On ANZAC Day this year we celebrate Dr Henry Arthur Powell, one of Silverchain Group’s historical leaders. Dr Powell was a respected Army officer during World War I and later spent many years leading the District Trained Nursing Society (which was later known as RDNS).
Dr Powell was born in South Australia. He became a doctor and served as the mayor of Kadina. In October 1914, he enlisted in the Australian Army during World War I. He started as a volunteer doctor with the light horse regiments and later became the second-in-command of the No 1 Australian Stationary Hospital (1 ASH).
When World War I began, Dr Powell and his hospital group went to Lemnos Island, Greece. They set up the first field hospital for the Gallipoli campaign.
Field hospitals helped injured soldiers before they were sent to larger hospitals. Dr Powell did surgeries on men who were too injured to be moved. For a while, theirs was the only hospital on the island with an x-ray machine.
Dr Powell worked hard during this time. After the soldiers left Gallipoli, he stayed in the Army and led the 2nd Australian General Hospital in France. This was a field hospital near the fighting, and they helped many soldiers with broken bones. Dr Powell became a Colonel and received a special award, the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG), for being a brave and strong leader.
After the war, Dr Powell resumed his medical career at home in Adelaide. He began working with the DTNS in 1906, eventually becoming the third President in 1929. He led the organisation during hard times, like the Great Depression. When money was tight, Dr Powell had to cut nurses' pay, but he felt very sorry about it. He said the nurses were working harder than ever. Even during World War II, Dr Powell stood up for nurses, saying they should be treated fairly and not forced to do housework instead of nursing.
Dr Powell died in 1944, while he was still President of the District and Bush Nursing Society. Dr Henry Arthur Powell lived Silverchain’s values and served his community for more than three decades.
