Harry Price (Royal Navy)
Encyclopedia
Harry Price DSM
(1877 – June 1965) was an ordinary seaman of the Royal Navy
. He became a well travelled figure, producing accounts and drawings of his travels, and publishing his account of the Royal cruise he was part of aboard the temporarily commissioned HMS Ophir
in 1901. He served on a number of ships during the First World War, and later took up a number of occupations.
in 1877, the son of parents who had moved from Wales
. His father was a master builder in the city. His family produced a minor poet, and a member of the Royal Academy
. Price and his family were also keen anglers
and became expert coarse fishers
, being dubbed the 'champion fishing family of Birmingham'. Price's artistic ability became pronounced and eventually noted. He was sent to the Birmingham School of Art
, progressing rapidly through the school until he was told that his natural talent was such that they could not teach him anything. Dissatisfied with life in Birmingham, which he termed 'the land of bricks and mortar', he left home in 1893 and joined the Royal Navy. He only returned to Birmingham to attend his mother's funeral.
, based at Devonport
. He was a keen walker, taking with him his fishing rod and paints. During this time he discovered the village of Drewsteignton
, and became so enamoured that he decided to settle there after his retirement from the navy. He was a keen patriot, but had joined the navy with the intention of 'seeing the world', and often rebelled against instances of harsh naval discipline. He briefly led a minor mutiny, but after it began to take on 'ugly proportions', he put an end to it. The naval authorities decided to pardon him. He was a skilled recruit however and rapidly rose through the ranks during his time at Britannia. This good record led to his selection as part of the crew for the planned royal cruise of George, Duke of Cornwall and York
, later King George V, and Mary, Duchess of Cornwall and York
. The couple were to sail to Australia
to open the Parliament
. On the way they were to call at numerous ports of the British Empire
, and return to Britain by way of Canada
. It was the most ambitious royal tour undertaken to that date.
Price, by now a Petty Officer
was with the tour from February to November 1901, and made a careful record, later published posthumously in 1980 as The Royal Tour 1901, or the Cruise of H.M.S. Ophir; Being a Lower Deck Account of their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York's Voyage Around the British Empire. The book was illustrated with Price's own sketches and paintings, which recorded aspects of life on board ship during the cruise, as well as the reception at the various ports of call, details of colonial life and the interactions of warships of many different nationalities encountered on the voyage. The voyage covered over 45,000 miles, but with the exception of Port Said
, the ports called at were all part of the British Empire.
Price remained in the Navy until 1907, when he became part of the Royal Naval Reserve
. He was mobilised on 2 August 1914 with the outbreak of the First World War. He eventually served on five different ships, three of which, including the battleship
s HMS Ocean
and HMS Majestic
, were sunk in the space of nine months. He spent 14 hours in the water after the sinking of Ocean before he was picked up by a destroyer
. He was an excellent swimmer though, and having been born with a caul
, he declared 'I could never drown.' He survived the war, receiving the Distinguished Service Medal
, and was demobilised in March 1919.
, eventually developing a substantial collection of birds' eggs and butterflies. He became a freelance collector for Watkins and Doncaster, of The Strand
. Through this he came to be associated with Richard Kearton, who together with his brother Cherry Kearton
, were pioneers in the development of bird photography. Price too then took up bird photography. He resumed his fishing, writing a number of books on the subject, including one on carp
fishing. He was also an expert gardener, and on occasion sent produce to be exhibited at the Royal Horticultural Society
's shows. He also grew tobacco, for he was a moderately heavy pipe smoker, curing it using a method he had developed from observing the tobacco industries at Havana
and Rhodesia
.
He remained an active painter, and also modelled ships, including a fully rigged model of HMS Impregnable
. He had made a model ship during his time in the navy, which he used to smuggle tobacco out of the dockyard. He took up wood carving when over 70 years old. He was left disabled following a stroke at the age of 83, and died in hospital in June 1965 at the age of 88.
Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Navy and members of the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, up to and including the rank of Chief Petty Officer, for bravery and resourcefulness on active service...
(1877 – June 1965) was an ordinary seaman of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. He became a well travelled figure, producing accounts and drawings of his travels, and publishing his account of the Royal cruise he was part of aboard the temporarily commissioned HMS Ophir
SS Ophir
The SS Ophir was a British steel twin-screw ocean liner owned by the Orient Steamship Co. of London, which was employed on the company's London/Aden/Colombo/Australia service from the 1890s until 1915 when she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and saw three years' service as an armed merchant...
in 1901. He served on a number of ships during the First World War, and later took up a number of occupations.
Family and early life
Price was born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
in 1877, the son of parents who had moved from Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. His father was a master builder in the city. His family produced a minor poet, and a member of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
. Price and his family were also keen anglers
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
and became expert coarse fishers
Coarse fishing
Coarse fishing is a term used in the United Kingdom and Ireland for angling for coarse fish, which are those types of freshwater fish other than game fish . The sport and the techniques used are particularly popular in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe.-History:The term "coarse fishing"...
, being dubbed the 'champion fishing family of Birmingham'. Price's artistic ability became pronounced and eventually noted. He was sent to the Birmingham School of Art
Birmingham School of Art
The Birmingham School of Art was a municipal art school based in the centre of Birmingham, England. Although the organisation was absorbed by Birmingham Polytechnic in 1971 and is now part of Birmingham City University's Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, its Grade I listed building on...
, progressing rapidly through the school until he was told that his natural talent was such that they could not teach him anything. Dissatisfied with life in Birmingham, which he termed 'the land of bricks and mortar', he left home in 1893 and joined the Royal Navy. He only returned to Birmingham to attend his mother's funeral.
Royal Navy life
Price joined the navy's training establishment HMS BritanniaBritannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
, based at Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
. He was a keen walker, taking with him his fishing rod and paints. During this time he discovered the village of Drewsteignton
Drewsteignton
Drewsteignton is a village and civil parish within the administrative area of West Devon, England, also lying within the Dartmoor National Park. It is located in the Teign valley, west of Exeter and south east of Okehampton...
, and became so enamoured that he decided to settle there after his retirement from the navy. He was a keen patriot, but had joined the navy with the intention of 'seeing the world', and often rebelled against instances of harsh naval discipline. He briefly led a minor mutiny, but after it began to take on 'ugly proportions', he put an end to it. The naval authorities decided to pardon him. He was a skilled recruit however and rapidly rose through the ranks during his time at Britannia. This good record led to his selection as part of the crew for the planned royal cruise of George, Duke of Cornwall and York
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, later King George V, and Mary, Duchess of Cornwall and York
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
. The couple were to sail to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to open the Parliament
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
. On the way they were to call at numerous ports of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, and return to Britain by way of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was the most ambitious royal tour undertaken to that date.
Price, by now a Petty Officer
Petty Officer
A petty officer is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotion OR-6. They are equal in rank to sergeant, British Army and Royal Air Force. A Petty Officer is superior in rank to Leading Rate and subordinate to Chief Petty Officer, in the case of the British Armed...
was with the tour from February to November 1901, and made a careful record, later published posthumously in 1980 as The Royal Tour 1901, or the Cruise of H.M.S. Ophir; Being a Lower Deck Account of their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York's Voyage Around the British Empire. The book was illustrated with Price's own sketches and paintings, which recorded aspects of life on board ship during the cruise, as well as the reception at the various ports of call, details of colonial life and the interactions of warships of many different nationalities encountered on the voyage. The voyage covered over 45,000 miles, but with the exception of Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
, the ports called at were all part of the British Empire.
Price remained in the Navy until 1907, when he became part of the Royal Naval Reserve
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
. He was mobilised on 2 August 1914 with the outbreak of the First World War. He eventually served on five different ships, three of which, including the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s HMS Ocean
HMS Ocean (1898)
The fourth HMS Ocean was a Canopus-class battleship of the British Royal Navy.-Technical Description:HMS Ocean was laid down at Devonport Dockyard on 15 December 1897, launched on 5 July 1898, and completed in February 1900...
and HMS Majestic
HMS Majestic (1895)
HMS Majestic was a Majestic-class predreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy.-Technical characteristics:HMS Majestic was laid down at Portsmouth Dockyard on 5 February 1894 and launched on 31 January 1895...
, were sunk in the space of nine months. He spent 14 hours in the water after the sinking of Ocean before he was picked up by a destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
. He was an excellent swimmer though, and having been born with a caul
Caul
A caul is a thin, filmy membrane, the amnion, that can cover a newborn's head and face immediately after birth.-Obstetrics:A child "born with the caul" has a portion of the amniotic sac or membrane remaining on the head. There are two types of cauls. The most common caul is adhered to the head...
, he declared 'I could never drown.' He survived the war, receiving the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Navy and members of the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, up to and including the rank of Chief Petty Officer, for bravery and resourcefulness on active service...
, and was demobilised in March 1919.
Later life
Price settled in Drewsteignton and became a talented naturalistNaturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
, eventually developing a substantial collection of birds' eggs and butterflies. He became a freelance collector for Watkins and Doncaster, of The Strand
Strand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
. Through this he came to be associated with Richard Kearton, who together with his brother Cherry Kearton
Cherry Kearton
Cherry Kearton was born in the small Yorkshire Dales village of Thwaite, North Riding of Yorkshire, England, and was one of the world's earliest wildlife photographers and writers. He first married Mary Burwood Coates, with whom he had a son, also named Cherry, and a daughter, Nina. He later...
, were pioneers in the development of bird photography. Price too then took up bird photography. He resumed his fishing, writing a number of books on the subject, including one on carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
fishing. He was also an expert gardener, and on occasion sent produce to be exhibited at the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
's shows. He also grew tobacco, for he was a moderately heavy pipe smoker, curing it using a method he had developed from observing the tobacco industries at Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
and Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
.
He remained an active painter, and also modelled ships, including a fully rigged model of HMS Impregnable
HMS Impregnable (1810)
HMS Impregnable was a 98-gun second rate three-decker ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 1 August 1810 at Chatham. She was designed by Sir William Rule, and was the only ship built to her draught...
. He had made a model ship during his time in the navy, which he used to smuggle tobacco out of the dockyard. He took up wood carving when over 70 years old. He was left disabled following a stroke at the age of 83, and died in hospital in June 1965 at the age of 88.