POWELL, Samuel MM

Samuel Powell was the son of Henry Powell of 1 Albion Street, Brierley Hill. He enlisted, probably in 1917, and was sent to the Durhams. He joined the 13th Battalion who had been sent to Italy late in 1917 in order to support the Italian war effort after Caporetto. They returned to the Western Front in July to join the 25th Division which had suffered great losses in the German Spring offensives. After reconstruction during the Summer of 1918 it was sent into what turned out to be the last stage of the conflict. During October they headed the advance beyond Cambrai and the Hindenburg Line but, although the enemy had lost most of its supplies during its retreat, it rarely failed to fight. The Durhams were highly successful in the advance to Landrecies on the 23-24 October, capturing large numbers of prisoners and guns and it was during this period that Samuel Powell was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field. However, in one of the following raids around the village of Fontaine he was killed in action on the 29th. Corporal Samuel Powell was 19 years of age and was killed only two weeks before the end of the conflict. He is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial and on the Brierley Hill and Brierley Hill church Memorials.