Second World War - Lynsted Memorial Project
Albert PRICE (of Teynham)
b. 19th September 1917 Private, Service Number 4080613 |
Born on 19 September 1917 in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorganshire, Albert was the son of Thomas (a colliery underground haulier) and Margaret (née Edwards) Price.
At the time of the 1939 Register the family were living at 4 Alfred Street, Merthyr Tydfil, and Albert was working as a cinema attendant.
In 1944, Albert married Winifred Mary Hawkins, of Teynham.
After intensive training, the 2nd Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment landed in Normandy on 28 June 1944 when they initially fought in the Caen. Soon after arrival, they took part in Operation Epsom, spending two weeks in trenches between Hill 112 and the River Odon.
Action was then seen in the Battle of the Falaise Gap in August 1944, where the battalion suffered heavy casualties. The battalion later took part in the liberation of Merville and crossing into the Netherlands.
We know that Albert had been wounded on 2 September 1944.
By October, the battalion had reached the Nederrijn and took part in the attack on 's-Hertogenbosch. They then fought in the counter offensive against the German advances in the Ardennes forest in December 1944.
Moving into The Netherlands in January 1945 they undertook in a period of training in readiness for Operation Veritable (8 February to 11 Mar 1945). Also known as the Battle of the Reichswald, it was the northern part of an Allied pincer movement during the final stages of the Second World War. The fighting was hard, but once clear of the Reichswald Forest, control was taken of the towns of Kleve and Goch.
Albert's battalion continued to advance across Germany, forcing a crossing of the River Aller at Rethem on 11 April 1945. This was their last major action of the war.
However Albert had died of wounds on 5 April 1945. Just a month before VE Day.
Albert is buried in Reichswald Forest War Memorial - Grave reference: 47. E. 18.
Inscribed: "BELOVED HUSBAND OF WINIFRED MARY PRICE. HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE"
