Name
John Thomas Powell
1884
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/04/1917
33
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
26242
King's Shropshire Light Infantry
5th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
WARLENCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY
VIII. B. 6.
France
Headstone Inscription
HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR JUSTICE AND RIGHT PEACE PERFECT PEACE
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin, Parchment in St Martin's Church, Preston, Plaque in St Martin's Church, Preston
Pre War
John Thomas Powell was born in Preston, Herts in 1884, the son of Henry and Emma Powell and one of ten children.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Back Lane, Preston where his father was working as an agricultural labourer. By 1901 he was working at Bereleigh House, East Meon, Hampshire as a Footman for Herbert Hudson and his family and his parents and three siblings were also living at East Meon with his father working as a Gamekeeper.
However, on the 1911 Census he was back living at Preston with his sister and brother in law (George and Caroline Peters) and their family and working as a farm labourer.
His parents later lived at Beckless Cottages, Hambledon, Hants.
Wartime Service
John enlisted in Hitchin and initially joined the Notts & Derby Regt with Reg. No. 5798, later transferring to the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry under Reg. No. 26242 and serving with the 5th Battalion.
This unit was part of the 42nd Brigade of the 14th Division in the VII Corps of the 3rd Army. In the two days prior to his death the Battalion had been engaged in a violent assault on the Harp and in the vicinity of Telegraph Hill, Neuville Vitasse south east of Arras with tanks assisting in breaking down wire that was 50 yards thick in places.
He died of wounds on 11 April 1917 and is buried in Plot 8, Row B, Grave 6 in the Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery, Saulty, France.
Additional Information
His father, Mr H Powell, Beckless Cottages, Hambledon, Hants. ordered his headstone inscription: "HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR JUSTICE AND RIGHT PEACE PERFECT PEACE" and received a war gratuity of £5 10s and pay owing of £6 15s 4d.
No pension appears to have been payable.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Philip Wray - www.prestonherts.co.uk/page 137.html Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild,
