Guy William Price

Guy William Price
Nickname	"Captain Kettle"
Born	(1895-07-06)July 6, 1895
Died	February 18, 1918(1918-02-18) (aged 22)
Place of birth	Rostrevor, Ireland
Place of death	Vicinity of Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée
Arras Flying Services Memorial	Pas de Calais, France
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Aviation
Rank	Flight Commander
Unit	No. 8 Squadron RNAS, No. 13 Squadron RNAS
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross with Bar

Flight Commander Guy William Price was a Royal Naval Air Service flying ace during World War I. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Bar within a 22 day period.

World War I

On 9 December 1914, Flight Sub-Lieutenant Guy William Price RNAS was awarded Royal Aero Club certificate number 987, earned on a Grahame-White biplane at their school in Hendon. However, he would not achieve aerial success until late 1917, when he was posted to 8 Naval as a Sopwith Camel pilot. At 1350 hours 5 December 1917, he destroyed a German Albatros D.V fighter plane. Five minutes later, he helped squadronmate Flight Sub-Lieutenant Wilfred Harry Sneath drive down another Albatros D.V out of control for his second victory. The next day, Price teamed with Flight Sub-Lieutenant Harold Day to drive a DFW two-seater reconnaissance plane down out of control. Day and Price replicated this success on both 27 and 28 December, and Price was an ace.

On 2 January 1918, Price scored the first of the six singleton victories he would score that month; this particular sortie was mentioned when he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. After burning an enemy reconnaissance plane on the 6th, he drove down Albatros D.Vs on the 19th and 22nd; the latter win was noted in his second recommendation for the DSC. Price then destroyed another Albatros D.V on the 24th over La Bassée. On 28 January, he incinerated another recon two-seater in the same locale. Finally, on 16 February 1918, he joined with Canadian ace Herbert Fowler in flaming another German reconnaissance two-seater. Two days later, Price went on a trench strafing mission. Theodor Rumpel of Jasta 23 dove on him and shot him down.

Guy William Price was gazetted his Distinguished Service Cross on 22 February 1918. The Bar in lieu of a second award followed with unusual rapidity, being gazetted on 16 March 1918.

Post World War I

On 24 July 1919, Guy William Price's widow and next of kin, Mrs. Francesca d'Orange Price [nee Rambaut], posted notice that the deadline for claims against his estate was 8 September 1919.

Honors and awards

Text of citation accompanying award of the Distinguished Service Cross

“In recognition of the gallantry and determination displayed by him in leading offensive patrols, which have constantly engaged and driven away enemy aircraft. On 2 January 1918, he observed seven Albatross scouts, and, crossing the lines in the clouds, he attacked one, which fell vertically, bursting into flames, and crashed to the ground. He has on several other occasions driven enemy aircraft down out of control.

Text of citation accompanying award of a Bar to the Distinguished Service Cross

Fit. Cdr. Guy William Price, D.S.C., R.N.A.S.

For consistency and determination in attacking enemy aircraft, often in superior numbers. On 22 January 1918, when on offensive patrol, he observed seven Albatross scouts. He dived and fired into one of the enemy aircraft, which stalled, side-slipped, and eventually fell over on its back, disappearing through a thick bank of clouds, and was observed by others of our machines to fall completely out of control. On several other occasions he has destroyed enemy machines or brought them down completely out of control.

References

• Franks, Norman. Sopwith Camel Aces of World War 1: Volume 52 of Aircraft of the Aces. Osprey Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-84176-534-1, ISBN 978-1-84176-534-1.