Bertram Ernest Powell

Bertram Ernest Powell

Personal Information
Date of Birth	1890
Place of Birth	Guildford, Western Australia
Death	18 Apr 1950, aged 59
Place of Death	Moora, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	25 years, 6 months
Description	5'5" (1.65m) tall ; 134 lbs 60.781 kg ; fair complexion ; blue eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Farm hand
Religion	Church of England
Address	Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr Frederick Elijah Powell
Military Information
Reg Number	5648
Date of Enlistment	5 Apr 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	28th Battalion, 15th Reinforcement / 7th Brigade, 2nd Division
Date of Embarkation	22 Sep 1916 ‒ 20 Nov 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A52 Surada
Date of Return	2 Jan 1919 ‒ 10 Feb 1919
Ship Returned On	HMAT A35 Berrima
Fate	Wounded in Action 11 Aug 1918 at Lihons Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (West Armadale panel) Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Born in Guildford, Bert grew up on a farm at Wungong, Armadale WA, the second of eight children. His father - Frederick Elijah Powell (b. 1864 in Norfolk, England) and Minnie Amelia Mears (b. 1873 in London, England) married in Guildford WA in 1889. Frederick - a Shepherd/Farm Labourer in Norfolk - grew barley, oats and vegetables and raised cattle on the farm in Armadale - in 1903 Frederick won the ploughing competition held in Armadale for the straightest and neatest ploughing. Bert and his siblings Fred and Harry attended Armadale Primary School, and all the children were birthed by a midwife - no doctors locally.

Bert was working as a Farmhand in Armadale in April 1916 when he enlisted in the AIF - brothers Freddy and Harry also served in the AIF during WWI. Bert (Service No:5648) served with 28th Infantry Battalion in France, where he was WIA in August 1918 at Lihons - a bullet wound to the shoulder. Bert was Discharged in March 1919.

Electoral Roll entries - 1916 - farm hand living in Wungong

War Service

After four weeks as part of the 61st Depot Company, Bertram was allocated to the 15th reinforcement draft for the 28th Battalion and he then travelled with them to England, aboard HMAT A52 Surada arriving on 20 Nov 1916.

Very quickly after his arrival in England he was sent on to France via the HMT Princesse Clementine from Folkestone (21 Dec 1916).

In France, 6 to 25 Jan 1917 was spent in Segregation Camp, but the reason for this are not included in his records. Soon after being cleared he joined the 28th Battalion from the 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot in Étaples on 5 Feb 1917. At the time they were being withdrawn temporarily from the front line to rest in Acid Drop Camp.

Bertram remained with the battalion (other than a fortnight's leave in England in Jan/Feb 1918) until he was wounded in the final stages of the battle for Lihons on 11 Aug 1918. During the Lihons battle he received a bullet wound to his right shoulder (severe), and he was taken initially to the 5th Field Ambulance, before being sent back next day to the 55th Casualty Clearing Station, and then on 15 Aug 1918 to the 22nd General Hospital in Camiers. Invalided to the UK on 25 Aug 1918 aboard HMHS Newhaven where he entered the Ilford Emergency Hospital in Colchester, Essex. He spent a total of twelve days in bed before eight weeks convalescing.

Discharged from hospital 2 months later, he joined the No 4 General Depot in Hurdcott on 31 Oct 1918. Here he had a couple of days unauthorised leave, bringing a mild rebuke before his wounds eventually lead to an early return to Australia.

After spending 10 to 21 Feb 1919 in the 8th Australian General Hospital in Fremantle, he was discharged by the 5th Military District on 31 Mar 1919 .

Post War

Electoral Roll entries - 1925 a labourer living in Ninth avenue Armadale; 1936 in Dangin; 1949 in Moora. No record of marriage.

One of many men who received relief employment during the 1929 - 1930 depression from the Armadale-Kelmscott Road Board.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial