Llewelyn Price-Davies | |
Birth Date: | 30 June 1878 |
Birth Place: | Chirbury, Shropshire |
Death Place: | Corndon, Shropshire |
Placeofburial: | St Andrew's Churchyard, Sonning |
Allegiance: | United Kingdom |
Branch: | British Army |
Serviceyears: | 1898–1930 1940–1944 |
Rank: | Major General |
Unit: | King's Royal Rifle Corps Home Guard |
Commands: | 113th Brigade 145th (South Midland) Brigade |
Battles: | Second Boer War First World War Second World War |
Awards: | Victoria Cross Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches Officer of the Legion of Honour (France) Commander of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italy) |
Major General Llewelyn Alberic Emilius Price-Davies, (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.
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.[1] [2]
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, and seconded for service in South Africa during the Second Boer War, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in April 1901.
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:
Price-Davies was promoted to captain in his regiment on 7 January 1902, while still seconded with Mounted Infantry in South Africa. He stayed there until after the end of the war, leaving Cape Town on the SS Orient in October 1902.[3]
During the First World War Price-Davies served on the Western Front and Italy, becoming a Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel and a temporary Brigadier-General. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in January 1918 and a Companion of the Order of the Bath in January 1921. He was also made an Officer of the French Legion of Honour and Commander of the Italian Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.
He retired with the honorary rank of major general in 1930. In retirement he joined the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms and served as Battalion Commander in the Home Guard from 1940 to 1945.
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.[4]