John (Jack) Price

Private

South Staffordshire Regiment 18169 7th Battalion

Photo Lea Mills postcard

Jack Price in WW1

Notes
Jack Price worked in the Warehouse at Lea Mills and he joined the forces on 19th March 1915. He joined the South Staffordshire Regiment; Pte Jack Price No. 18169 K Coy 3rd Battalion South Staffordshire Regt.
He was posted initially to Fort Stamford, Hutments, Plymouth. From his station outside Plymouth, he wrote on 10th April 1915, ‘The Huts we are in are very warm’. The Parish Magazine records that he moved to the Drill Hall, Sunderland and on 13th June 1915, he wrote from Sunderland to say ‘We have been firing on the big range, and to march there had to go five miles, so it was 7o’clock before we had done. I am pleased with those socks.
He sailed in August 1915 in 33rd Brigade, 11th Division of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. He was part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force and served with the C Coy, 33 Brigade, 7th South Staffs at Sidibashi Camp where he reported that he had had ‘some near Shaves’. In April 1916, he wrote, ‘at present I am getting on fine. We still keep moving about. We are digging trenches all day long. You see nothing but sand.’
When the withdrawal from the Dardanelles region took place, he was transferred in July 1916 to 1st Coy, 2nd South Staffs Regt to the British Expeditionary Force in France. He was wounded very seriously in November 1916 and sent to No 2 Ward Great Northern Hospital, Holloway Road in London. It was from there that he wrote to J.B.Marsden-Smedley, having received a parcel, to report that he had been wounded, that the wound was healing and that he was able to get about. However, he also said that he needed a graft in the area of his mouth. The injury was severe but, in spite of this, he could still offer his sincere condolences to J.B. and the Marsden-Smedley family on the loss of George.

Jack's brother George Price also worked at Lea Mills and served in the army.

Medal Roll Index
He was awarded the Victory, British War and 15 Star medals. Also the Silver War Badge
Price John 7/5 S Staffs; 2 S Staffs; 2/5 S Staffs; 1/6 S Staffs
He entered the Balkans 11/09/15
Discharged 04/09/18

Silver War Badge Roll
18169 PRICE John (B34934) Enlisted 19/03/15; Discharge 04/09/18 of wounds aged 22

Letter to JB Marsden-Smedley

Dec. 23: 16
Great Northern Hospital, No. 2 Ward
Dear Sir
Please accept my sincere thanks for “Reliable” Shirts, which will no doubt be of great service to
me. I am glad to say my wound has healed up, & I can get about now, sometime (Probably soon)
I am going to have a piece grafted in, as my mouth is too large at Present. I was very sorry to
hear of your great loss.
Yours faithfully
Pte J. Price

Feb 9th
Pte J Price No. 18169
7th S. Staffs, 33 Brigade, Sidibashi Camp, Egypt
Dear Sir
I thank you sincerely for parcel which was much appreciated - I am please to say I am well altho' I have had some near Shaves & am now at Egypt hope you have hear from me before as we do not get all the letters & parcels sent to us out hear shall be glad when it is all over but am not downhearted yet & I hope to see Lea Mills again someday.
Yours,
Sincerely
Pte J Price

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.

Derbyshire Courier , 1 June 1918
News was received by Mr Herbert Price, of Holloway, last week, that his son Private Jack Price (South Staffords), had been wounded in the head and is in hospital in France.

Derbyshire Courier , 15 June 1918
Private Jack Price, who was wounded a short time ago, has been brought to England and is in Queen Mary's Hospital, Whalley. This is the second time he has been wounded.


CENSUS INFORMATION

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

RG13 piece 3235 folio 61 page 10

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

RG14PN21012 RG78PN1253 RD436 SD6 ED10 SN131