Sgt Joe Powell No 4 Commando

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 28/07/2016 11:13:28

Its with great sadness to announce the death of my father Joe Powell who died on June 30th aged 94. He will be sorely missed by his family although he'd been in ill health for some time.
I'm not totally sure about where he was all the time during the war although I know he was on the attack at Ouistreham to take the Pegasus bridge. Think he was at Flushing too. I'm sure there are people on here who would know better than me about all the actions that no 4 commando took part.
His cremation will take place on July 29th in Hastings at 11 O'clock

I am so very sorry to hear about your dad.

That photograph is a very well known one and I'm sure others can tell you about where your dad may have been. My dad was in No.4 too and was at the places you mention.

Thinking of you.

Jools,

Sorry to hear of your loss.

I can't add much more , but he is listed as a guardsman at Dieppe,so he certainly saw a lot of action with 4 Commando.

Rest in Peace,Duty done.

Regards

Graham

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 22/07/2016 10:51:38

My sincere condolences to you Jools and to all the family and friends of your father Joe Powell. One of our members, John Martin, whose father Donald served with your father in No 4 Commando wrote these words in 2012 and sent us a picture which I include here:

"Joe Powell served in C troop 4 Cdo with my late uncle, Sgt Donald Martin. When 4 Cdo was reorganised and the troops were redesignated, at the time of the Walcheren campaign in November 1944, they became separated but both were involved in the capture of Flushing. I took the attached photo of Joe in June 1984 in Benouville, Normandy quite close to Pegasus Bridge. I chatted to him for a long time about his post-war career as a stuntman and special effects arranger in films, and found him as amusing as I found him modest. (He first apologised for his deafness, brought on by causing a great many explosions!) Having run across Pegasus Bridge himself under fire, he found it quite ironic to return there in 1962, when 'The Longest Day' was being made, to work on the film. One of his nicest stories was about the producer, Darryl F Zanuck, ordering an elderly Frenchman in a faded cardigan away from where the filming was taking place. Joe had to point out to him that elderly gentleman was, in fact, the legendary Philippe Kieffer who had led the two French troops integrated into 4 Cdo on D-Day."

Rest in peace Joe.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 23/07/2016 13:32:21

Joe Powell, post war, was a renowned stuntman and stunt arranger with credits on many major films over the years.

There is also an entry in Commando Association Newsletter 25 of September 1957:

One of the mariners aboard Mayflower II which recently completed the voyage across the Atlantic was Sgt. J. A. Powell (4 Cdo).

I have confirmed the details with Jools.

There was a film made of this voyage and it can be viewed on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/EvqVXgdqooI where Joe Powell can be clearly seen relaxing at 5 minutes 33 seconds into it.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 24/07/2016 22:20:24

Remembering you all at this sad time another of the fighting fourth gone.

God bless.

Bill Harvey

A Tribute to No4 Commando following the Dieppe raid

Oh, gallant men our nations pride
Whose valour cannot be denied
Their name is echoed far and wide
The Fighting Fourth Commando

Their deeds shall live from age to age
They've writ their name on History's page
Upheld their glorious heritage
The Fighting Fourth Commando

At dawn they made that fateful raid
Advancing grim and undismayed
They fought undaunted, unafraid
The Fighting Fourth Commando

For us they trod the depths of hell
Faced certain death from fire and shell
They did their job they did it well
The Fighting Fourth Commando

Some paid the price with battle scars
Some passed beyond all earthly bars
Their names are written in the stars
The Fighting Fourth Commando

Oh, Lord above, who art with us yet
When Time the healing hand hath set
Be with us Lord. Lest we forget
The Gallant Fourth Commando

RIP Joe.

I, too, was very sorry to hear of your father's death, Jools.

As you will see from Pete's very thoughtful entry above, I had the pleasure of meeting him in Normandy on the fortieth anniversary of D-Day.

From memory, I think that until then he had not met up with my late uncle - nor Duncan McCubbin and Bill Johnson who also served with him in C Troop 4 Cdo - since the end of the conflict.

I also remember him telling me a very amusing story of how his career as a stuntman started very soon after 4Cdo was disbanded.

Best wishes,

John Martin

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 26/07/2016 03:00:52

Jools,

I am really sorry to hear about the loss of Joe. He was a very great man; I am a proud owner of his autobiography - The Life and Times of a Fall Guy - and it makes fascinating reading. There is a great deal of information on his days with 4 Commando in the early chapters, covering recruiting, the Hardelot raid, Dieppe, Ouistreham and Flushing. And then his astounding film career started, almost by chance. It is well worth a read.

I had an hour long chat to Joe last year as I was researching the Hardelot raid at the time, Oliver having kindly provided his number to me, and he was fascinating. We talked about his army career and he told me lots of anecdotes. I read a list of names of officers to him and he recalled amusing incidents about virtually all of them, it was amazing to hear as his recollections were so clear it felt as if they happened yesterday. Joe manned an anti-tank gun on an Assault Landing Craft on the raid I was researching and wrote about how impossible the unwieldy thing was to sight properly as the boat bobbed about. I asked his permission to use quotes and a photo from his book for my own as he simply replied "But of course you can, dear boy." I was delighted, he was such a gentleman.

Unfortunately we never spoke again, much to my regret. I was told he was profoundly hard of hearing and although I rang three or four more times I imagine he simply might not have heard the phone.

I am so sorry to hear this, but count myself so fortunate to have had that one conversation.

Best wishes,

Phil

The Telegraph's Obituary on Joe Powell, No.4 Commando.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/07/27/joe-powell-stuntman--obituary/