Photograph of Pat O'Doherty and 5 mates from the Mechanised Transport A.S.C.

Photograph of Pat O'Doherty and 5 mates from the Mechanised Transport A.S.C.

Powell, Walter

O'Doherty, Pat

Photo taken by Walter Powell. On other photos some of the men are named - so it is possible to say Pat O'Doherty is one of the men lying down, third from the right and Burke and Gunter are probably two of the others. In other notes Walter Powell records that soon after May 1917 "I was posted down to Bulford Camp on Salisbury Plain. A great deal of guard duty there and then to Lark Hill Camp. Here I did 14 days shankers [jankers or fatigues]. My great pal was Pat O'Doherty - he had arrived in England two days before war was declared from Sydney, Australia. He had a large poultry farm there and he went to Ireland to [...] but soon joined up. We were fed up one hot day on [of] drill and during a break we crept up into a lorry and had a short doss. We were spotted and put on charge - 14 days with a mule and cart collecting all the dung and litter around the camp 8am to 7pm. If there was a nice orderly-NCO in charge we would hide the cart at the back of the canteen hut and the NCO would give us the tip when to jump to it again. When we went before the orderly officer to return to duty, Paddy [O'Doherty], who was a real wag, spoke up and asked was it possible if he and Taffy [Walter Powell] could not continue for a further spell. Certainly not, but Paddy got in the last shot: 'Sir, may I ask, have you ever had the camp looking so dandy?'"

Part of a collection relating to Walter H. Powell, Llandrindod Wells, (private / driver M2-267205 Mechanised Transport Army Service Corps). Born 1898, Walter tried to join up under-age on a number of occasions, finally succeeding in 1916. He served many months - (more than 2 years?) - in different army units in Britain, before going over to France. He served as a despatch rider for an anti-aircraft battery in 1918-1919. Walter was gassed "suffering the effects all his life". He was a founder member of Toc-H in Llandrindod, and a keen footballer - he died in 1994 aged 96. However Walter's older brothers (Cliff and Percy Powell) and his uncle (Humphrey Powell) died of wounds sustained during the war.

June - August 1917

Lark Hill Camp, Salisbury Plain

Photograph

Photographic paper

Photograph

Alun Edwards

GWA_6142_LarkHillSalisburyPlainBulfordCamp_2.jpg

The Great War Archive, University of Oxford / Primary Contributor

The Great War Archive, University of Oxford

Alun Edwards (Powys Archives submissions day)

Bryan and Liz Edwards