William Augustus Povah

William Augustus Povah

Personal Information
Date of Birth	16 Nov 1883
Place of Birth	Maryborough, Queensland
Death	29 Mar 1960, aged 76
Place of Death	Hollywood Repatriation Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	34 years old
Description	5' 3" (1.60m) tall ; 124 lbs 56.245 kg ; fresh complexion ; blue eyes ; dark brown hair
Occupation	Sleeper hewer
Religion	Church of England
Address	School Quarters, West Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr Frank Povah (address unknown)
Military Information
Reg Number	4357
Date of Enlistment	10 Jan 1916
Rank	Corporal
Unit/Formation	28th Battalion, 11th Reinforcements / 7th Brigade, 2nd Division
Date of Embarkation	31 Mar 1916 ‒ 24 Apr 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A9 Shropshire
Date of Return	1 Jun 1919 ‒ 8 Jul 1919
Ship Returned On	SS Somali
Fate	Wounded in Action 27.29 Aug 1916 Mouquet Farm Wounded in Action 8 Aug 1918 Amiens 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 William Augusta Sweeney in Maryborough Queensland on 16 Nov 1883. He adopted the name of his mother's second husband. It is not known when he arrived in WA.

Electoral Roll entries - 1910 - 1912 a miner at Gwalia; later in 1912 at Bungalow Cafe, Boulder road, Kalgoorlie, miner. 1915 - 1916 Barrabupp, sleeper hewer.

War Service

Bill entered Blackboy Hill camp on 10 Jan 1916 and for some time he was allocated to the 11th reinforcement draft for the 28th Battalion. Bill was given the temporary rank of Corporal for the voyage to Egypt, and during the journey to Egypt aboard HMAT A9 Shropshire he was admitted to the ship's hospital on 21 Apr 1916 with influenza. On arrival in Suez he was transferred to the Government Hospital on 24 Apr 1916, and then on 26 Apr 1916 to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital suffering with having taken a reaction to inoculations. He was released to duty on 12 May 1916.

Bill embarked with other reinforcements for the 28th Battalion on the HMT Minnetonka in Alexandria on 2 Jun 1916, before disembarking in Plymouth on 12 Jun 1916. On 1 Aug 1916 he travelled to France, and on arrival at the Étaples Base he reverted to Private. Bill joined the 28th Battalion on 24 Aug 1916 when they were north east of Poziéres, occupying the front line trenches. Between the 27th and 29th Aug 1916 they are under almost continuous artillery bombardment. Suffering with Shell Shock (slight, as it was described in his records) Bill was seen by the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station before embarking on the HMHS St David in Boulogne for England on 31 Aug 1916.

Arriving there, he was admitted to the No.3 Southern General Hospital, Oxford for treatment. Following treatment he returned to his battalion via various base units in England and France, reaching them during November 1916.

On 9 Dec 1916 he was again in difficulty, being evacuated yet again to England, this time with Trench Foot, from Calais, entering the County of Middlesex War Hospital for treatment. He returned to France via Perham Downs and Folkestone on 14 Mar 1917, catching up with the 28th Battalion on 26 Apr 1917 where they were in the Support lines near Noreil-Lagnicourt.

He required hospital treatment for illness from 1 Jun to 9 Jul 1917, and again from 26 - 29 Apr 1918, this time for Trench Toe. Bill was wounded in action a second time on 8 Aug 1918 when he participated in the first day of the battle of Amiens. His injuries included a Gun Shot Wound to his left shoulder and a minor wound to his left arm. Treated by the 15th Field Ambulance, they passed him on to the 53rd Casualty Clearing Station, and then to the 2nd Canadian Hospital at Tréport before he was evacuated to England on 13 Aug 1918.

Arriving in England he was admitted to the Bevan Military Hospital Sandgate on 13 Aug 1918, remaining with them until 6 Sep 1918 when he was transferred to the No 1 Line Hospital in Canterbury. Short stays at the No 1 Command Depot and the Overseas Training Base eventually equipped him to return to his unit in France on 30 Nov 1918, by which time the Armistice was in place.

At the time of the Armistice the battalion was resting and rebuilding in the small village of Berteaucourt, north-west of Amiens. Soon after the Armistice the 28th Battalion and the rest of the Australian 7th Brigade was initially earmarked as part of the British 4th Army to relocate to Coblenz as part of the Army of Occupation. They began their move on 23 Nov 1918, travelling through Amiens and Peronne by train, and then marched via stops at Busigny, Ribeauville, Grand Fayt, Beaufort, and Cousolre into Belgium. At this point it was decided that the Australian troops would not proceed into Germany, but wait in Belgium for their return to Australia, with the 28th Battalion basing itself in Marcinelle, some 2 miles from the large industrial city of Charleroi.

In Mar 1919 Bill began the trip home via Sutton Veny and Weymouth before being discharged by the 5th Military District on 22 Aug 1919.

Casualty List 260 has Bill as returning to duty previously reported wounded.

Post War

William married Charlotte V.E.Louisa May Armstrong in the Murray district in 1922. Louisa died in November 1933. Her marriage to William may have been a second one, or a common law arrangement as the first two children they raised carried the surname Leaney. A Maintenance Court Case in 1918 resulted in Charles Francis Leaney being ordered to pay five shillings for the support of each child until their turned 16.

BUNBURY WOMAN'S FATAL COLLAPSE ON BEACH. BUNBURY. Tuesday 28 Nov 1933 Mrs. Louisa Povah (37), who collapsed while picnicking, on the beach on Sunday, died in the Government Hospital yesterday. A post-mortem examination revealed that death was caused by a slight hemorrhage on the brain.

Collapse on Beach WOMAN'S SUDDEN DEATH FATALITY AT PlCNIC Louisa Povah (38) collapsed on the Bunbury beach on Sunday and died in the Government Hospital early Monday morning. She was picnicking with her husband and several children and when the husband returned after a short absence he found her unconscious. A post mortem examination was held and death was found to be due from a hemorrhage on the brain. Deceased, whose husband works on the road between Yarloop and Rowlands, was buried in the Cookernup Cemetery on Tuesday, the Rev G. W. Limbert officiating.

Electoral Roll entries - 1925 with Louisa Mary in Yarloop, timber worker. 1931 he is the assistant yard foreman; 1936 at Brunswick Junction a labourer. 1949 at 30 Catherine street, Subiaco no occ; 1954 at 30 Museum street, Perth no occupation; 1958 in Sunset Home Nedlands.

Children raised by the couple were Elsie May (surname Leaney 1915 - 2009), and Charles "Leonard" (surname Leaney) (1918 - 1988). Leonard served during WW2 as a RAAF Leading Aircraftman (29288). William Augustus "Willie" Povah (24 Dec 1922 - 28 Jun 1973) served in the 2nd AIF during WW2 (2/48th Battalion) with Reg No WX28747). Francis (Frank) Ernest (29 Oct 1929 - 26 Nov 1981) served in Korea with regiumental number 52485.

Listening Post May 1960 reports William as having died while a member of the Yarloop RSL.

Notes

Thanks to research assistance from Ms Sandra Smith of the Australian War Memorial, the convoluted family history of William, his wife Charlotte, and the children that they raised now appears to be correct.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial