60768: Account of entertaining wounded Tommies in hospital, Llandrindod Wells

Walter Powell's notes record the hotels and large houses in Llandrindod Wells which were commandeered by the War Ministry and turned "into a military hospital for Tommies coming back from France with rheumatism etc." in 1914. "This carried on to 1923". Also that "when I came home [from France] in 1919, I belonged to a Pierotte troupe and we used to go around the boys in Blue and give concerts and have a jolly time... before radio and TV we had to make our own entertainment. We were often a hundred or more. Happy days."

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.