Private 5140 Samuel Powell

Died on Saturday, 6th September 1919, age 33.
Buried in Grave A. 253. at Tipton Cemetery, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.

Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), 193rd Company. 56th Division.
Formerly 12031 South Staffordshire Regiment.

Son of William and Caroline Powell, of 31, Nock St., Toll End, Tipton, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Unknown, Resident: Tipton.

First landed France & Flanders, post 31st December 1915.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Commemorated on the St. Mark's Memorial.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/395358/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Samuel Powell registered in March 1886 at Dudley.

1901 Census
7 Nock Street, Tipton, Staffs...Joseph Davies VC was living next door at No. 5
William Powell (49, Canal Boat Builder, born Tipton), his wife Kate (48, born Paddington), and their 7 sons: William (23, Puddler, born Tipton), Thomas (17, Assistant Furnaceman in Tube Works, born Tipton), Samuel (15, Tube Screwer, born Tipton), Arthur (13, Tube Screwer, born Tipton), Harry (11, born Tipton), John (8, born Tipton), and James (5, born Tipton).

1911 Census
31 Nock Street, Tipton, Staffs.
Caroline Powell (59, Widow, born London), and her 7 sons: William (33, Boat Builder, born Tipton), Thomas (17, Labourer in Tube Works, born Tipton), Samuel (25, Labourer in Tube Works, born Tipton), Arthur (23, Labourer in Tube Works, born Tipton), Harry (21, Labourer in Tube Works, born Tipton), John (18, Labourer in Tube Works, born Tipton), and James (15, Labourer in Tube Works, born Tipton).

Personal Data

Samuel enlisted for the South Staffs on 31st August 1914 and at some stage transferred to the Machine Gun Corps.

On 1st July 1916 Samuel was admitted to No. 34 (West Lancs.) Casualty Clearing Station at Vecquemont, 7 miles west of Amiens. He was at that time serving with 63rd Company, Machine Gun Corps in 21st Division. He had Gun Shot Wounds (GSW) to his chest and left arm, and was evacuated by Ambulance Train on that day. Given the nature of these wounds, it is almost certain that he would be evacuated back to the United Kingdom for further treatment and recuperation. He is recorded as being 30 years old, and having been in the army for 1 year and 10 months, of which only 4 months had been with the "Field Force", that is serving in France or Belgium.

Samuel was invalided out of the army on 22nd October 1917 due to sickness, and received his Silver War Badge. He was 31 years and 9 months of age.

Samuel was awarded a War Pension of £1/7/6d (1 pounds, seven shillings and six pence) per week, initially from 23rd October 1917 to 24th September 1918. It is not known what happened after that date, but his Death certificate shows his as being a Labourer at an Iron Works.

Samuel's brother, George, also died in the Great War. George was killed serving with the 2nd Battalion, South Staffs, near Guillemont on 6th August 1916; he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

There is a Dependant's Pension Card for Samuel's mother, Caroline, referring to her sons Samuel and George Henry. There is no indication that a pension was actually paid. Her address at this time, probably 1919, was still 31 Nock Street, Toll End.

Action resulting in his death

After being treated for Gun Shot Wounds to his chest and left arm on 1st July 1916, it is not known if Samuel served abroad again. At the time of his death in 1919, the CWGC shows him with 193 Company, Machine Gun Corps - part of 56th (London) Division; this is not the unit he was serving with when wounded on 1st July 1916.

Samuel survived for almost 2 years after his discharge, but died on 6th September 1919 at his parents' house - 31 Nock Street, Tipton. Samuel's Death Certificate records his causes of death as: Bullet wounds of chest, and Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB).

A Pension Card relating to Samuel and his brother George also shows that Samuel died from Tuberculosis. He has a Commonwealth War Grave in Tipton Cemetery.

Newspaper Cuttings

Tipton Herald 14th October 1914
Ocker Hill Patriots join up.
Includes Samuel Powell.