After Over 100 Years Price's Sacrifice Immortalized With Monument
For over 100 years the memory of Moose Jaw resident Private George Lawrence Price usually came as part of news articles or a mention at Remembrance Day services.
All of that changed on Thursday morning as a plaque commemorating the sacrifice Price gave to King and Country was remembered with the unveiling of a plaque at the cenotaph in Crescent Park.
Erected by the Friends of the Forces Fellowship with help from local businesses and individuals Price is remembered not only for being killed in the Great War (World War I) but also for being the last Commonwealth soldier killed in the final moments of the war.
Corporal Teresa North of the Saskatchewan Dragoons stands next to the plaque unveiled at the ceremony in Crescent Park.
During the ceremony Price was described as not a model citizen who had fell afoul with the law and then joined the 210 Frontiersmen of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
During the final moments of the war Private Price found himself leading a five member patrol near the Belgium city of Mons.
During the attack Price and his fellow soldiers found themselves under fire from German machine gun positions. Price and a fellow soldier - Art Goodmurphy - managed to out flank the German machine gun crew who withdrew. While moving to a second offensive position Price was shot by a German sniper his death is recorded two minutes before 11 am on November 11th when the armistice was declared and World War I on the Western Front ended.
This memorial tells the story of George Price and also recognizes the sacrifices of veterans in World War I.
“For as long as there has been a country there have been soldiers who have defended our country,” said Greg Lawrence MLA for Moose Jaw Wakamow.
“He lost his life just before a world could return to peace,” Lawrence said.
Honourary Lieutenant Colonel Randy Brooks CD, HLCol Royal Regina Rifles spoke about Price and his sacrifice. The Regina Rifles are the unit who today Price’s unit would be part of.
“I am going to speak to you from a soldier’s perspective…George Price was like every soldier having survived the big 100 day push…George would have been cold, tired and hungry,” Honourary Lieutenant Colonel Brooks said. “(He was like every soldier) travelling long distances unopposed and short times of sheer terror.”
“He likely had not heard about the 11th and the ceasefire,” he said, adding that Price and one other soldier moved from building to building with one covering and the other moving forward as they dislodged the German soldier’s positions.
“They were safe as long as they stayed put…for some unknown reason he (Price) was the leader of the patrol…they commenced cleaning out the next building in the and it was his last act.”
After Price was shot he was cared by a young Belgian nurse and died two minutes before the guns fell silent.
“For sure two minutes later (after Price died) the church bells at Mons rang loudly marking the return of peace,” Honouray Lieutenant Colonel Brooks said going on to tell everyone at the unveiling ceremony they were bells Price would never hear.
A lapel pin commemorating the unit Price fought with is worn by Brooks and others on their uniforms.
Honourary Lieutenant Colonel Brooks said that Price was wearing a crocheted flower from his fiancee under his uniform and it ended up bloodstained with Price’s blood.
“The flower still soaked in blood made it back to his family 100 years later…the people of Belgium remember him…Rest In Peace George Price the last soldier to die in World War I.”
The ceremony then had a prayer, the playing of The Last Post and a moment of silence in respect to the sacrifice by Private George Lawrence Price.