Pte
Fred Price
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 26/03/1897 |
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Place of birth: Chapeltown, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Cost Clerk |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 90058 |
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Enlistment date: 22/01/1917 |
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Enlistment place: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Machine Gun Corps, 171st Coy. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 31/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Senegal Farm, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 20 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 158 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
Fred Price was born on the 26th of March 1897 in Chapeltown, West Riding of Yorkshire. He was the son of Robert William and Lorinder Price. He had two sisters and two brothers. The family lived in Sheffield, where Fred worked as a clerk before enlisting in the army. He enlisted on 22 January 1917 and joined the 171st Machine Gun Company, part of the 171st Brigade of the 57th Division. Fred was killed in action on 31 October 1917, during the Second Battle of Passchendaele.
The Second Battle of Passchendaele, was the final stage of the Battle of Passchendaele. It began on the 26th of October and lasted until November 10th 1917. On the 26th, the guns of the 171st Machine Gun Company took up positions near the ruins of Poelcapelle, facing the Houthulst Forest and the Westrozebeke heights. On the 30th of October 1917 the Company was frequently targeted by the German artillery. One gun of No. 3 section at Requette Farm was taken out by shellfire. No. 3 section was then relieved by No. 4 section.
On the 31st, the 171st Company’s machine-guns fired barrages on the forward area. German aeroplanes flew over the Company’s positions and shot down into the shell holes where the men had taken up their positions. Another gun was rendered useless by German shelling on Senegal Farm. On this fateful day one soldier of the 171st Company was killed in action.
Fred Price was killed on the 31st of October 1917. Two reports sent to his family after his death mention that Fred was killed when a shell exploded in the shell hole, where he was stationed. The 20-year-old was killed instantly and was buried by his comrades, who had made a single cross to mark his grave. The grave went lost in the further fighting or Fred wasn’t positively identified when his remains were exhumed, as he has no known grave. Fred Price is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial panel 158.
The Second Battle of Passchendaele, was the final stage of the Battle of Passchendaele. It began on the 26th of October and lasted until November 10th 1917. On the 26th, the guns of the 171st Machine Gun Company took up positions near the ruins of Poelcapelle, facing the Houthulst Forest and the Westrozebeke heights. On the 30th of October 1917 the Company was frequently targeted by the German artillery. One gun of No. 3 section at Requette Farm was taken out by shellfire. No. 3 section was then relieved by No. 4 section.
On the 31st, the 171st Company’s machine-guns fired barrages on the forward area. German aeroplanes flew over the Company’s positions and shot down into the shell holes where the men had taken up their positions. Another gun was rendered useless by German shelling on Senegal Farm. On this fateful day one soldier of the 171st Company was killed in action.
Fred Price was killed on the 31st of October 1917. Two reports sent to his family after his death mention that Fred was killed when a shell exploded in the shell hole, where he was stationed. The 20-year-old was killed instantly and was buried by his comrades, who had made a single cross to mark his grave. The grave went lost in the further fighting or Fred wasn’t positively identified when his remains were exhumed, as he has no known grave. Fred Price is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial panel 158.
Sources 5
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Ancestry https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ Sources used |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/829813/price,-fred/#&gid=null&pid=1 Sources used |
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Letters Sources used |
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The long long trail https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/ Sources used |
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War Diary http://www.nmarchive.com/ Sources used |