Legion of Frontiersmen (New Zealand) Command

POWLES Charles Guy

SA1318 4th Contingent South Africa 1899-1902.

11/272 Major, New Zealand Mounted Rifles, WW1.

800267 New Zealand Home Guard, WW2.

Legion of Frontiersmen, New Zealand.

CITATION

Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)

Gazetted 11 April 1918, p4410

For distinguished service in the field in connection with military operations culminating with the capture of Jerusalem.

Distinguished Service Order

Gazetted 3 June 1916, P5570

For distinguished service in the field. (Gallipoli).

Mention in Despatches

Gazetted 28 January 1916, P1207

In connection with the operations described in General Ian Hamilton's despatch of 11 December 1915.

Mention in Despatches

Gazetted 13 July 1916, p6943

For gallant and distinguished service rendered during the period of General Sir C. Munro's command of the Mediterranean

Expeditionary Force.

Mention in Despatches

Gazetted 1 December 1916, p11807

Mentioned in Despatches from General Sir Alexander Murray, KCB, Commander-in-Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force.

Mention in Despatches

Gazetted 12 January 1918, p804

For gallant and distinguished conduct in the field or for other valuable service. General A.J Murray's despatch of 28th June 1917 as Commander-in-Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force.

Order of the Nile, class 3 (Egypt)

Gazetted 16 January 1920, p699

For distinguished service rendered during the course of the campaign.

AWARDS

Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)

Distinguished Service Order

Queen’s South Africa Medal

Cape Colony, Transvaal, Rhodesia, South Africa 1901

1914-15 Star

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Mention in Despatches (4)

War Medal 1939-45

New Zealand War Service Medal

Order of the Nile, class 3 (Egypt)

BIOGRAPHICAL

Lieutenant Colonel Guy Charles Powles was born in Wellington on December 15,1872. Educated at Wellington College. Was a farmer from 1891 to 1910. Fought in the South African War and the First World War.

He was appointed OC Central Command in April 1924. He held the Queen's Medal with four clasps for service in South Africa, the CMG, DS0, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory medal. His other decorations include the Order of the Nile and he was ADC for the King. After the end of WW1 he was appointed second in charge of the instruction camps at Trentham and in April 1922 he went to General Headquarters as staff officer in charge of "A" Branch, where he remained until in 1923.

He was later appointed Chief of General staff with the rank of Colonel. He was principal of Flock House training school from 1930-1935. In 1940 he was appointed commandant at Waiouru Army Training Camp. He wrote the history of the New Zealanders in "The New Zealanders in Sinai and Palestine." (1922) After his retirement from the army he took up sheep farming at Te Horo. He had three children, one of whom was Sir Guy Powles, New Zealand's first Ombudsman and High Commissioner in Western Samoa. Colonel Powles died on June 17,1951.

[From the Alexander Tumbull Library archives NZ Biographies 1976,vol 2 ,Pg 124].

NOTES

Born 15 December 1872 Wellington, New Zealand

Died 17 June 1951 Te Horo, New Zealand

Buried Karori Cemetery Wellington, New Zealand [Sec Ch Eng, Plot 127-S]