Andrew Price was born in 1880 at Ifton Heath, St Martins. His parents were George and Sarah Price. His father was an engine driver at Ifton Colliery. There would be 5 children: an elder bother Joseph and 3 younger sisters, Sarah, Clara and Eva. The family lived in St Martins on Overton Road and later on Ellesmere Road. In 1902 Andrew married Alice Tomkins. At that time he was working as a general labourer but by 1911 he was working as a coalminer in the Staffordshire coalfield. They lived at 21 Church Street, Bignall End, Staffs. Andrew and Alice had 5 children: Lilian, George, Wallace, Clara, and Doris. By the outbreak of war they were back in Oswestry. Andrew was working at Brynkinallt colliery and they were living at 45 Gate Street – Alice and children would move to 10 Sunny Bank, (Cripplegate) Castle Street, Oswestry after the war.

Andrew enlisted in September 1914 joining the Oswestry Pals, 6 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. He went over to France with the battalion over the period of 24/25 July 1915. He also spent time attached to 83 Company Royal Engineers – the divisional engineers who employed infantry as labour construction and road/track building (see Private 33126 Samuel Overton). Andrew died of wounds on 14 July 1916 at Poperinghe. The battalion had been at Bellewaarde but over the preceding week had moved from a rest period in camp around Poperinghe. Early in the morning of the 14 July orders were received to move. They boarded trains at Poperinghe at 8.30am, bound for Steenwerk and the trenches near to Fleurbaix. Whilst they were entraining the enemy put down a barrage onto Poperinghe, two other ranks were wounded, Andrew was the only fatality. He was buried in Poperinghe New Military Cemetery. His headstone inscription, chosen by Alice, reads ‘On foreign soil his body rests, far from those who loved him best’. Andrew is also commemorated on the War Memorial at St Martin’s.

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

END