Alfred E Powell - awarded Military Medal - 4 Nov. 1918

[Cathy]

Sapper Alfred E Powell Royal Engineers.His MIC shows that he was awarded the Victory,British and Star medals. Date of entry therein shows 4.3.15. I also have a copy

of The British Army Service record given his name and address in Stratton Wiltshire. Where would I find his MM listed? His Regt No 1637 444150

The reason he was awarded the MM: According to a newspaper article - The Royal Engineers came under heavy fire while trying to replace a bridge that the enemy had

blown up. They were successful in there task thereby enabling our troops to attack

Looking forward to any help you can give me.

Many thanks,

Cathy.

[sotonmate]

Cathy

The Sapper was a 2nd Corporal on landing in his first war theatre of Egypt on 4.3.1915.

He was with the East Lancashire Signal Company RE and part of 42 Division:

http://www.1914-1918.net/42div.htm

His two numbers,1637 was issued on his enlistment,and later in 1917 the TA RE was re-numbered and he got 444150.

His MM citation was in the same 1940 bombing that did for so many service records,but it's reason for issue seems already known to you,if not the precise wording. There is a chance that this citation is contained in the 42 Division Signal Company REs War Diary for it's France and Flanders leg of the war from Mar 1917 to Mar 1919,which is at Kew under WO95/2651. I have seen citations in other RE War Diaires so you might be lucky as well.

Sotonmate

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

The MM should show upon a seperate Gallantry Index Card,usually using just initials & surname.I would imagine it would have been awarded using the later 6 figure number~however there does not appear to be an Index Card for any gallantry award to A E Powell,with either 1637 or 444150 numbers,All MM to UK & commonwealth recipients were promulgated in the London Gazette & the only one I could find to an A E Powell was for service in the Gloucestershire Regt:~London Gazette Link A E Powell so unless he changed Regiment again it may be that he was just in receipt of a Divisional or Brigade Gallantry Certificate/Card....??

No A E Powell shows up using just a number search either in the LG Advanced Search.

There is however an A Powell RE MM in the LG but with a different number???

Sgt A Powell RE

[Stebie9173]

His MM seems to be here:

London Gazette 23-7-1919

202743 Spr. Powell, A. E., 206th Fd. Coy. (Lower Stratton).

but under a different number (a Regular RE number rather than a Territorial).

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31469/supplements/9362

A July 1919 Gazette is entirely consistent with a very late war award of the MM

There were quite a few Sapper MMs on 4 November 1918 when the Sambre Canal was crossed - including a couple of Sapper VCs....

The medal card with the 444150 number on it is actually someone else with a similar name.

He had two sections of records - one of 6 pages and one of 39 pages. Both sets of records mention the award on the 2nd page at the bottom of the sheet but give no details.

Alfred Edward Powell enlisted under the Derby Scheme on 12-2-1916 and was mobilised on 5-6-1916. After being posted briefly to the 1st Garrison Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment (with No. 31642), he transferred to the 85th Provisional Battalion with No. 5523 on 22-6-1916. He served with 85th Prov. Battalion at Whitstable. The 85th Provisional Battalion became the 11th Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry on 1-1-1917. He transferred to the Royal Engineers (No. 202743) on 29-9-1916 (though the physical transfer was probably in early 1917) and served with the 4th Provisiobal Company in the UK. He served with the 4th Provisional Company Royal Engineers in the UK at Chatham. He transferred to 546th (Kent) Field Company on 6-2-1917 and served with them at Hockwold, Norfolk. He transferred to the 206th Field Company (32nd Division) on 28-3-1918 and, after embarking to France on 3-4-1918, joined them on the Western Front on 18-4-1918. He was also attached to HQ of the Lancashire Divisional Engineers at some point (probably after the end of the war) and was serving with them when demobilised in 1919.

Two of the VCs on 4 November 1918 were awarded to Major Arnold Horace Santo Waters and Sapper Adam Archibald of the 218th Field Company - also of 32nd Division - when they helped bridge the Sambre Canal near Ors. The two men were awarded the VC as they had done the job single-(double?) handedly. Though they bridged the canal, the machine-gun fire was so intense that the 96th Brigade had to cross the canal in Ors itself where Sapper Powell and the 206th Field Company had successfully bridged the canal. The 206th Field company presumably received a goodly number of awards, including Sapper Powell's MM, but perhaps didn't include the single-handedness of the more famous action.

Steve.

[Cathy]

Cathy

The Sapper was a 2nd Corporal on landing in his first war theatre of Egypt on 4.3.1915.

He was with the East Lancashire Signal Company RE and part of 42 Division:

http://www.1914-1918.net/42div.htm

His two numbers,1637 was issued on his enlistment,and later in 1917 the TA RE was re-numbered and he got 444150.

His MM citation was in the same 1940 bombing that did for so many service records,but it's reason for issue seems already known to you,if not the precise wording. There is a chance that this citation is contained in the 42 Division Signal Company REs War Diary for it's France and Flanders leg of the war from Mar 1917 to Mar 1919,which is at Kew under WO95/2651. I have seen citations in other RE War Diaires so you might be lucky as well.

Sotonmate

[Cathy]

Hello,

Many thanks for your advice.

..

What a shame about the 1940 bombing and the destruction of the records. I suppose this will apply to all the Powells that I try to research..

I am unable to go to Kew. I live a long way away from there. However, I think I can add all this to my Family Tree to help future relatives understand

what happened

Many thanks

Cathy

[Stebie9173]

One of the men of the 2nd Manchesters trying to cross the canal at that point was a certain WIlfred Owen. The Wilfred Owen website carries an article about his death on the banks of the canal.

http://www.wilfredowen.org.uk/virtual-tour/ors

Steve.

[Cathy]

His MM seems to be here:

London Gazette 23-7-1919

202743 Spr. Powell, A. E., 206th Fd. Coy. (Lower Stratton).

but under a different number (a Regular RE number rather than a Territorial).

http://www.london-ga...upplements/9362

A July 1919 Gazette is entirely consistent with a very late war award of the MM

There were quite a few Sapper MMs on 4 November 1918 when the Sambre Canal was crossed - including a couple of Sapper VCs....

The medal card with the 444150 number on it is actually someone else with a similar name.

He had two sections of records - one of 6 pages and one of 39 pages. Both sets of records mention the award on the 2nd page at the bottom of the sheet but give no details.

Alfred Edward Powell enlisted under the Derby Scheme on 12-2-1916 and was mobilised on 5-6-1916. After being posted briefly to the 1st Garrison Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment (with No. 31642), he transferred to the 85th Provisional Battalion with No. 5523 on 22-6-1916. He served with 85th Prov. Battalion at Whitstable. The 85th Provisional Battalion became the 11th Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry on 1-1-1917. He transferred to the Royal Engineers (No. 202743) on 29-9-1916 (though the physical transfer was probably in early 1917) and served with the 4th Provisiobal Company in the UK. He served with the 4th Provisional Company Royal Engineers in the UK at Chatham. He transferred to 546th (Kent) Field Company on 6-2-1917 and served with them at Hockwold, Norfolk. He transferred to the 206th Field Company (32nd Division) on 28-3-1918 and, after embarking to France on 3-4-1918, joined them on the Western Front on 18-4-1918. He was also attached to HQ of the Lancashire Divisional Engineers at some point (probably after the end of the war) and was serving with them when demobilised in 1919.

Two of the VCs on 4 November 1918 were awarded to Major Arnold Horace Santo Waters and Sapper Adam Archibald of the 218th Field Company - also of 32nd Division - when they helped bridge the Sambre Canal near Ors. The two men were awarded the VC as they had done the job single-(double?) handedly. Though they bridged the canal, the machine-gun fire was so intense that the 96th Brigade had to cross the canal in Ors itself where Sapper Powell and the 206th Field Company had successfully bridged the canal. The 206th Field company presumably received a goodly number of awards, including Sapper Powell's MM, but perhaps didn't include the single-handedness of the more famous action.

Steve.

[Cathy]

Hello Steve,

Many thanks for all this information.

I will add it to my Family Tree.

Kind regards

Cathy.