place in 1897-98. The Afridis had for sixteen years received a subsidy from the Indian government for the safeguarding of the Khyber Pass, in addition to which the government had maintained for this purpose a local regiment entirely composed of Afridis, who were stationed in the pass. Suddenly, however, the tribesmen rose, captured all the posts in the Khyber held by their own countrymen, and attacked the forts on the Samana Ridge near Peshawar. It was estimated that the Afridis and Orakzais could, if united, bring from 40,000 to 50,000 men into the field.

Whereas Powell arrived too late to participate in most of the battles that comprised the campaign he was stationed in India for a period of two years and one hundred and ninety-three days. The Expeditionary Force was broken up on 4 April 1898.
For his efforts Powell he was awarded the India Medal 1895 with Punjab Frontier 1897 – 1898 clasp awarded to all troops forming part of the Tirah Expeditionary Force, who proceeded either beyond Kohat or Peshawar between 2 October 1897 and 6 April 1898.

On arrival in England for Home service on 13 August 1900, he was posted to the Depot – this was followed by a promotion to Paid Lance Corporal on 26 October 1900. Some five months later Powell ran foul of the law in that he was “Awaiting Trial for a Court Martial for stealing Goods belonging to a comrade”. Having had his day in military court, he was found guilty, receiving a sentence of 56 days imprisonment with Hard Labour for which he was remanded to Civil Prison to serve his time.

Having been released to duty on 13 May 1901, he was posted to Details shortly thereafter, on 1 June 1901, with the rank of Private. No doubt anxious to redeem himself in the eyes of the authorities, Powell put his shoulder to the wheel and was rewarded with promotions to Unpaid Lance Corporal on 5 July 1901 and Paid Lance Corporal on 2 August 1901.

It goes without saying that Powell would have been well aware that the Anglo Boer War was underway in South Africa and that the fighting, which he was missing out on for the aforementioned reason, had been going on for the better part of 20 months. Eventually, on 9 January 1902, he was posted to the 1st Battalion, Oxfordshire Light Infantry as a Lance Corporal and after one year and one hundred and forty-nine days, either at base or incarcerated, he set sail for South Africa to join the British and Colonial troops in action.

The O.L.I. by the time Powell made his appearance, had fought the majority of its war and was tasked with the guarding and manning of several block houses, erected in an attempt to pin the Boers into an area which would lead to their capture or surrender. On 1 November 1902, several months after the war was over, Powell was transferred to the Army Reserve before the expiration of his period of Army Service. For his service in the Boer War, Powell was awarded the Queens South Africa medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State and South Africa 1902.

Having elected to remain in South Africa after the cessation of hostilities, and after serving in the Army Reserve for a further five years and thirty days, Powell, aged 31, was discharged on termination of his period of engagement. He had elected to remain in South Africa after the conclusion of the Anglo Boer War. He seems to have settled into life in the Witwatersrand area of the Transvaal.

On 25 May 1909 he took for his bride, a 27 year old Susanna Petronella Kruger, who hailed from Kroonstad in the then Orange River Colony. The couple wed in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court. Powell, 32 years old, lived at 82 Earl Street in the city at the time.


The service card iro his Rebellion service

Five years later, on 4 August 1914, the Great War commenced with Great Britain and her Allies declaring war on Imperial Germany. Powell wasn’t slow in coming forward to volunteer his services. He was, it must be assumed, still active in the military as the outbreak of war found him as a Colour Sergeant with the 12th Infantry (Pretoria Regiment). On 19 August he attested for service with “A” Company of the 12th Infantry, with the rank of Colour Sergeant. He was allocated no. 5106 and provided his next of kin as his wife, Mrs. S.P. Powell of 342 Eloff Street, Gezina in Pretoria.

Powell did not see service in German South West Africa but did take part in the quelling of the Rebellion, which preceded the South African invasion of that territory. For this reason he was ineligible for the award of the 1914/15 Star. After a lull of almost two and a half years Powell again tried his hand at soldiering. According to records in the South African National Defence Force Archives in April 1917 Powell, aged 40, was married to Susannah Petronella Powell and had two children. He was a Motor Trolley Driver with the South African Railways by trade and confirmed that he had seen service in the Rebellion.

Other than that his religious denomination had changed from Church of England to Wesleyan, he still had all the physical characteristics attributed to him on enlistment in 1895.

Powell attested at Roberts Heights on 10 April 1917 with the Mechanical Transport section of the South African Service Corps for service in East Africa. He was assigned no. MT 4524 and the rank of Unqualified Driver.

Promoted to Qualified Driver on 21 April 1917, Powell was entitled to 7/- per day rate of pay. Promoted to Acting Corporal at Roberts Heights came on 10 May and, on 9 June 1917, he embarked at Durban per H.M.T. “Ingoma” for East Africa, commencing operations against the German forces in German East Africa on arrival there. On 12 September he was promoted to Acting Sergeant with pay whilst employed as an Instructor in School at Dar es Salaam.

On 23 February 1918 he was admitted to the South African General Hospital at Dar es Salaam with Debility. This was of a serious enough nature to earn him repatriation to South Africa, disembarking at Durban ex H.S. “Neuralia” and admitted to No. 3 General Hospital with Debility on 15 March 1918. Powell was transferred to Greys Hospital in Pietermaritzburg on 23 March and then transferred to No. 2 Convalescent Camp on 7 April 1918.

A Confidential Medical Report on an Invalid completed at No. 2 Convalescent Camp on 9 April 1918 in respect of Powell stated that his disability (Malaria) had its beginning in German East Africa in July 1917. His statement read as follows,

‘He states that he had 3 attacks of Malarial Fever in East Africa. He returned to the Union 15.3.18, admitted to Hospital at Durban, and transferred to No. 2 Convalescent Camp 6.4.18’

Although nothing was found to be wrong with him, Powell was granted one month’s recuperative leave – from 14 April to 13 May – with an order to report at Roberts Heights on his return.

On 19 July 1918, Powell embarked for a second stint in German East Africa per H.M.T. “Ingoma” bound for Port Amelia. On arrival he recommenced operations against the forces of Von Lettow – Vorbeck and was active in the field until he embarked aboard the H.M.T. “Loconada” for South Africa for dispersal on 13 December 1918 – a month after the cessation of hostilities.

A Confidential Medical Report on an Invalid completed at Congella (Durban) on 1 January 1919 in respect of Powell states that his disability had its beginning at Dar es Salaam in February 1918 where his Uncorroborated statement was as follows,
‘Admitted to hospital in Dar es Salaam in Feb. 1918 – 8 days in hospital and then sent on sick transfer to South Africa.
Returned to East Africa in June 1918. Malaria – Nil. Dysentery – Nil. Does not consider that he has suffered any disability through military service.’

The doctors found him ready to return to duty and Fit for dispersal. On 7 February 1919 he was discharged at Durban on demobilization. For his services Powell was awarded the British War and Victory medals. These were dispatched to him on 8 September 1922.

The Proceedings on Discharge form rated Powell’s Military Conduct as Very Good. He was credited with one year and three hundred and nine days service. Now a civilian once more, he returned to the Railways to pursue his trade.

On 5 August 1939 William Lewis Powell, aged 68, passed away at the Entabeni Nursing Home in Durban, Natal. He was resident at 215 Bulwer Road, Durban, at the time. He was survived by his two daughters, Hannah Maria Radford, married to Ralph Redvers Radford and Esther Susannah Dinan, wife of Clifford Leahy Dinan.

His military career had taken him from the shores of England to the mountains of India, the plains and veld of South Africa and to the tropical morass of East Africa.

Rory,
A nice group of medals with a long service record. Enjoyed reading the life history research of William Powell.
Cheers Steve

Rory, another interesting read thank you. I particularly like the photo reproduced from the negative.

Many thanks, Rory.

A lots of service for the medals he received.

He must have felt strongly about the KSA to have gone to the lengths he did.