Charles David Powless, a piano maker, joined the 80th Battalion in Smiths Falls on this day in 1915, with the regimental number 219144.  Powless was born in Deseronto on April 25th, 1894, the son of David John Powless and his wife, Louisa (née Maracle), both Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. Louisa died in 1907 and the family were living in Toronto by 1910, when David married an English widow called Rose Hannah Mepham (née Hawkins). Charles gave Miss Margaret Bruce (friend) of 166½ Christie Street, Toronto, as his next of kin.

Powless’s service record shows that he arrived in England on the SS Scotia on August 19th, 1916. He joined the 15th Battalion in France in November 1916. While in England and France, he was admitted to hospital several times, suffering from bronchitis and in February 1918 he was wounded by gas in France. He was sent to England to recover and then transferred back to Canada on the SS Aquitania in January 1919. Charles was discharged on February 27th, 1919 in Toronto as medically unfit for further service due to the damage he had sustained to his lungs. He died on February 11th, 1929 during an operation in Montreal and his death was determined to be due to his military service. He was buried in the Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston.