Llewelyn Price-Davies

Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox military person Major-General Llewelyn Alberic Emilius Price-Davies, Template:Postnominals (30 June 1878 – 26 December 1965) was a senior British Army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life

Price-Davies was born at Chirbury, Shropshire, in 1878, third son of Lewis Richard Price of Marrington Hall. The Davies family were of Welsh descent with an unbroken male line to the 13th-century noble Cynric Efell, Lord of Eglwys Egle.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, Armorial families : a directory of gentlemen of coat-armour, p260</ref>

Military career

Price-Davies was commissioned a second lieutenant in The King's Royal Rifle Corps on 23 February 1898. He was promoted to lieutenant on 21 October 1899,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and seconded for service in South Africa during the Second Boer War, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in April 1901.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

Price-Davies was 23 years old, and a lieutenant in The King's Royal Rifle Corps during the Second Boer War when the following deed took place at Blood River Poort for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross:

At Blood River Poort, on the 17th September, 1901, when the Boers had overwhelmed the right of the British Column, and some 400 of them were galloping round the flank and rear of the guns, riding up to the drivers (who were trying to get the guns away) and calling upon them to surrender, Lieutenant Price Davies, hearing an order to fire upon the charging Boers, at once drew his revolver and dashed in among them, firing at them in a most gallant and desperate attempt to rescue the guns. He was immediately shot and knocked off his horse, but was not mortally wounded, although he had ridden to what seemed to be almost certain death without a moment's hesitation.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>{{#if:|

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Price-Davies was promoted to captain in his regiment on 7 January 1902, while still seconded with Mounted Infantry in South Africa.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref><ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He stayed there until after the end of the war, leaving Cape Town on the SS Orient in October 1902.<ref>Template:Cite newspaper The Times</ref>

In September 1906 he became adjutant to a unit of mounted infantry in South Africa.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

In November 1910 he succeeded Brevet Major Herbert Shoubridge as brigade major of the 13th Infantry Brigade.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> In June 1912 Price-Davies was posted to the War Office as a GSO3.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

During the First World War Price-Davies served on the Western Front and Italy,<ref name=VCO/> and after serving as a GSO2 in October 1914,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> becoming a brevet lieutenant colonel<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> in January 1916 and a temporary brigadier general, to which he had been promoted in November 1915 when he was assigned to command the 113th Infantry Brigade.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in January 1918<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> was made a brevet colonel in June 1918,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and a Companion of the Order of the Bath in January 1921.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He was also made an Officer of the French Legion of Honour<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and Commander of the Italian Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

He retired with the honorary rank of major general in 1930.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> In retirement he joined the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and served as Battalion Commander in the Home Guard from 1940 to 1945.<ref name=VCO/>

Dying in 1965 aged 87, his grave and memorial are at St Andrew's churchyard in Sonning, Berkshire. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum in Winchester, England.<ref name=VCO>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Bibliography

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Service record
• Location of grave and VC medal
• angloboerwar.com
• Template:Find a Grave