AN HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT "AUSTRALIAN" M.B.E. (Military)
1914-1915 Star (Gallipoli & France) Trio.

To:
2Lt, Capt, W. PRICE.
28th & 47th Bn AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE.
Member of Parliament for Western Australia.

Captain Price was Gassed at The Battle of Pozieres in 1916.

[THE MEDALS]








M.B.E. (Mily) 1919. Privately engraved.
'Capt W. PRICE / 47th BATT, =A.I.F.=

Correctly hallmarked "C" London (1918)

With original Garrard & Co case of issue.




1914-15 Star: 2/LIEUT. W. PRICE. 28/BN A.I.F.
War & Victory: CAPTAIN W. PRICE. A.I.F.

[BIOGRAPHY]
William Price was born on 16th April 1873 at Tidenham, Gloucestershire, England. He had served in in the South Wales Borderers for two years before emigrating to Australia. He then served for three years in the Queensland Field Artillery from 14th April to 28th July 1915. On arrival in Australia he had also worked in various capacities in the Queensland outback. Living later in Brisbane he became greatly involved in the socialist political arena of early 20th century Australia. By 1889 he was working as an organiser for the General Labourers Union of West Queensland. He moved to Forbes, N.S.W a few years later and filled a similar role for the Amalgamated Shearers Union.

Price moved to Western Australia in 1896 & took part in the gold rush. He subsequently founded branches of the Australian Workers Union at Leonora & Mount Morgans.

He also worked as a journalist and by 1903 he was writing for several Australian newspapers including the 'KALGOORLIE SUN'. He then moved to Perth where he wrote for a local paper called 'TRUTH'. He entered parliament in 1909 at the Albany by-election and later served as a Labour Member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1909 to 1917, representing seat of Albany.

His given address in Western Australia was 11 Rankin Road, Subiaco, W.A. with his next of kin being declared as his daughter Annie Price at the same address. He had been initially preselected as the Labour candidate for the Swan Division at the 1910 federal election, but withdrew in order to run at the by-election. Price was re-elected at the 1911 & 1914 state elections, but did not re-contest his seat in 1917 due to being on active overseas service with the Australian army.

[ARMY SERVICE]
At age 42 on 18th August1915 (as a widower & Member of Parliament) he joined the A.I.F. He left Australia at Fremantle on SS. ULYSSES on 2nd November 1915 with his first period of service being with 28th Battalion in Egypt, Gallipoli & France.
He was gassed at the Battle of Pozieres on 5th September 1916 then hospitalised and evacuated to England for medical treatment on 10th September. He had been transferred to 4th Division Cyclists on 1st May 1916 & onward to 47th Battalion on 13th May 1916 where he served as a training officer and was in command of various UK military establishments until the end of the war. He was then greatly involved with the troops demobilisation process after the armistice.

William Price received his M.B.E. Military in the New Years honours list on 1st January 1919.

He then resided for some time in Aberavon, Wales and wrote for various parliamentary publications including the Empire Parliamentary Association, before his eventual return to Western Australia with an embarkation on SS INDARRA on 1st May 1920. He arrived back in Fremantle. He died in Perth aged 64 in 1937.

A very desirable and historically important group to a leading early Australian politician & journalist.

His full 15 pages of well written & very clear Australian attestation & service documents are included with the group. A very interesting read.







Medals are GVF / EF on original ribbons.

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