Brian Christopher Powell, born on 13th May 1896, was admitted to King Edward’s School in January 1909, having transferred from Coleshill Grammar School. Brian was one of eleven children and lived with his parents, Ellen and Frederick, a wire manufacturer, in Coleshill.
Brian was a pupil of the Modern School, which offered a curriculum that emphasised scientific rather than classical subjects. Initially he found the new academic climate at KES challenging, but as the School Lists show, he made remarkable improvement by his final year, placing highly amongst his peers, especially in languages. Unfortunately no records survive of his civilian career after leaving School.
At the outbreak of the war, Brian enlisted as a Private Soldier with the 1st Birmingham Pals (14th Royal Warwickshire Regiment), rising to the rank of Lance Corporal. Again there appears to be no record of his early military actions. He was reported missing, presumed killed, on the 21st July 1916 during the Somme Offensive. As his body was unaccounted for, he was commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.