Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From In Search of Charles Albert Stokes DCM

Charles Price was born in Ellesmere Shropshire, England. He arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia on 3rd November 1912 from Cardiff Wales, United Kingdom. His calling was a baker where he completed his trade in Ellesmere. He was 23 years of age.

Charles enlisted into the A.I.F. in Perth March 1915. His records show that he was attached to D Company 28th Battalion in April 1915, but he embarked in June 1915 from Fremantle with 11th Battalion 6th reinforcements arriving on the Gallipoli Peninsula in September 1915.

It was not until January 1916 Charles arrived in Alexandria, Egypt whereby late February 1916 he was transferred to D Company 51st Battalion as a signaller. He spent 5 months in Egypt training where he was appointed the rank of Lance Corporal. Along with his battalion he proceeded to France disembarking at Marseilles in June 1916.

In the later part of 1916 Charles is recorded as been admitted to hospital with mumps returning to his unit in late of November 1916. In December 1916 he was charged with a crime “Falling out of line of march without permission” His punishment was that he was deprived of his Lance Corporal stripe. For 1917 the only entry on Charles file was, awarded leave to Paris in November with leave again been awarded in February 1918, re-joining his battalion in March.
By early April 1918, 51st Battalion was in action a Dernancourt, with a short break from the German assault before again been used in the counterattack of Villers Bretonneux on the night of 24th 25th April 1918. It was during this counterattack that 51st Battalion advance was halted by the barb wire entanglement at the Cachy Switch. The battalion sustained heavy casualties at this location from an enfilading German machine gunner. Company linesman from the battalion were working out in the open of the assault repairing communications lines. Lance Corporal Charles Price was a part of this action in repairing these lines where he was awarded the Military Medal for his actions along with three other men.

Charles citation for his Military Medal reads.
“On night of 24/25th April 1918 during a counterattack by his battalion on strong enemy positions south of Villers Bretonneux these N.C.O.s and men, who are Signal Linesman, under heavy shell and machine gun fire continually worked repairing the telephone lines which were constantly out by heavy enemy fire. The amount of information received by Battalion and Brigade Headquarters was due to the untiring energy of these men and their absolute disregard for their own personal safety.”

During this action Charles was wounded receiving a shrapnel wound to his face where he was admitted hospital. He re-joined the battalion in May 1918. The remainder of 1918, Charles spent several more times in hospital remaining with the battalion until January 1919 where he returned to Australian disembarking at Albany Western Australia in April 1919.

It was in 1923 that Charles married an Eva Theaker at Plantagenet where they had a son in 1925. Charles continued with his calling as a baker in Albany. In 1927 Charles was charged for selling underweight bread, the newspaper reported that an inspector weighed out a dozen of his alleged 4lb loaves and found them light to the extent of 4 to 7oz. He was fined 20 shillings. It appears that this may not be the only occasion his loaves where underweight. Charles was again in the local newspapers in 1941 where he gave evidence in the Albany’s Coroners Court for a local butcher who had taken his own life. In 1967 records show that Charles and his wife where living at David Street Albany. Charles wife died in 1995, with their son in 2011.

At the time of posting this research, with a search of the Albany and Plantagenet regions records I have not been able to establish a date of death or burial location for Charles Price.

Lance Corporal Charles Price you have not been forgotten.