The AIF Project

George POWER

Regimental number43
Place of birthColac, Victoria
ReligionRoman Catholic
OccupationPostal assistant
AddressStewart Street, Colac, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation19
Height5' 11.5"
Weight160 lbs
Next of kinBrother, Geoffrey Power, Hewit Street, Colac, Victoria
Previous military serviceServed for 1 year in the Senior Cadets; 2 years in the Citizen Military Forces.
Enlistment date26 August 1914
Place of enlistmentBroadmeadows, Victoria
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name8th Battalion, Headquarters
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/25/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board Transport A24 Benalla on 19 October 1914
Regimental number from Nominal Roll43A
Rank from Nominal RollSergeant
Unit from Nominal Roll60th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 19 July 1916
Miscellaneous details (Nominal Roll)Rank incorrectly recorded on Nominal Roll as Private.
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsV.C. Corner (Panel No 19), Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
170
Family/military connectionsBrothers: 2244 Pte Geoffrey Joseph POWER, 46th Bn, killed in action, 31 March 1918; 236 Pte Gerald POWER, 8th Bn, returned to Australia, 25 September 1915.
Other details

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front

Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli, 5 April 1915.

Appointed Lance Corporal, 12 May 1915.

Promoted Corporal, 23 August 1915.

Admitted to 3rd Australian General Hospital, Lemnos, 21 November 1915 (jaundice); transferred to 27th General Hospital, Lemnos, 23 November 1915; marched in to ANZAC Base, Mudros, 12 December 1915; rejoined 8th Bn, Mudros, 20 December 1915.

Disembarked Alexandria, 7 January 1916 (general Gallipoli evacuation).

Appointed Temporary Sergeant, 30 January 1916.

Detached to School of Instruction, Zeitoun,6 February 1916.

Transferred to 60th Bn, and taken on strength, 24 February 1916.

Admitted to hospital, Tel el Kebir, 2 March 1916 (no further details recorded).

Promoted Sergeant, Ferry Post, 25 March 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 18 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 29 June 1916.

Reported Missing, 19 July 1916.

Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 4 August 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action, 19 July 1916'.

Note, Red Cross File No 2190605: 'No trace Germany[.] Cert. by Capt. Mills 10.10.19.'

Statement, 3322 Pte A. BILLINGSLEY, C Company, 60th Bn, 7 December 1916: 'As I was crawling back on the night of July20, I saw his dead body lying on a bank at the side of a sap, abot 60 yards out from our lines. He must have been killed in the charge the previous day.'

Second statement by Pte BILLINGSLEY (patient, No 51 General Hospital, Etaples), 26 April 1917: 'I saw his dead body on the night of July 20th lying out in No Man's Land about 100 yards from our trench. He was lying face downwards in the open. I and Pte. Quinnett, Signal Section, were crawling in together when Quinnett said to me "Look there is George Power". I put my hand out, turned up Power's face and identified him. He was stone dead.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, POWER George
Red Cross File No 2190605

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