A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BE THINKING WHAT A USELESS SITE,WHY HAS HE DONE IT ETC ,MY FATHER WAS A HARD MAN TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND, AFTER THE SMALL AMOUNT OF RESEARCH I,VE DONE ABOUT HIM AND HIS TIME IN THE NAVY I FEEL I OWE IT TO HIM AND OTHERS OF HIS ILK WHO DID SO MUCH THROUGH TWO WORLD WARS ,BUT NEVER TALKED ABOUT IT,I WISH TO GOD I COULD HAVE SPOKEN TO HIM ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES GOOD AND BAD,BUT YOU DON,T THINK ABOUT IT TILL IT,S TO LATE.
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Alfred George Price my Father,born 14.10.1897 in Eastney, Portsmouth His Father Charles Edward A Price ,born Newport Monmouth ,which was in England in those days, was A Sergeant in the Royal Marine Artillery,(11th Company) in the nearby Eastney Barracks His Mother Elizabeth Jane Othen.was from South Stoneham over Southampton way.
Dad was one of 6 children,the others being Charles Edward born about 1889,Alice born about 1893,John and William(twins) born about 1895 and lastly Emily born about 1900.
John was Private Number 9435 in the 10th Battalion,Hampshire Regiment .His Battalion went to France 19.01.1915 and then ended up in either Salonika or the Dardenelles(Gallipoli) were he contracted Malaria and was invalided out of the Army in 1916,He died from the Malaria 28.12.1919 and is buried in a Commonwealth War Grave,in Highland Road Cemetary, Southsea .Grave Ref CWGC E 10 25
William was Private 9496 in the 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment,His Battalion landed in France 28.12.1914 .He was Killed in Action 26.04.1915 and has no known grave,he is commerorated on Panel 35 of the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres in Belgium.
Both John and William were awarded The 1914/15 Star,The War Medal and The Victory Medal,John also received Silver Wound Badge,to show he,d done his bit,these details obtained from Medal Entitlement Card.
Family would have received Bronze Death Plaque(Called The Death Penny by some) This had name inscribed on front,on reverse it had inscription.
" He whom this scroll commemorates was numbered among those who at the call of King and Country ,Left all that was dear to them,Endured Hardness,Faced Danger and Finally passed out of site of men by the Path of Duty and Sacrifice,giving up their lives .That others may Live in Freedom.
Let those who come after,See to it that His name be Not Forgotten"
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Now to Dad,He was a Bakers boy in Portsea area of Portsmouth,there was a Baker,s called Price in Portsmouth but not known if any Family connection.The funny thing is I worked for Bakers in Portsmouth before joining RAF.
On the 10th April 1914 he joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Seaman,doing his training at/on HMS Impregnable,which was a 98 gun,three decker of 2278 tons,Launched in 1810 and becoming a Training Ship in 1860,moored out in Plymouth Sound I believe,she was apparently Identical to HMS Victory.He finished training on 5th January 1915.
It would appear that the above may be wrong,further research shows the original Impregnable ended her days as a tender to HMS Indus then was a hulk under the name HMS Kent to be brought into use in the event of an epidemic.
Then in Sep 1891 she was recommissioned as the training ship HMS Caledonia,in the Firth of Forth.
The new HMS Impregnable formerly HMS Howe was a wooden screw,line of battle ship of 6,557 tons,that was obsolete when launched because of the the Ironclad HMS Warrior .Then it would appear several other wooden ships ,ie HMS Emerald which had originally been HMS Black Prince.HMS Inconstant ,HMS Powerful and HMS Andromeda and HMS Caroline all joined the Impregnable complement.took the name HMS Impregnable.II. So don.t really know if Dad was on any of these or shore training establishment.Maybe somebody will put me right.
During World War 2 training facility moved to a shore base at St Budeaux,Plymouth,but name was changed because it was training base for Wrens,Think about it!!!
He then had spells at HMS Victory and HMS Drake,shore/training bases until 7th April 1915.The 8th of April 1915 he joined HMS St Vincent a Battleship.
On the 31st May 1916 she was part of the British Grand Fleet that met the German High Seas Fleet at Jutland ,this was apparently the Greatest Sea Battle ever to have taken place.
Britain lost 14 Ships and 5672 men killed
Germany lost 13 ships and 2115 men killed
HMS St Vincent fired 98 12" shells and received no hits ,obviously she did fire smaller calibre guns as well
Presumably Dad being a Gunner would have fired a few.
The Silver Medallion I have was issued by Spinks to commemorate the Battle and to raise funds for Naval Widows and Orphans of those killed that day.
Dad left HMS St Vincent on the 2nd October 1918.
After the War ,Dad Received 12 shillings and sixpence in old money as" Prize money"
His next commision was on HMS Vivacious D36 a destroyer and served on her until 25th March 1919,it would appear from his papers he was a naughty boy because "He used threatening words and assaulted a superior officer" for which he received 28 days detention. This probably saved his life because in September 1919 HMS Vivacious was sent to Russia to assist the White Russians during the Revolution,she was torpedoed by the Bolsheviks with loss of life.
After completing his 28 days he was on HMS Greenwich F10,Depot ship for HMS Vivacious
He then appears to have spent up until 31.12.1923 at various shorebases or "Stone Frigates" HMS Victory,HMS Excellent .
On the 1st January 1924 he joined HMS Bee a gunboat on the Yangtse River,China.This ship was the Rear Admiral Yangtse,s Flagship,He also did a bit of time on HMS Mantis,another gunboat.I have read "Gunboats and small ships at war" and the normal commision for seamen was two and half years but because of the heat,cramped conditions etc and the time it took to get out there and back they only served a year on board.Dad left 15th April 1926 which is a lot longer than a year.!!!!!
All the gunboats were involved in "skirmishes" with local Warlords and Pirates.In 1937 when the Japs started playing up the Bee was hit by a Japanese shell,during the "Panay Incident" a U.S Gunboat they sunk with loss of life.
He then served his next commision on HMS Nelson another Battleship What a difference to go from tiny little Gunboat to a Battleship.
Between 1st January 1930 until 22nd October 1931 it was back to HMS Victory and HMS Excellent.
Then 23rd October till 5th November 1931 he was on HMS Wishart D67,a destroyer,which came under HMS Victory,then on the 6th November 1931 still on HMS Wishart it was back out to China Station again this time Hong Kong,she was part of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla,home Base HMS Tamar.an old wood ship built in 1897.
On the 24th April 1933 He was onboard HMS Vindictive a Cruiser,converted into a Aircraft Carrier,He left her on the 16th June 1933 so perhaps thats how he got back home??
From 17th June 1933 till 4th November 1934 it,s good old HMS Victory and HMS Excellent.
5th November 1934 He joins HMS Encounter H10 another destroyer again home base HMS Victory.
3oth April 1935 he then joined HMS Express H61 which went out to Malta,the Base there being HMS St Angelo 2 He was on her till 14th March 1936.
HMS St Angelo
Then HMS Express came back home and he left her 23rd April 1937 back to HMS Victory and HMS Excellent till he was pensioned off on 7th November 1937.
He then did a Stint as Launchman/Instructor on tthe "Foudroyant "and "Implacable" ,where he met Mum,Grandad Knock also being on the ships as well.
Foudroyant as a Hulk in 1937 HMS Trincomalee as she now is at Hartlepool.
A.G. Price about 1937 .
Dad 4th from left back row Dad tall one at back.
3rd from left back row. 1st left back row.
To right of gun. Believe 1934 Hong Kong.
Believe on HMS Bee HMS Bee.
On the 4th September 1939 "He was recalled to the Colours" I think is the expression,again back to HMS Victory till 27th September when he joined HMS Maloja F26 an Armed Merchant Cruiser,(She had been a P & O Cruise Liner) She was fitted with 8 x 6 inch guns and 2 x 3 inch guns.
Sailing from Liverpool.
From November 1939 to May 1940 she was on the Northern Patrol.
June 1940 to October 1940 she was part of the Freetown Escort Force.
November 1940 to to April 1941 she was on the Bermuda and Halifax Escort Force.
May 1941 to October 1941 the North Atlantic Escort Force.
She was escort to convoys bringing supplies,foodstuffs from the U.S.A and Canada.
I have found two entries re convoys Dad would have been in,
July 4th 1940 she escorted convoy SLF38 from Freetown ,South Africa to Liverpool arriving on the 20th July,she was only escort and no ships were lost.
On 10th August 1941 she left pier 23 in Halifax at 14.55hrs to escort HX144 to Liverpool,they arrived there 30th August convoy consisted of 48 ships,none reported lost.
HMS Maloja was one of 56 passenger ships converted to AMC,s but so many were lost to enemy action they were converted to Troop Carriers in 1941.Dad left her In November 1941.
This is P & O Maloja before conversion to AMC.
Also while she was on Northern Patrol on the 13th March 1940 she came across a German Merchant ship " La Corunna" of the Hamburg South America Company that was pretending to be Japanese "Taki Maru" allthough the Captain suspected she was German ,weather was to rough to send boarding party.off the coast of Iceland at position 63.00 N 10.20 W ,she scuttled herself before any action could be taken.She was finished of by gunfire from HMS Maloja.
On the 6th November 1941 Dad was back at HMS Victory and HMS Excellent until 9th June 1942 he was posted to HMS Mentor 2 which was a Fleet Air Arm base in Stornaway,he left there 31st January 1943 and then HMS Victory and HMS Excellent once again ,and on 4th March 1943 he went to HMS Daedalus another Fleet Air Arm base(Lee on Solent)
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On the 7th October 1943 he joined HMS Marshall Sault a Monitor,she,d had her big gun removed and was Depot ship in moored permanently in 3 Basin.Portsmouth Harbour for "Harry Tate,s Navy" Armed Trawlers. and other small boats ,motor launch,s etc,it was reported in July 1944 she supported 200 small boats.
He was then demobbed on the 20th September 1945.
So roughly he spent 29 years of his life in the Royal Navy,10 of those years at War and other skirmishes.
He Served on 11 ships,spending 15 and 1/2 years on them.
For all this he received The 1914/15 Star.The War Medal. The Victory Medal.The 1939/45 Star. Atlantic Star.War Medal.Defence Medal.Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.And reached the dizzy heights of A/Leading Seaman Service Number J 30360.
I have letter from Captain of HMS Express dated 12th June 1937.
"A.B.Price served with me for two years on HMS Express,this was during a period of great difficulty owing to the International Situation.
A.B.Price was a very good,steadying influence on the Ship,s Company and was therefore a great help.He was a hard and capable worker,honest and trustworthy,a keen sportsman who took an interest in all ship,s sports.An excellent Coxwain and Trainer of crews.In spite of lots of difficultys he allways remained cheerful.
I can thoroughly recommend this Able Seaman for any capacity"
I have letter from the Captain of HMS Marshall Soult Dated 18th July 1945.
"On your release from Service,The Lords Commisioners of the Admiralty have directed me to convey to you an expression of their appreciation of the service you have rendered to His Majesty,s Armed Forces during Two Great Wars.
The Good Wishes of their Lordships go with you on your return to Civil life"
I want to add a quote I have come across while doing research.
" To All Son,s and Daughter,s,if your Parent,s took part or were involved in the War,don,t prejudge them for Their Faults.
You have no idea what they went through or had to Endure."
After the War he worked for the Royal Navy on various boats in Portsmouth Dockyard,Firefloat was one
And he was onboard I think it was a converted Tank Landing craft,carrying the First Hovercraft from the Isle of Wight to Lee on Solent.
If anybody wishes to comment ,make remarks,remedy any of my mistakes you can contact me on michaelmpric@aol.com I am open to all suggestions good or bad. The research as such has taken me at least 5 years and its not a lot to show for time spent but it,s the best I can do under the circumstances.