Owen Glendower Howell-Price

Owen Glendower Howell-Price was born on 23 February 1890 in Kiama and was educated at Windsor Grammar School and Kogarah High School. A bank clerk before beginning training in agriculture at the Government Experiment Farm at Nyngan, he served for a period in the citizen forces and on 27 August 1914 was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion, A.I.F. The battalion left Sydney in October and arrived in Egypt in December.

During this time he was appointed Assistant Adjutant and when the Adjutant was killed on the first day of the Gallipoli landing he succeeded him. He was promoted Captain on 4 August 1915. During the fighting at Lone Pine he won the Military Cross and was also mentioned in dispatches. Casualties were heavy and on 5 September he was promoted temporary Major and assumed temporary command of the battalion. He was wounded on 9 September but remained on duty. Having revealed his ability as a fine trainer and organizer, Owen was confirmed in rank on 1 December. For a short period in Egypt, after the evacuation, he was temporarily superseded in command.

The 3rd Battalion arrived in France on 28 March 1916 and Owen was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on 12 May. In July and August the battalion fought bloody battles at Pozières and Mouquet Farm during which time Howell-Price set a magnificent example of courage, always visiting the most forward positions. For his leadership he was awarded the D.S.O. and mentioned in dispatches again. On 3 November 1916, near Flers, he was shot in the head and he died next day. His last words were ‘Give my love to the battalion’. He was buried at Ancre-side Wood, and a commemorative service was held at Flesselles attended by the whole unit. Probably because of his youth, Owen Howell-Price took his responsibilities too seriously to be popular with his officers and men, but underlying his sternness and austerity was a deep and single-minded loyalty to his unit.

(Taken from Australian Dictionary of Biography, photo taken from AWM)