In memoriam

Private Samuel Price

 

 

 

Samuel Price was born on 19 November 1885 at 20 Club Row, Ballymacarrett, Belfast, the sixth of nine children of labourer Alexander Price and his wife Eliza Jane (née Bishop).

On 25 December 1909 he married Mary Eliza McCandless (or Walker) at Mountpottinger Church. At the time he was working as a carter and living at Madison Avenue, East Belfast. The couple had two children over the next six years, though the first died when just two years old. By the time of they 1911 Census they had moved to nearby at 8 Townsley Street, Connswater.

Price enlisted in the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron at Belfast  between 31 October and 9 November 1914 (No. UD/118). He embarked for France on 6 October 1915 with his squadron, which was serving as divisional cavalry to the 36th (Ulster) Division.

In June 1916 the squadron joined with C and F Squadrons of the North Irish Horse to form the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment, which worked as corps cavalry to X Corps until August the following year.

In September 1917 the 2nd Regiment was dismounted and most of its officers and men were transferred to the 9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers – renamed the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion. Price, like the majority of the men, was transferred to the battalion on 20 September. He was issued a new regimental number – 41167.

In November and December 1917 the 9th Battalion saw action in the Battle of Cambrai, first going into action in the attack on the village of Moeuvres on 22-23 November. Its war diary for those days reads as follows:

[22 November] The Battn moved up at 6.30 a.m. to a position N. of Bapaume & Cambrai Road arriving at 8.30 a.m. Here the Battn waited for an order to attack Inchi when Moeuvres was taken by the 12th Royal Irish Rifles. At 11.45 a.m. the 12th R. Ir. Rifles captured village of Moeuvres. It was unable to clear trenches East of village. At 5.30 p.m. Battn moved up to support 12th R. Ir. Rifles in the village of Moeuvres. At 5.45 p.m. 12th R. Ir. Rifles reported driven out of village. At 8.30 p.m. Battn less 'D' Coy counter attacked village of Moeuvres but was driven back to trenches immediately south of the village, where it took up a defensive position for the night.

[23 November] Battn attacked Moeuvres at 10.30 a.m. At 11 a.m. Battn reported in village. At 11.45 a.m. enemy counter attacked from trenches West of village. 12.15 p.m. counter attack driven off. At 4.30 .p.m village evacuated by Battn on account of supports not coming up. 5 p.m. 'C' & 'D' Coys took up position on Sunken Road South of village and 'A' & 'B' Coys went back to trenches North of Bapaume & Cambrai Road.

Casualties for 22nd & 23rd: Officers killed 1. Officers wounded 6. ORs 82 casualties.

Price was one of the casualties, killed in action on the 22nd or 23rd. The Belfast Evening Telegraph of 15 December reported that:

Official intimation is to hand that Private Samuel Price, Royal Irish Fusiliers, has been killed in action. He enlisted in the Inniskilling Dragoons, and a few months ago was transferred to the infantry. A brother, two brothers-in-law, and five of his nephews are serving with the colours. Deceased, who enlisted from the service of John Kelly, Ltd., leaves a widow and child, who reside at 8 Townsley Street, Connswater.

As he has no known grave, Price is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval, France, Panel 10. If his body was recovered by the Germans after the battle, it was probably buried in the German extension to the Moeuvres Communal Cemetery, and after the war re-interred in the British extension, in which lie 263 unidentified casualties.

 

 

 

Image 1 kindly provided by Nigel Henderson, Researcher at History Hub Ulster (www.greatwarbelfastclippings.com). Images 2 and 3 Copyright © Phillip Tardif with all rights reserved as set out in this Use of Material policy.

 

This page last updated 22 March 2023.