EGH (George) Power
Amelia & Imogen Power’s Great, Great Uncle
Our great, great uncle George was the eldest son of Edward John Power of Etchingham in East Sussex. He was born in Putney on 23rd July 1887. He had four brothers and a sister and was educated at Rugby School. After leaving school he went to RMA Sandhurst.
At Rugby he became friends with Ion Benn whose father was a successful businessman and politician (MP for Greenwich). In the summer holidays George visited the Benns on their yacht. During this time George met Ion’s sister Marion. Love blossomed and George and Marion were married on April 5th 1913.
Having passed out from Sandhurst, George was commissioned into the 2nd Battalion the Gloucestershire Regiment. In the lead up to the outbreak of the First World War the Battalion was stationed in Tientsin in China as part of a multi-national force including German forces. By all accounts relationships between the two nationalities were cordial. The multinational force also included Russians and combined exercises took place.
At the outbreak of war the national forces went their separate ways. In September 1914 the Battalion along with families returned to England via India on the P&O Arcadia. The Battalion arrived in Southampton on November 8th 1914 and then moved to Winchester for kitting out and training. On December 18th the Battalion left for France and on arrival on French shores moved to Aire back from the front line.
George wrote to Marion virtually everyday during the war and our father has created a blog called “George’s War Letters”. Each of George’s letters will be posted onto the blog on the centenary of the day they were written. Do take a look, the letters are fascinating and well worth a look.The original exhibition display: EGH (George) Power |
See also First World war military post office