RICE, George
| Service Number: | 6070 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 March 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mount Perry, Queensland, Australia, 7 December 1884 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Stonemason |
| Died: | Randwick, New South Wales, Australia, 19 June 1940, aged 55 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Rookwood Cemeteries & Crematorium, New South Wales |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6070, 1st Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 6070, 1st Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Wiltshire embarkation_ship_number: A18 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 6070, 1st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wiltshire, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Brothers: 5182 Pte John Thomas Rice, 49th Bn, killed in action, 5 September 1916;
2389 Pte Frederick James Rice, 12th Bn, killed in action, 15 February 1917;
5183 Pte William Henry RICE, 49th Bn, killed in action, 7 June 1917.
George Rice enlisted in 1916 under the name George Price, and was married and living in Balmain in Sydney at the time. He later made a statuary declaration in England during 1917, admitting his real name was George Rice and that he had used the name Price because he had fought as a boxer in Australia under that name.
Soon after he wrote to his commanding officer, “I hereby make application for my discharge from His Majesty’s Forces and for my return to Australia. I have had thirteen months active service. My reasons for this application are,
1. I am a married man with one child.
2. Since I have had three brothers killed in action I am now the sole support of my aged widowed mother. (gives details of brothers)
I attach a cable received from my mother in July. (The cable states, ‘Fred William Jack killed apply leave come home’)
During the whole of my time in the forces I have a clean conduct sheet and I submit this application for your favourable consideration.
I enlisted under the name of Price, as I was known under that name in boxing circles before enlisting. 6070 George Rice.
The Department of Defence in Melbourne cabled London and gave orders that 6070 George Rice be returned to Australia in March 1918.
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