Photograph of Walter Powell and 6 mates from the Mechanised Transport A.S.C.
Item
Title
Photograph of Walter Powell and 6 mates from the Mechanised Transport A.S.C.
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Identifier
7058.jpg
GWA_6114_LarkHillSalisburyPlainBulfordCamp.jpg
Subject
Powell, Walter
Abstract
Walter Powell is in the rear row, middle (X marked above his head). On other photos some of the men are named - so it is possible to say Pat O'Doherty is rear row second left, Burke is rear row on the right, and Gunter is probably one of the others - either rear row second right or front row right. In other notes Walter Powell records that soon after May 1917 "I was posted down to Bulford Camp on Salisbury Plain. A great deal of guard duty there and then to Lark Hill Camp. Here I did 14 days shankers [jankers or fatigues]. My great pal was Pat O'Doherty - he had arrived in England two days before war was declared from Sydney, Australia. He had a large poultry farm there and he went to Ireland to [...] but soon joined up. We were fed up one hot day on [of] drill and during a break we crept up into a lorry and had a short doss. We were spotted and put on charge - 14 days with a mule and cart collecting all the dung and litter around the camp 8am to 7pm. If there was a nice orderly-NCO in charge we would hide the cart at the back of the canteen hut and the NCO would give us the tip when to jump to it again. When we went before the orderly officer to return to duty, Paddy [O'Doherty], who was a real wag, spoke up and asked was it possible if he and Taffy [Walter Powell] could not continue for a further spell. Certainly not, but Paddy got in the last shot: 'Sir, may I ask, have you ever had the camp looking so dandy?'"
Part of a collection relating to Walter H. Powell, Llandrindod Wells, (private / driver M2-267205 Mechanised Transport Army Service Corps). Born 1898, Walter tried to join up under-age on a number of occasions, finally succeeding in 1916. He served many months - (more than 2 years?) - in different army units in Britain, before going over to France. He served as a despatch rider for an anti-aircraft battery in 1918-1919. Walter was gassed "suffering the effects all his life". He was a founder member of Toc-H in Llandrindod, and a keen footballer - he died in 1994 aged 96. However Walter's older brothers (Cliff and Percy Powell) and his uncle (Humphrey Powell) died of wounds sustained during the war.
Part of a collection relating to Walter H. Powell, Llandrindod Wells, (private / driver M2-267205 Mechanised Transport Army Service Corps). Born 1898, Walter tried to join up under-age on a number of occasions, finally succeeding in 1916. He served many months - (more than 2 years?) - in different army units in Britain, before going over to France. He served as a despatch rider for an anti-aircraft battery in 1918-1919. Walter was gassed "suffering the effects all his life". He was a founder member of Toc-H in Llandrindod, and a keen footballer - he died in 1994 aged 96. However Walter's older brothers (Cliff and Percy Powell) and his uncle (Humphrey Powell) died of wounds sustained during the war.
Date
June - August 1917
Date Created
1917-06-01
Temporal Coverage
1917-08-31
Source
Photograph
Medium
Photographic paper
Type
Photograph
Contributor
Alun Edwards
Alun Edwards (Powys Archives submissions day)
Bryan and Liz Edwards
Publisher
The Great War Archive, University of Oxford