Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 7B GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches x2 Queen's South Africa Medal 3 Clasps King's South African Campaign Medal 2 Clasps Coronation Medal (1903) | ||
Early Life :
See also: Anglo-Boer War.com.See also: Heroes of the Line - Scott Addington.
Born at Alderney, Channel Islands, 17th September 1877, the only child of Colonel Thomas Charles Price, of 8, Inverness Gardens, Kensington, London, late RA, and his wife, Amy Earle, daughter of Charles MConteiro D'Almeida Lempriere, and grandson of Colonel Thomas Smith Price, HEICS.
Education & Career :
He was privately educated at St Paul's School and afterwards at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Gazetted Second Lieutenant, Royal Scots, 8th September 1897, and promoted Lieutenant 29th June 1890, and Captain 3rd November 1903.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, South Africa.
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers |
1st Battalion August 1914 : in Gosport. Part of 9th Brigade, 3rd Division. Landed at Le Havre 14 August 1914. 5 April 1916 : transferred to 8th Brigade in same Division. |
| Action : The Battle of the Aisne 1914 and subsidiary actions |
12 - 15 September 1914. Following the defeat and retreat from the Marne, the German army stood and defended the next defensible river, the Aisne. This offered significant defensive potential on the high bluffs overlooking the river but the BEF succeeded in pushing back the Germans. The first examples of trench warfare emerged on the Aisne as trenches became necessary to offer protection from concentrated artillery barrages.
Detail :
"He served in the European War with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from — August; was appointed Adjutant at the Front, and was killed in action at Vailly on 16 September following, during the Battle of the Aisne, while in command of the regiment. A brother officer wrote: "I was present at the Battle of Mons with him and also at Le Cateau, and in the trying retreat almost as far as Paris, during the whole of which he was indefatigable, cheery, doing the work of ten men, full of resource, regardless of danger, the bravest and finest man I have ever known or wish to know; in losing him we have lost our best, a great sportsman and staunch friend. He will be mourned by the whole regiment, by whom he was respected and beloved"; and Private P Clancy, in describing his experiences during this time, said ('Dundee Advertiser'): "We met the Germans on 23 August. On the 26th we were nearly annihilated at Cambray owing to the French reinforcements not coming up. About 7.30 o'clock that morning one of our airmen descended and reported that the French were advancing about 20 miles off, and would be able to reinforce us about midday. We waited anxiously, but 12 o'clock came and no French, and five o'clock and still no French. Half an hour later Major Butler gave the order, 'Retire, men, for God's sake; every man for himself'. Shells were flying thick about us, and it was an awful order to give. We got the order all right, but, with a few exceptions, it did not reach the Gordons, with disastrous results to them. So we began the never-to-be-forgotten retreat, with shells and bullets flying about everywhere. We got into Einecourt. When we got between a church and a farmhouse we came across two women and a child. Pipe-Major Duff said he would stay behind and look after them. This he did, and we saw no more of them.
Our Adjutant, Captain Price, who was one of the finest and most popular of the officers, and who was on horseback, said to us, 'Keep your heads, men. There are no marked men here. If the bullets are going to hit you they will hit you'. The Gordons, 18th Royal Irish and 2nd Royal Scots were all together on the retreat, falling back as fast as they could. The last fight on the retreat was at St Quentin, and then we fell back to Hams, within 24 kilometres of Paris. We blew up all the bridges and the roads as we retreated except one bridge, and upon that solitary bridge and for five miles beyond it 150 guns of the outer defences of Paris were trained. On came the massed forces of the Germans and started to cross the bridge. Out blazed the guns and the bridge was blown to bits, along with the Germans who were approaching and crossing it. Their losses were awful. But for us it was a terrible retreat, and I shall never forget it. Then came the turning movement. We were seventeen days and nights in the trenches at the Aisne without being relieved. It was a time of artillery duels. Here we lost Captain Price, who had saved thousands of men at Cambray. He lost his life trying to save another's. One of our NCO's was wounded and began to yell. Captain Price was in his bomb-proof dug-out when he heard the shouting, and he called out to the man,'All right, man, I will be with you in a few minutes'. Just as he got out of the trench he was hit by a bit of shell, and died a few hours afterwards. His loss was deeply regretted, because he was beloved by everybody". At Mons, when the troops were in full retreat, men of many regiments hurrying down the road, and getting hopelessly mixed and out of hand, under heavy shell fire, he noticed some guns on a ridge, and succeeded in rallying some of his men in all that ghastly confusion, and holding the ridge for over an hour, while the guns were removed."
Citations & Commemorations :
For his work in South Africa, he was twice mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 20 August and 10 September 1901] and was awarded the Queen's Medal with three clasps, and further the King's Medal with two clasp. He was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), gazetted 27 September 1901: "Charles Lempriere Price, Lieutenant, Royal Scots. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa" ... "for gallantry in leading an attack on the Boer position at Bermondsey, East Transvaal, 16 May 1901". He was invested by the King 24th October 1902."In a speech at the Annual Dinner of the Royal Scots, Edinburgh Association (29 March 1902), Colonel Douglas described how, during the Boer War, Captain Price was recommended for the VC. They attacked the Boers, said Colonel Douglas, in a very strong position at Bermondsey, their flanks being protected by precipices. It was a difficult position to turn. He sent Lieutenant Dalmahoy with E Company to the left, and they were round the Boer's right in no time. The guns were in action at 1,600 yards. But E Company made the Boers bolt. Major Moir and Lieutenant Dalmahoy went after them. Then the Boers took up a rear-guard position, and it was here that Major Moir got hit in five places. He (Colonel Douglas) sent Lieutenant Price with a message to the firing line. When he reached it Corporal Paul was in command. Lieutenant Dalmahoy, Private Sheddon and another man were lying wounded about 50 yards in front of the firing line, which was 100 yards from the Boers. Then men had two of the small entrenching implements with them, and with these each scraped up a little earth in front of them. This was the only cover they had. Lieutenant Price ran out, picked up the nearest of the three wounded men, and carried him in. He found it heavy work and called for three volunteers. Three young Lance Corporals, M'Gill, Miller and Smith, at once responded. He made them take off their equipment and coats, and did the same himself, and then unarmed and in shirt sleeves they ran out. Nevertheless, the Boer at once turned a heavy fire on them, and, in bringing in the wounded, on of the bearers was hit. Lieutenant Dalmahoy was again hit in the head, and Private Sheddon was killed. Lord Kitchener promoted Corporal Paul to Sergeant for his gallantry, and recommended Lieutenant Price for the VC, and the three young lance-corporals for Distinguished Conduct Medals."
Undoubtedly amongst the other campaign and service medals due to him arising out of the Great War, Captain Price was also mentioned in Field Marshall's Sir John (now Lord) French's Despatch of 8 October 1914, "for gallant and distinguished service in the field".
He was also awarded the Coronation Medal (1903).
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | St Ann's No. 593 E.C. | Guernsey & Alderney |
| Joined : | Lodge of Unity, Peace, and Concord No. 316 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
9th September 1902 | 7th October 1902 | 4th November 1902 |
Joined the Lodge of Unity, Peace and Concord on the 16th August 1904, after being initiated into St. Ann's Lodge, no. 593 on Alderney, 2 years earlier. His rank had increased in these two years from Lieutenant to Captain, and at Alderney he is cited to be with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Scots. He resigned from St. Ann's on the 30th September, 1909.
Past Grand Sword Bearer? of the United Grand Lodge of England.
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley