PRICE, CHARLES LEMPRIERE,
Lieutenant, was 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 (who received the Punjab Medal with clasps for
Mooltan and Goojerat). He was born at Alderney, Channel Islands, 17
September 1877. He was educated at St Paul's School; privately, and the
Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted Second Lieutenant, Royal Scots,
8 September 1897, and promoted Lieutenant 29 June 1890, and Captain 3
November 1903. He served in the South African War, 1899-1902; took part in
operations in Cape Colony, south of Orange River, 1899; operations in the
Orange Free State, February to May 1900; operations in the Transvaal, east
of Pretoria, July to 29 November 1900 including actions at Belfast (26-27
August) and Lydenberg (5-8 September); operations in Orange River Colony,
May to 29 November 1900; operations in the Transvaal 30 November 1900 to
December 1901, and February to 31 May 1902; operations in Orange River
Colony, December 1901 to February 1902; was Acting Provost-Marshal, Komati
Poort, and afterwards Station Staff Officer (twice mentioned in Despatches
[London Gazette, 20 August and 10 September 1901]; Queen's Medal with three
clasps, and King's Medal with two clasps; awarded DSO "for gallantry in
leading an attack on the Boer position at Bermondsey, East Transvaal, 16 May
1901"). The award of his Distinguished Service Order was gazetted 27
September 1901: "Charles Lempriere Price, Lieutenant, Royal Scots. In
recognition of services during the operations in South Africa". He was
invested by the King 24 October 1902. 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. Captain Price was
mentioned in FM Sir John (now Lord) French's Despatch of 8 October 1914,
"for gallant and distinguished service in the field". He had the Coronation
Medal and was Past Grand Sword Bearer of England. 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.
