Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good Second War 1943 ‘Immediate’ Sicily M.C. group of eight awarded to Captain D. L. C. Price, Royal Artillery

Military Cross, G.VI.R. reverse officially dated 1943, with Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, 8th Army; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue, Territorial (Lt. D. L. C. Price. R.A.), on Honourable Artillery Company riband, mounted as worn and housed in a Harrods, Knightsbridge, card box addressed to ‘D.L.C. Price Esq., 8 Sunnydale Gdns, London W8’, good very fine and better (8) £2000-2400

M.C. London Gazette 23 December 1943:
‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Sicily.’

The recommendation, for an Immediate M.C., dated 20 August 1943, states: ‘On the 4th August 1943 at approximately 1100 hours, “A” Company of the 7th Battalion Green Howards sent out a fighting patrol to investigate the situation on a hill west of Catania. The patrol was to be supported by the fire of 124 Field Regiment Royal Artillery and Captain Prices volunteered to act as Forward Observation Officer.
The position was duly occupied without opposition but was covered by very heavy enemy machine-gun fire from about 8 Spadeaus sited to the front and flanks. Although the fire was exceedingly heavy and covering the whole position, Captain Price left his carrier and walked up to the top of the hill where he moved about until he had spotted several of the machine-gun positions. He then moved his carrier into a position from which he could observe and engage the enemy. He was continuously under fire from enemy machine-guns throughout the whole of this period. It soon became apparent that the position was untenable to the force available and the patrol was ordered to withdraw.
Captain Price remained shooting his guns until everyone was off the position and it was not until he had collected a wounded man and got him on to his carrier that he himself withdrew. Although the distance between the vacated position and his own lines was quite considerable and continuously swept with crossfire from machine-guns, he ordered his carrier to go very slowly over the broken ground and himself walked beside his carrier steadying the wounded man to avoid excessive pain.
Throughout the operation Captain Price showed the utmost courage, calmly doing his duty as Forward Operating Officer under exceedingly difficult and dangerous conditions and his action in collecting the wounded man was quite beyond any necessary part of his duty. His coolness won the frequently expressed admiration of the Officers and Men who were with him.’

David Lewis Corbett Price was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on 29 June 1940, and served with the Royal Artillery during the Second World War in North Africa, Sicily, the Middle East, and north-west Europe. He was awarded an Immediate Military Cross whilst serving as a Forward Observation Officer with the 124th Northumbrian Field Regiment, Royal Artillery in Sicily in August 1943, and was subsequently Mentioned in Despatches ‘for gallant and distinguished services in the Middle East’ (London Gazette 6 April 1944). He was awarded the Efficiency Medal on 12 August 1947, before relinquishing his commission on 29 August 1951, being granted the honorary rank of Captain. He died on 30 June 1977.

Sold together with an annotated group photographic image of the Officers of 124th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (Territorial Army).