H. G. PRICE

HUBERT GEORGE PRICE

1893 - 1969

Bert was born in Beoley, a small village next to Redditch, England, likely around October 1893, Though the exact date is not known. At some point he migrated to Australia and settled down in Melbourn where he took up work as an Orchardist, before moving a little west to the town of Baccus Marsh. Here, he would stay with the Valance family, who the son would go on to be a champion player in the AFL. He would later list his next of kin as his father, Joseph Price, who was still living in England at the outbreak of WW1, meaning that Bert may have migrated to Australia alone.

The battalion remained on the front line, and in late January 1917 Bert was made an Acting Corporal, a rank that was confirmed 3 months later in April. From the 1st of May, Bert took over the roll of Quartermaster Sergeant, a role which he performed with outstanding dedication. In the final months of the war in particular, Bert distinguished himself by personally running supplies to the highly mobile front line and was noted for maintaining a constant supply of food and water to the men regardless of circumstances. For this commitment to his duties, Bert was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal on the 31st of January 1919. With the war ending, he was shipped home in March of 1919 and finally discharged from the army in June. It is believed that during his service, Bert was wounded at least once, possibly twice by shrapnel, which had health effects later in life. However, this is not mentioned in his service record, implying the wounds were light enough that he remained on duty.

Following the war, Bert returned to his life in Baccus Marsh. While there, he met and started courting Doris Cowan. Doris had been engaged during the war, though her fiancé had died while oversees. Bert received a block of land in Mallee as part of a soldier’s settlement scheme. However, he walked away from the property and successfully obtained another block under the scheme in South Werribee. He joined the local militia unit and in 1937 when the Australian Government assembled a 150-man strong contingent to travel to London and participate in the coronation of George VI, Bert applied and was accepted into the contingent. At the time he was a sergeant of the 32nd Battalion CMF, and under the standards of the contingent was required to reenlist as a Gunner into the Royal Australian Artillery. They travelled to Europe and through April and May performed ceremonial duties in Egypt, France, Belgium and of course London.

He would go on to enlist in the Second World War, serving as a Warrant Officer with the CMF.  He served from June 1940 as an instructor, initially becoming the Regimental Sergeant Major of the 4th Infantry Training Brigade and later moved to the 10th. In mid 1944, he went to Queensland where he took up a post at the 3/5th Infantry Training Brigade until the end of the war. After the war, he was moved back to Victoria where he was awarded the Efficiency Medal. Bert was discharged from service on the 4th of February 1946. Doris would pass away on the 8th of December 1957 aged 63. Two years and one day later, Bert would pass away on the 9th of December 1959, also aged 63. The two are buried together in Werribee Cemetery, Melbourne.