Veteran’s Award for George Powell

Congratulations to George Powell who received a veteran’s award for services in the Second World War yesterday (Tuesday 28 March) when he was 96 years old. He has since turned 97!

The medal was given to George for services during World War II. As a member of the Territorial Army, he was called up two days before war was declared and stayed for the duration. He once shared a conversation with Sir Winston Churchill and even learnt to speak Swahili as company quarter master sergeant in the East African Regiment.

Readers of Wendover News may remember that George and Ada featured as the Local Faces in June 2000 when they were celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary.

George has lived in Wendover since 1953 and is generally well known for two very good reasons: he was a Parish Councillor from 1953 to 1963 then for many years he was responsible for teaching Wendover people to drive as he ran a driving school. He is particularly well known in the Roman Catholic Community because he and Ada were always involved in parish life, especially during the fund raising years just before and after St Anne’s Church was built in Aylesbury Road in 1962.