| Accession Number | P08785.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Colour - Toned black & white print |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Egypt, France |
| Date made | 1916 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of 2459 Private (Pte) William Watt Powell, 1st Battalion, of Sydney, NSW; ...
Description
Studio portrait of 2459 Private (Pte) William Watt Powell, 1st Battalion, of Sydney, NSW; formerly of Hereford, England. A fireman prior to enlisting in June 1915, Pte Powell embarked from Sydney with the 7th Reinforcements on board HMAT Orsova (A67) on 14 July 1915. He served at Gallipoli from November to December and arrived in France for service on the Western Front on 28 March 1916. He was wounded in action on the Somme, France, on 31 October 1916. In March he was appointed Lance Corporal (L/Cpl) and wounded in action a second time at Bullecourt, France, on 5 May 1917. L/Cpl Powel returned to the front on 2 June 1917 but on 24 June was returned to England and transferred to the 1st Training Battalion. He was promoted to the rank of Extra Regimental Corporal and attached to a Gas School at Wiltshire, England, as an assistant instructor in defensive methods against gas attacks. He reverted to the rank of L/Cpl on 7 November 1917 and returned to France on 29 November 1917. L/Cpl Powell was killed in action at Ypres, Belgium, on 17 April 1918. He was 26 years of age.