Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Waziristan 1937-38 D.S.O. group of eight awarded to Brigadier Donald Powell, Indian Army

Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., 1st issue, silver-gilt and enamels, the reverse of the suspension bar officially dated ‘1939’; 1914-15 Star (2/Lt. D. Powell, 1/30/Punjabis); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. D. Pawell) note spelling of surname; India General Service 1936-39, 2 claspa, North West Frontier 1936-37, North West Frontier 1937-39, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt-Col. D. Powell1-16 Punjab R.); Defence and War Medals; French Croix de Guerre 1914-18, mounted as worn, the 1914-15 Star and Victory Medal gilded, otherwise very fine or better (8) £2500-3000

D.S.O. London Gazette 17 October 1939: ‘For distinguished services in the field in connection with the operations in Waziristan during the period 16th December 1937 to 31st December 1938.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 17 October 1939: as above.

Croix de Guerre London Gazette 31 August 1917: ‘For distinguished services rendered during the course of the campaign’ [the Rufiji River battle, East Africa campaign].

Donald Powell was born on 21 October 1896, at Jhansi and baptised on 4 January 1897, at Fatehgahr, the son of Richard John Powell of the Indian Public Works Department and his wife, Alice Alethea. He was educated at Bedford Grammar School 1908-14, from where he went to Sandhurst, from where he was first commissioned in November 1914 as a Second Lieutenant on the unattached list for the Indian Army. On 25 January 1915 he was appointed as a company officer to the 1st Battalion, 30th Punjabi Regiment. He subsequently took part in the Mohmand campaign, August to October 1915, which saw the first use of armoured cars in action in India, as well as several successful cavalry charges against the enemy tribesmen.

The 30th Punjabis sailed from Karachi on 1 December 1916, arriving at Dar-es-Salaam on the 11th of that month. They then proceeded about 150 miles to Duthumi and joined the 1st East African Brigade, which was part of the main force under the command of General Smuts. Here the regiment had a few days for training in bush warfare.

Smuts planned to cross the Rufiji River and link up with columns operating from the port of Kilva in the south-east, trapping the Germans in a pocket. The task of first crossing the river was allocated to the 30th Punjabis. The river was 800 yards wide and the only means available were five canvas boats, each of which carried only three armed men and an oarsman. At 2100 hours on 5 January 1917, the “B” Company commander and Lieutenant Powell, each accompanied by two men, reconnoitred the south bank and selected a landing site. By 0300 hours “B” Company was across, having been opposed only by hippopotami. For the remainder of the day “B” Company lay undetected in a defensive position, and the next night the rest of the regiment crossed.

On 7 January patrols of the 30th encountered the enemy and a vigorous action ensued. The 30th was considerably outnumbered and suffered a number of casualties including Powell, who was hit in the leg when he went forward to ascertain the situation.

But, despite the successful crossing of the Rufiji the flanking columns were too slow and the Germans were able to slip away from the trap long before the jaws could close.

The British continued to push the Germans southward. Another attempt was made to trap them and, for this purpose, a force was assembled at Lindi, in the south, under the command of General O’Grady. On 25 July 1917 the 30th Punjabis joined this Force at Lindi. The Germans held a densely forested area with three positions, one of which was the Tandamuti Hill. O’Grady planned to insert the 30th Punjabis behind the Hill in a night march, then make a frontal attack on the positions, the next day. At 0200 hours on 3 August the advance began, “B” Company leading. The advance was slow and exhausting, and the Battalion had still not reached its objectives by nine o’clock. Heavy firing could be heard ahead and “B” Company sent forward a patrol to investigate. Suddenly fire erupted from the bush all around the company and, as they desperately fought back, the Germans (most of whom were African Askaris) worked around their flanks and closed in. “B” Company was cut to pieces. Powell and another officer came forward with battalion headquarters to try to hold the front but both officers were wounded and captured. In all, the regiment suffered casualties of 7 out of the 8 British officers, and 258 Indians were killed, wounded or missing. All the frontal attacks also failed.

Powell's leg was badly broken and the Germans released him and he was returned to the United Kingdom on medical leave. He was subsequently awarded the Croix de Guerre.

After the War he returned to his regiment and spent the ensuing years in the routine of peacetime soldiering in India, at stations on the Northwest Frontier, in the Punjab, and at Fort Sandeman in Baluchistan (1931-37). In 1925 two companies spent a year in the Persian Gulf. He had been promoted to Captain in 1918 and Major in 1923, and held appointments as A.D.C. to the Governor of Madras, and as General Staff Officer at the India Office in London.

On 3 July 1937 Powell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and appointed to the command of his regiment. In October 1937 the 1/16 Punjab Regiment was assigned to the 3rd (Jhelum) Brigade, at Ghariom, and the following month the Brigade moved to Mir Ali, with posts at Tal and Damdil, to protect the road to Razmak.




In April 1938 the Fakir assembled a large lashkar (tribal raiding party) at Mami Rogha, which proceeded to raid convoys on the Bannu-Razmak road and blockade the Tochi Scout post at Datta Khel. To deal with this threat, 3rd Brigade advanced to Dosalli and joined the Razmak Brigade to form a force called ‘Wastrike’, and Powell, having been appointed Acting Brigadier, assumed command of the Brigade.

The advance of ‘Wastrike’ to Mami-Rogha began on 2 June 1938. The 1/16 Punjabis, detailed as advance guard, marched out of camp at 0445 hours. In the face of opposition the Brigade advanced up the steep, bushy slopes and inflicted casualties on the enemy. By 1115 the 3rd Brigade had secured its objectives and the Razmak Brigade passed through to occupy the Mami-Rogha Valley. The next two days were occupied in bringing up supplies. On 5 June Razmak Brigade stormed the high ridges separating the Valley from Datta Khel, including the Lowari-Narai Pass, from where the road descends to the Datta Khel Fort some four or five miles distant. On 6 June units from ‘Wastrike’ (including the 1/16th) advanced over the Lowari-Narai Pass and reached the Fort, ending its month long siege.

3rd Brigade remained in the area to construct a post on the Pass and the tribesmen mostly confined their activities to sniping at night. On the evening of 14 June a party of about 70 tribesmen, with two home-made artillery pieces, shot up the camp just as the officers were sitting down to dinner, and on the 16th it was necessary to mount a minor operation to protect the camp’s water supply. However, the Madda Khel had by then had enough, and submitted on 28th June.

In early July, the Fakir of Ipi assembled another big lashkar in the Kharre area (the north-west corner of Waziristan). On 10 July 3rd Brigade advanced via Degan and Wuzghai to disperse it. The brigade had to pass through difficult, mountainous country in the face of considerable opposition, the weather was extremely hot, and the operation was a most arduous one for the troops involved. The Fakir’s headquarters were destroyed and a quantity of rifles, ammunition and other supplies captured. The Fakir himself slipped away and, owing to the inaccessibility of the terrain and the proximity of the Afghan border, the pursuit had to be abandoned. On 18 July ‘Wastrike’ was dispersed and the situation in northern Waziristan remained quiet for some time.

During the operations in Waziristan in 1938 total casualties amounted to 62 killed and 268 wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Powell was awarded the D.S.O. and mentioned in despatches.

In March 1940 Powell was again appointed Temporary Brigadier, commanding 20 (Indian) Brigade, consisting of 2/8 Gurkha Rifles, 2/7 Gurkha Rifles and 3/11 Sikh Regiment. The Brigade formed part of the 10th Indian Division, commanded by Major-General W. A. K. Fraser, then, from May 1941, Major-General William Slim.

Brigadier Powell commanded 20 Indian Brigade, 1940-42, as part of ‘Iraqforce’, during the Anglo-Iraqi war and in the Syria-Lebanon campaign, and as part of ‘Paiforce’ during the campaign in Persia. As Slim recalled in his memoirs, ‘We had scrambled through skirmishes of the Iraq rebellion, been blooded – but not too deeply – against the French in Syria, and enjoyed the unrestrainedly opera bouffe of the invasion of Persia. We had bought our beer in Haifa and drunk it on the shores of the Caspian. We could move, we could fight, and we had begun to build up that most valuable of all assets, a tradition of success. We had a good soldierly conceit of ourselves. Now in March 1942, in spite of dust storms... it was stimulating to be in what we all felt was a critical spot, waiting for the threatened German invasion of Turkey.’

Brigadier Powell relinquished command of 20 Indian Brigade in March 1942 and returned to England. He died on 8 August 1942 and was buried at Bedford Cemetery, Bedfordshire.