Bertram Ernest Powell

Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown
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; weight 134 lbs (60.8 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 (West Armadale panel)
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Electoral Roll entries - 1916 - farm hand living in Wungong

War Service

A month after entering training, Bertram was allocated to the 15th reinforcement draft for the 28th Battalion.

On arrival in England he was sent on to France via the HMT Princesse Clementine from Folkestone shortly afterwards (21 Dec 1916).

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cleared he joined the 28th Battalion from 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot in Étaples on 5 Feb 1917 as they are withdrawn temporarily from the front line.

He remained with them (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 left shoulder (severe), and he was taken initially to the 5th Australian Field Ambulance, before being sent back to the 55th Casualty Clearing Station, and the 22nd General Hospital in Camiers. A fortnight later he was invalided to the UK where he entered the Ilford Emergency Hospital in Colchester, Essex.

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 No 8 Australian General Hospital in Fremantle, he was discharged at the 5th Military District 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 before 1936.

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

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial