Albert Edward Powell was born in the June Quarter of 1912, (Flintshire (Mold)FLNT/50/25) the son of Albert Ernest & Kate Elizabeth Powell, (nee Redfern). Albert Ernest & Kate Elizabeth had married on the 2nd of August 1909 in St. Mark’s Church, Connah’s Quay. Albert Ernest, 27 was a bachelor and his trade was with electricity, his address being Wepre, Connah’s Quay, his father Samuel Powell was a Gardener. Kate Elizabeth was 23, a spinster and her address was Dee Road, Connah’s Quay, her father Benjamin was a Butcher.
Albert Ernest Powell is seen on the 1901 census living at Stables, Barlaston, Cheshire with his parents Samuel & Mary Powell, Samuel, 51 was a Gardener (Domestic) and had been born in Morton Wood, Salop. His wife Mary, 47, had been born in Whitchurch, Salop, their children were Gertrude A. Powell, 21, Albert E., 19, born in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, and Winifred A., 7, born in Barlaston, Cheshire.
Kate Elizabeth Powell is missing from her family home on the 1901 census, they were living at 35, Spring Street, Connah’s Quay. I cannot find her on the census. Benjamin & Kate Redfern were there with their 8 children. Benjamin was a Steelworker. The 1911 census sees them at 13, Dee Road, Connah’s Quay and now Benjamin is a Butcher on his own account, Kate also tells us that 10 children were born to them and two had died.
This same 1911 census shows Albert Ernest, 29, and Kate Elizabeth, 25, living at 7, Spring Street, Connah’s Quay, Flintshire (4 rooms), Albert tells us that he was a Works Electrician (Engineers) and he had been born in Alderley Edge, Cheshire. Kate Elizabeth tells us that she had been born in London, they had been married 1 year and no children had been born to them.
I do not have any information re Albert Edward Powell’s early life, except on the 1921 census, which was taken on the 19th of June 1921, where the family are seen living at 21, Dee Road, Connah’s Quay, Albert Ernest Powell is head of the household and he tells us that he is now 38 years and 7 months old, and he was an Electric Wireman at John Summers & Sons, Shotton Steelworks, but was “Out of Work.” His wife Kate Elizabeth Powell was now 36 years and 2 months old. Their 2 sons, Albert Edward Powell was 9 years and 1 month old, and Herbert Cecil Powell was 5 years and 10 months old, and both had been born in Connah’s Quay. There was a Boarder living there as well, Mary Frances Croft, 19 years and 1 month old a sorter at Courtaulds Aber Silk Works, she had been born in Connah’s Quay.
Kate’s parents, Benjamin & Kate Adelaide Redfern and their family were living at 13, Dee Road, on the 1921 census, so both families at different times had lived in the same streets.
So, the next time we see Albert Edward Powell, is at his marriage to Margaret Catherine Griffiths. They had married in St Mark’s on the 4th of July 1936. Albert Edward Powell was 24 a bachelor, and Steelworker, his address was 21, Dee Road, Connah’s Quay and his father was Albert Ernest Powell, Electrician. His bride, Margaret Cathrine Griffiths, was 23, a spinster, and her address was 44, Mold Road, Connah’s Quay, her father Thomas John Griffiths was deceased and had been a Steelworker.
The 1939 National Register (taken on the 29th of September 1939) shows Albert Ernest Powell, born 10th December 1881 and a Steelworks Maintenance Electrician with Kate Elizabeth Powell, born 25th April 1885 with perhaps their son, Herbert C. Powell, born 5th August 1915 who was a Charger on Steel Sheet Normaliser, he was single. Their address was 21 Dee Road, Connah’s Quay.
The same 1939 National Register shows Albert Edward Powell living at Marwood, Wepre Park, Connah’s Quay and giving his date of birth as 10th May 1912, occupation – Reshearer? Heavy Worker. His wife Margaret C. Powell’s date of birth is the 5th of June 1913, doing Unpaid Domestic Duties, this birth date is the same date as on her father’s Attestation Papers for WW1. This Register also tells us that Margaret was to go on and marry after Albert Edward was killed, as surnames were added in later years. The names were Todd and Caudwell. I did find a marriage for Margaret and Arthur Todd in 1947 but cannot find the later marriage to a gentleman called Caudwell.
*Same date as on her father’s Attestation Papers. https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1114/miuk1914a_084601-01914/2696085?backurl=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/6401793/person/112022618931/facts#?imageId=miuk1914a_084601-01914
As Albert Edward is seen on the 1939 National Register, taken on the29th of September 1939, we know he must have enlisted after that or was conscripted, but I have no knowledge of that, any information would be gratefully received.
Royal Army Service Corps attd Royal Artillery*
* https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/royal-army-service-corps
There is a Casualty List (Page 28) that shows that the date that he went “Missing,” was 15th February 1942, and it is filled with the names of all the soldiers with the names starting with Po – St – including of course our Albert Edward.
List 788 Casualty List (Page 28) Expeditionary Force – Malaya, Missing. This list again gives the date as the 15th of February 1942.
He is listed as a Prisoner of War on Casualty List (page 18.) Netherlands East Indies.
Another Casualty List (Page 10) – Prisoners of War (Cont.) Previously reported Prisoner of War now reported died (Cont.) shows Albert Edward’s death as 24th July 1945, East Indies. (Previous Cas. List No. 1094).
So, Albert Edward was a Prisoner of War for over 3 years. There is also a UK, World War II Allied Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 card for K. E. Powell, this is shown below
Taken from the CWGC Citation for Albert Edward, please read the complete History of what happened to these men: –
In December 1941 the Garrison consisted of the 2/15th Punjab Regiment; they were stationed at Kuching in Sarawak, where there was an airfield, and at Miri, some 400 miles as the crow flies to the north-east. At Miri and at Seria, in nearby Brunei, were the oilfields; and on the 8th of December 1941 orders were given for their demolition. This the local garrison carried out successfully, the troops, oil company officials and a detachment of Straits Settlements Police were evacuated by sea on the 13th. On the 16th, Japanese troops landed at Seria. On December 23rd orders were received for the demolition of the landing ground at Kuching which, as well as the town, had suffered several air attacks during the few days before that date. On December 24th Japanese landing-craft made their way up the waterways between the sea and Kuching, and by the afternoon of that day the Japanese flag was flying over the residence of the Rajah of Sarawak. The following morning the British Commander, Lt. Col. Lane, decided to withdraw westwards into Dutch West Borneo, and then south. On reaching Sanggau on December 29th the battalion came under the orders of the local Dutch commander. There it fought alongside the Dutch to prevent the Japanese from taking the airfield at Sanggau, the principal Anglo-Dutch base in West Borneo. In Dutch Borneo, Tarakan, an important oil centre in the north-east, was taken on the 10th of January 1942; and Balikpapan, farther south, with its huge modern refineries and groups of oil tanks was lost at the end of the month. Finally, through February and March, after fighting a rearguard action, the Punjabis made their way through wild and difficult country to the south coast of Borneo. This they reached, exhausted, towards the end of March, having covered a total distance of some 800 miles since leaving Kuching.
Another excerpt: –
As well as the graves from Sandakan, about 500 are from Kuching where there was another large prisoner-of-war camp. The total number of burials is 3,922. The preponderance of unidentified graves is due to the destruction of all the records of the camps by Lieutenant-Colonel Suga, the Japanese commandant, before the Australians reached Kuching, his headquarters. When apprehended, this man committed suicide rather than face questioning on his conduct of the Borneo Camps.
Albert Edward was first buried at the Lintang Camp Cemetery at Kuching, Grave J- 14A, according to the Concentration Reports on his CWGC Citation, he was then reburied on the 15th of September 1946 at Labuan War Cemetery in Borneo. There is a discrepancy re the number of his grave at Labuan, on the Concentration Reports, his grave No. is given as N C 13, but on the Website, it is shown as N D 13. This is also on the typed list (3) when N C 13 is written and then the “C” is replaced with “D.”
Albert Edward suffered so much, as they all did, but he was well loved and remembered as his name was put forward to be added to the War Memorial for him to be remembered in perpetuity.
