POWELL, Frederick James
| Service Number: | 5066 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 March 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 28th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Guildford, Western Australia, 5 December 1889 |
| Home Town: | Armadale, Armadale, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Armadale Primary School, Western Australia |
| Occupation: | Farm Hand |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 30 August 1918, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
Daours Communal Cemetery Extension, France |
| Memorials: | Armadale Roll of Honor, Armadale War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Kelmscott-Armadale Parish Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5066, 28th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Jul 1916: | Involvement Private, 5066, 28th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Seang Bee embarkation_ship_number: A48 public_note: '' | |
| 18 Jul 1916: | Embarked Private, 5066, 28th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Seang Bee, Fremantle | |
| 29 Jul 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 5066, 28th Infantry Battalion, Shell wounds to stomach and leg at Peronne, France. Taken to 53 Casualty Clearing Station near Corbie where he Died of Wounds |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Chris Buckley
The eldest of eight children, Freddy was born in Guildford in 1889 to Frederick Elijah Powell (b1864 in Norfolk, England) and Minnie Amelia Meares (b1873 in London, England). Frederick was a Shepherd in Norfolk - 'Dad was real Norfolk farmer' (Percy Powell Transcript;1992). He was a Labourer in 1899 in Guildord WA when he and Minnie married. They settled in Wongong in Armadale WA where they raised their family and farmed. In 1903 Frederick Snr won the ploughing contest held in Armadale for straight and neat ploughing. The family grew barley, oats and vegetables - 'He worked like a horse. Yeah, he had nothing' (Percy Powell Transcript; 1992). All Frederick's and Minnie's children were birthed with the help of midwives and Minnie tended to any medical issuues - as Percy stated (1992) 'Mum had a great big medical book, she used to go by that'. Freddy and his two younger siblings attended Armadale Primary School, and any travelling and shopping was done with a horse and sulky.
Freddy was working as a Farmhand in Armadale in 1914 when he married Emily Maude Dawson (b1882 in Westbrook nr Busselton WA). The couple settled in Armadale with their daughter and Freddy was working as a Farmhand in March 1916 when he enlisted in the AIF (Private; Service No:5066). He served with 28th Infantry Battalion and was hospitalised with Influenza and Typhoid. On 29 August 1918 Freddy was WiA - shell wounds to his abdomen and leg, and was evacuated to 53 Casualty Clearing Station near Corbie, France where he Died of Wounds on 30 August 1918. Corporal Whitham (Service No:3664) stated 'I saw him wounded in front of Peronne. He was wounded by shell in stomach and leg. He was carried out by a couple of stretcher bearers ...' (Australian Red Cross Bureau Files), and Private PH Henry (Service No:5024) stated 'I saw Freddy Powell A Coy hit by a piece of shell in stomach - also in leg at Peronne about 11am just after we reached our objective .... He was No 1 on Lewis Gun .... He was quite conscious...' (Australian Red Cross Bureau Files). Brothers Bert and Harry also served in WWI. Amongst Freddy's personal effects returned to Emily were his Bible, photos, a thimble and a damaged silver watch.
Emily remarried in 1927 and died in 1955.
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