No.C/J 109756, Leading Seaman, Arthur Lewis PRICE
Aged 31
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Arthur Lewis Price was born in Berkhampstead on 22nd September 1908 (Berkhampstead Q4-1908 3A:821) His parents have not been identified.
In the 1911 census, age 2 1/2, he was at 5 Station Road, Berkhampstead visiting Reuben and Alice MOORE. He married Amy Lily STEWARD in 1937 (Thetford Q3-1937 4B:961). In 1939 Amy was living at 7 Water Lane, Barnham, alone, as Servicemen were not on the register |
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Arthur joined the Royal Navy as a boy at HMS Ganges on 1st March 1924, signing on for 12 years on his 16th birthday in 1926. he was the 5 feet 4 inches tall, 35" chest, hazel eyes, brown hair. Under training he progressed through a series of 'ships' :- HMS Ganges (shore base in Suffolk)...1/3/1924 to 4th August 1925 HMS Columbine (shore base in Port Edgar, Scotland)...5th August 1925 to 29th January 1926 HMS Ajax (battleship-Reserve fleet, Devonport)...30th January 1926 to 3rd May 1926 HMS Cleopatra (light cruiser- Reserve fleet, Devonport)...4th May 1926 to 16th November 1926 HMS Canterbury (light cruiser)...11th November 1926 to 2nd May 1927 HMS Columbine...3rd May 1927 to 30th April 1928 HMS Pembroke I (shore base Chatham)...1st May 1928 That is when his records were transferred and it now becomes more difficult to access them. H.M.S. "Grenade" was a Greyhound class destroyer, commissioned in 1936, pennant number H86, crew 146. On 29th May 1940 she returned to beaches of Dunkirk from Dover with HM Destroyers GALLANT and JAGUAR, under air attacks without damage. During evacuation from East Pier, Dunkirk she came under further air attack and was hit by bombs, which set her afire and killed 14 sailors and mortally wounded another four men. The ship was cast off from her berth, in case she sank there, and then drifted into the harbour channel. The trawler 'John Cattling' towed 'Grenade' over to the west side of the outer harbour where her magazines exploded later that evening. She now lies in 24 metres of water in position 51-24-28 N, 02-49-10 E. As with all WW2 men, medal entitlements are only a surmise at this stage, unless relatives have specific information.
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
