Returned ANZACs,
Territory ANZACs,
First World War, 1914-1918,
Place of birth
Double Bay (N.S.W.),
Date of enlistment
1915-09-01,
Age
25 years 6 months,
Occupation
Marine engineer,
Service
Australian Imperial Force,
Unit
Ist Field Company Engineers,
Rank
Sergeant,
Service number
2191,
Next of kin
M.A. Power - Mother ; Gordon Road, Lindfield,
Date of death
1964-04,
Place of death
Sydney (N.S.W.),
Biographical notes
Written by Joy Walker, 6 September 2010.
He was born on the 27th February 1890 at Cross Street, Double Bay, Sydney N.S.W. His older brother William (Will) Frederick born 25th April 1880 at New Cross, Kent, England. His sister Elsie Kate was born on 29th April, 1887 at Upper Lambert Street, Bathurst, N.S.W. On 18th June, 1892, Edward (Ted) was also born at New Cross Street, Double Bay as was Florence (Dod) born 1894. They were the children of Architect, Joseph Porter Power born on 22nd January, 1856 at 6 Neptune Street, Rotherhithe, Surrey, England and Maria Annie Monzer born 29th. March, 1855 in Framsden, Suffolk, England. Married 26th July 1879 in Barnes, Richmond, Surrey. England. The family migrated to Australia about 1886. About 1900 the family of 7 moved to a large Federation style home called "Colyton", designed by Power senior on the comer of Provincial Rd and the then Gordon Rd, now Pacific Highway, Lindfield, NSW.
Power senior was a disciplinarian with the 3 boys, which my Dad found difficult to handle, as he was a free spirited lad. The razor strop was the instrument of punishment and, no tea. Fortunately in those days Dad and his younger brother Edward (Ted) had a lot of bushland in the Lane Cove River and the Middle Harbour areas in which to roam/swim and get into mischief. Strangely, their father allowed the boys to have rifles, they would sit on the front verandah, shooting rabbits hopping across the roads. They had a cow in the large back yard, which Dad had to milk every morning before going to school.
His father was a strict C of E churchman and, twice every Sunday, he marched the family to church at Gordon.
Every evening when dark, the 2 younger boy walk down to Lindfield railway station, carrying a hurricane lantern, to meet their father off the train from the city ..
Dad's 1st. schooling was probably in the Double Bay area, eventually he attended Gordon Public School and then went onto Fort Street Boy's High, Sydney. He wanted to be an architect like his father, no doubt their father had been through a few depressions/recessions in his day so, he decided the 3 boys would do a trade, as that appeared to be the skills that was needed and would be required eventually in those days. Dad became an indentured apprentice mechanic, which he hated.
Eventually he ran away from home after a few years of his apprenticeship. He went down to Hay, NSW and worked at Hay Motor and Engineering Company. I don't think: he spoke to his father for years, however his mother kept in contact with him.
"The Riverina Grazier" Newspaper dated Tuesday, 11, 1909 wrote the following abridge version of what occurred on Thursday 6th May 1909, whilst Dad was driving one of the company's vehicles carrying some of the Carrathool Shire Councillors inspecting the wells/tanks and other shire works for three or four days. (Another company carried the other councillors.) "When the car driven by Dad arrived at Whitton, it was necessary for them to cross the swollen Murrumbidgee River by punt. They arrived on the opposite side of the river to where the punt was waiting. The old punt man, Mr Carmichael, was hailed, his hut being a short distance from the river bank, it was observed his appearance indicated he was a bit the "worst for wear". As he tried several times to attach the boat to the punt, he slipped and fell into the icy water only to keep disappearing from site. The boat became entangled in a tree on the riverbank, enabling the punt man to crawl back into it. Whilst this was happening, Dad stripped and dived into the water and swam to the boat saving the old man from a watery grave. He untangled the boat and eventually pulled the punt man to his hut. The councillors cheered Dad's bravery from the bank. It was decided soon after, by the Councillors they would present him with a gold medal suitably inscribed for his meritorious bravery, which they later presented to him". This I now hold very proudly in my possession.
The next we know he was in Darwin about 1914/15, how he arrived there we do not know. He worked as an engineer on the SS 'Leichhardt', which took supplies down the Daly River to the remote Missions areas in and around there. He often talked to us about his times there and in Arnhem Land and, how he respected the aboriginals and their tribal laws and customs. (I believe one of tribes at Timber Creek was the Brinkin Tribe.( Genealogical Society, Darwin.) He also sailed over to the Solomon Islands carrying supplies to the Seven Day Adventist Mission there. His favourite island in the group was Ruvianna. Also he sailed to Melville Island with supplies to the missions there.
Which ships he sailed on we don't know. He also trained as a volunteer with the Cable Guard, at the now suburb of Stuart at the Rifle Range near the then Police Paddock, to guard the area where the OTC and undersea cable met at Palmerston, Port Darwin. One of the pre-requisites was he could use a rifle. Whilst his time in Darwin he completed a Correspondence Course in Engineering. His large black bound leather books are still in the family possession. He also taught himself to play the banjo His mother arrived to visit him on 1 July 1914 on board the 'Mantram' and returned to Sydney on the 'Mantram' on 16 September 1914
Dad returned to Sydney on board the SS 'Eastern' on 18 August 1915. On his return he brought home some of his souvenirs from his travels up there. A large native fishing canoe which, was stored beneath the high, back area of our borne, for years. A huge turtle shell was stored on the top shelf of the large linen cupboard. I'm sure the cupboard was designed to store this shell. Various native spears were stored in another cupboard.
Dad enlisted into the AIF on l September, 1915 as Sapper No. 2191 in the 1st Field Company Engineers Reinforcement 11 Australian Imperial Force on 1 September 1915. His unit embarked from Sydney, N.S.W., he was aged 25 years. He sailed on board HMAT A27 'Beltana' on 9th November 1915, as a Private. His occupation was Engineer. He was transferred to France 29 August 1916. On 16 November 1916 he was transferred to Vice Sergeant W. Perkiss attached to Royal Flying Corps as a Temp. Artificer. He was still in France 18 June 1916 he was Vice Artificer. He transferred to 1st.Div. Motor Coy. 19 March 1918. He told us he changed over because he would rather repair the motor vehicles than lay cables, build bridges etc., After the Armistice he stayed in the field and was made a T/Corporal 14 November 1918. On 14 January 1919 he was T/Sgt. On 22 March 1919 he was made a Sgt. He transferred to 2n Div. Motor Transport Coy. Div. On 28 May 1919 he returned to Sydney on the 22 July 1919 on board the 'Ulysses' as a Sergeant. He and his father must have made up whilst Dad was serving away as, I have in my possession a letter to his father with an illustrated poem which was written about the contents in Dad's comfort parcel from home, by 2 sappers in the next trench. Perhaps his father was correct after all, insisting the boys should do a trade as it turned out.
Whilst Dad was away at the war his father designed and built a new home of the Arts and Crafts style in Neutral Bay in 1916 once again called ''Colyton''. Sometime after Dad returned home, he and his father had a "falling out" over, how one day when sailing with his father on the harbour, his father did not warn him about the boom sail swinging round, thus landing Dad into the harbour, that was the end of their sailing together. I like to think his father, deep down was very proud of non conformist son.
About 1920/1 Dad's father designed and built a garage and service station for he and his younger brother (Ted) on a block of land which he had previously purchased some years before on Gordon Road and became (355) Pacific Highway, Lindfield, N.S.W. Dad eventually became very involved in the Service Station Association and the Motor Traders Association for 15 year. It was a very successful and respected business over a span of 30 years during which time they had to cope with the Great Depression and WW2 years. They were very much out of favour with "one brand petrol stations".
Never to be beaten, during the war years Dad, in order they could retain their mechanics, he did war munition lathe, production. The pieces must have been very small as, he could produce one piece whilst listening for the train leaving Killara Station and arriving at Lindfield station. This he did with the sight of one eye, he lost the sight many years before in a lathe accident. Also during the war years in order that their customers could have extra petrol tickets, Dad had a "charcoal gas producer" fitted to the back of our car and, Ted had an "air bag" fitted to the top of his car. This enabled our family to have our wonderful 3 weeks holidays every January down at Narooma on the far south coast, where we all enjoyed beach/river fishing and body surfing, he deep sea fishing. We all enjoyed walking and he golfing up in the Blue Mountains for2 weeks during. one of the colder school holidays. (Ted had his favourite holiday places). Perhaps after all~ his father was correct in that the boys did trade courses.
He married our mother Ruby Mary Linklater Hawkins, his childhood sweetheart on 10 November 1923 at the Congregational Church, Chatswood, Sydney. Their first home was a lovely Californian Bungalow called ''Ruvianna'', designed by his father, in East Lindfield, Sydney, where we three children happily grew up until 1942 when we required a larger home near the railway station at Lindfield with better transport.
He and his brother sold and retired from the business November 1951. Dad held the positions in the S.S.A as councillor and a divisional chairman. The President of the S.S.A. (Mr Saville) said in the minutes of the meeting on November 1951 when, learning of Dad’s retirement that “he regretted that Mr Power was leaving the trade and paid a warm tribute to his personal worth and to his service to the Association. He knew he was safe in saying that Mr Power was widely known as one of the straightest member of the trade and the solidarity of the members in the Northern Suburbs was largely due to the high personal regard in which he was held generally." Further tributes, were paid by other members to Dad. It was decided they would present him with a set of lawn bowls and a bag. He was President of the Motors Traders Association for many years also.
He had great plans to make toys for disabled children during his retirement, however, he sadly passed away 28 April 1964 age 73 years, totally blind, following an eye infection after eye surgery a few years after is retirement.,
History
18 Months in Darwin Cable Guard.,
Subject
World War, 1914-1918,
Northern Territory,
Australia. Army. Australian and New Zealand Army Corps,
History,
ANZAC,
Related links
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=8019843,
http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/AWM8/14_20_2/PDF/0252.pdf,
http://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/nominal_rolls/first_world_war/page.asp?p=1654734,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3278883,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3280796,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3280796 ["Our Boys at the Front", Northern Territory Times and Gazette, 3 August 1916: p.19.],
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=8019843 [Service Record],
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3278883 ["Our Boys at the Front", Northern Territory Times and Gazette, 20 April 1916: p.12.],
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/nominal_rolls/first_world_war/page/R1553850/?preferred_name=power&service_number=&unit=&conflict=First+World+War%2C+1914-1918&op=Search [Nominal Roll],
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/items/ACCNUM_LARGE/RCDIG1066922/RCDIG1066922--252-.JPG [Embarkation Roll],