Gunner
Royal Garrison Artillery | 151244 | 157 Battery |
Notes
George Price worked in the Factory at Lea Mills as a framework knitter. The Company requested his deferment, as the framework knitters were needed to help deliver essential government contracts of garments to the forces. However, this request was refused in March 1917 and George Price left to join the forces on 20th March 1917. Gunner G. Price No 151244 was posted to the royal Garrison Artillery.
On 25th September 1917 he set sail for Mesopotamia and served there and in the immediate region until 31 January 1920. He wrote several interesting letters about his experiences in the Middle East.
On 29th November 1917, he wrote, ‘I am having a nice tour round the world on the cheap. It is a fine camp here where we are, provided by the Church of England. We have services, which remind one of home…I am in good quarters as regards getting food. I shall miss going round carol singing this time, but expect we shall have a tune-up.’
In May 1918, he reported that the daytime temperature was 112 degrees in the shade and, in August, he wrote, ‘we shall soon have plenty of dates. We never see a stone anywhere. It is more a mixture of sand and mud, and I often wondered at a passage in the Bible where it reads –“They took straw to make bricks.” But I can quite see it now, as I have helped make scores of bricks in which we used straw, which serves as a binding when mixed up with mud. Makes fine bricks. Have seen the place where the captured tribes of the East were driven and sat down and wept by the waters of Babylon.’
He was much enthralled by the behaviours and customs of the Middle East and on 24th March 1919 he observed, ‘The Arabs all very keen on their Religion and it is a regular thing to see one on his knees in prayer at certain times during the day, no matter where they are or who is watching them. If they are working anywhere at the time, they down their tools. The Arab women do most of the work.’
In the September1919 issue of the Parish Magazine, there is a long account of an experience Gunner Price had on a trip to Babylon.
‘It happened to be my good fortune to have trip to Babylon, arranged by the Church Army, from Baghdad, 20 men with a Negro Padre. We travelled by night in a cattle truck 70 miles arriving at “Baghdad Sidings” on Palm Sunday. From the Station we came to Rawairish where we had breakfast. I had five Mesopotamian eggs. Babylon is the Greek name for the ancient city called “Gate of God,” consisting of three principal mounds, Babel, Kasr, and Amran, enclosed in a wall, which has a circuit of 11 miles. Flint and stone implements show it was occupied 4000 years B.C. Historic ruins belong to the age of the Assyrians, Neo-Babylonians and Persians. It owes much of its fame to Nebuchadnezzar ii (605-562 B.C.) who re-built the city. Heroditus speaks of its unsurpassed splendour. It has been used as a “brick mine” for centuries. Passing from Kasr mound we come to N.W. of the massive double wall, 100ft. thick. From here we come to “the Sacred Way,” a high level paved street, running through the Ishtar Gate connecting the Palace with various Temples, whence the gods were carried in procession. The centre is paved with limestone slabs, and on each slab was the inscription “I am Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, I paved the Sacred Way with blocks of stone for the procession of the great God Marduk. Lord, grant long life.” At least 575 Beasts were arranged on the Eastern Wall, those above ground level being enamelled in brilliant white and yellow against a blue ground. On our right we saw the roofless “Vaulted Building,” consisting of 14 Cells on either side of a central passage, surrounded by a wall. These Cells were originally arched over, several stories high, tier upon tier, the upper most supporting gardens called “the Hanging Gardens.” To the left is the Temple of Nin Makh, of sun-dried bricks. The southern Citadel is bounded on north, south and east by fortification walls, and on the west by the Euphrates. The oldest part is the Palace of Nebopelassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar. Here and there are pieces of earthenware, with blue glaze, fragments of coffins opened by brick robbers. Another feature is the Throne Room, where we suppose the feast of Belshazzar, in the Book of Daniel, took place. The Sacred Way continues southward to the plain, passing the Temple of Ishtar. We saw the remains of the square Tower, claimed by some as the biblical Tower of Babel, known as “the house of the foundation-stone of Heaven and Earth.” Ascending to the summit of the Amran mound we got another good view of the city. We descended the other side to the old bed of the Euphrates. A gateway can be traced to the old Bridge. A cutting to the gateway has exposed several large earthenware urns in which the dead were buried in the sitting position, called “pot burials.” The bridge connected the town on either side of the river. 180 roads lead down to it, each with a bronze gate.’
An application was made for George Price to return to the Mill and he was discharged from the Army on 2nd May 1920.
George's brother John (Jack) Price also worked at Lea Mills and served in the army.
Medal Roll Index
He was awarded the Victory and British War Medals.
Army Service Record
He attested at Matlock 20/11/15 a married hosiery knitter, born at Lea, aged 26. His height was 5ft 8¼in and the next of kin was his wife Sarah Price, of The Terrace, Lea, whom he married 14/04/14 at Tansley Church. They had one child, Olive May Price, born 05/10/14. He was awarded the Victory and British War Medals.
20/03/17 to 24/09/17 Home
25/09/17 to 04/12/17 Passage to Mesopatamia
05/12/17 to 31/01/20 Mesop. E. Force
01/02/20 To the UK
George was discharged 02/05/20
Newspaper Report
Derbyshire Courier 23 February 1918
[Part of a longer report]
The funeral took place at Lea and Holloway cemetery on Saturday of Mrs H Price, who died at Derby Infirmary on the previous Wednesday at the age of 52.
The chief mourners were Mr Herbert Price (widower) Misses Beatrice and Constance Price (daughters), Mrs George Price (daughter-in-law), Mrs Emau (sister, Sheffield), Mr Albert Price (brother-in-law, New Brighton), Mr and Mrs John Swift, Mr and Mrs A Swift, Mr and Mrs C Swift, Mr and Mrs B Wykes (nephew and nieces), ex Private Norman Price (New Brighton) and Private H Wykes (nephews),, Mr CA Gregory, Mr George Sellors, and Mr CA Hughes (friends). Private Jack Price (son) arrived home on Saturday evening direct from France and the eldest son, driver George Price, is on active service in Mesopotamia.
1901: The Hollins, Holloway
Forename | Surname | Relationship | Age | Occupation | Where born |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Herbert | Price | Head | 41 | Merino hosiery warehouseman | Holloway |
Sarah A | Price | wife | 35 | Longstone | |
George | Price | son | 11 | Holloway | |
Beatrice | Price | daughter | 6 | Holloway | |
John | Price | son | 3 | Holloway |
1911: Holloway
Forename | Surname | Relationship | Age | Occupation | Where born |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Herbert | Price | Head | 51 | Hosiery warehouseman | Holloway |
Sarah Ann | Price | wife | 45 | Longstone | |
George | Price | son | 21 | Cotton patent hosiery framework knitter | Holloway |
Beatrice | Price | daughter | 16 | Sewing machinist hosiery factory | Holloway |
John | Price | son | 13 | At school | Holloway |
Constance | Price | daughter | 6 | Holloway |