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Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 83

An Escaper's campaign group of four awarded to Sergeant W. H. Price, 1st Battalion, Border Regiment, later Military Provost Staff Corps, who was wounded and went 'in the bag' at Tournai in May 1940 only to escape from Stalag VIII-B

General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (3653478. Pte. W. H. Price. Bord. R.); 1939-45 Star; War Medal 1939-45; Army L.S. & G.C., Regular Army, E.II.R. (3653478 Sgt. W. H. Price. M.P.S.C.), mounted as worn, the retaining pin missing, light pitting and contact wear, very fine (4)

William Herbert Price was born on 15 June 1919, the son of Isaac Price and a native of St. Luke's Avenue, Lowton, Golborne. Enlisting with the Border Regiment on 3 October 1936 he was stationed with the 1st Battalion when they in Palestine prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, returning to Britain in April 1939.

Posted to France in December 1939 they were stationed on the frontline during the Phoney War and were at the front of the British advance into Belgium prior to the Ardennes Offensive in May 1940. As such they were still in Belgium when they engaged the German advance at Tournai on 20 May. They held out for that day and into 21 May however lost some ground on the second day, which is the day that Price is listed as slightly wounded and taken prisoner of war. His service papers note details of his interrogation after his capture in response to the question was, he interrogated he states:

'Yes. In a wood S Tournai, May 1940 […] soup with promise of good meal & cigarettes.'

It seems that Price was the subject of a gentle interrogation then despite this he was unfortunate to be taken when he was. The next day reinforcements in the shape of 1/6th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers retook the lost ground whilst the Borderers were pulled back and eventually evacuated.

Price was taken initially to Marienburg and later Thorn like most British prisoners from France he was transferred to Stalag 11-B in April 1941 and from there to Stalag VIII-B at Lamsdorf. Whilst there he worked in a saw mill it was from here that he attempted his escape, noting that he and two comrades -Corporal W. B. Wren and Private Kennel- slipped out at night from the shoemakers in the camp.

Unfortunately, there were retaken '…by German police man assisted by German Pole', apparently at the time Price was unfit, suggesting that they had struggled with life on the run. He also noted attempted sabotage during the attempt, they tried to damage some railway signalling equipment however this seems to have been unsuccessful.

A newspaper article of the time notes that his father believed him dead in France and had held a memorial service for him. Fortunately before a planned memorial could be erected the British Red Cross informed him that his son may be alive. Price remained in the Military after the war, going on to join the Military Provost Staff Corps, responsible for staffing British Military Prisons; sold together with copied research.

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Estimate
£260 to £300

Starting price
£210