Felix Lloyd Powell (23 May 1878 – 10 February 1942) was a Welsh

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

Staff Sergeant Staff sergeant is a Military rank, rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. History of title In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administr ...

most famous for writing the music for

marching song A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Richard ...

" Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile", in 1915, during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The words were written by his brother George Henry Powell (under the pseudonym George Asaf), and the song was entered into a competition for "best morale-building song". It won first prize and was noted as "perhaps the most optimistic song ever written". Powell later wrote a musical play, ''Rubicund Castle'', which was staged at the Pavilion Theatre in

Peacehaven Peacehaven is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Lewes (district), Lewes district of East Sussex, England. It is above the chalk cliffs of the South Downs about east of Brighton city centre, on the A259 road. It is the ...

. When a West End producer bought it he drastically altered it, leaving only the music unchanged, and renamed it ''Primrose Times''. This version went unstaged after the latter was arrested and convicted for fraud.Article on Peacehaven. Powell committed suicide during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in 1942, aged 63. Wearing the uniform of the Peacehaven

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting ...

, he shot himself in the heart while on guard duty, using his own rifle.

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* * 1878 births 1942 deaths People from St Asaph Military personnel from Denbighshire English composers British Home Guard soldiers British Army personnel killed in World War II British military personnel who died by suicide Suicides by firearm in England 1942 suicides {{UK-composer-stub