Lt. Col. Stanley (Kitna) Price. OBE.
Related
I have wanted to write a tribute to this great Lancashire Fusilier for some considerable time, but every time I got started, another story or anecdote would surface!
He had such a great influence upon so many of the men he came into contact with(and many who never met him but heard the stories surrounding him) that it is true to say Commisioned Officer should be for decades within the Regiment.
I can certainly tell you that he lived within my own sub conciousness during my own progession through the junior ranks, and I hoped to emulate just a little of the standards he had laid down for those coming after to follow.
Stanley Price was born on the 12th June 1921 at 67 Evans Street Middleton in the centre of what became known as "LF" Country.
It was not surprising then that he should enlist into the 6th Bn the XXth The Lancashire Fusiliers almost a soon as he was 18 years old in 1938 (he gave his date of birth as 1920 to appear a tear older). The start of a phenomenal career in the service of the LFs and his country had begun. The 1/6 th Bn were part of 125 Brigade in the 42 (East Lancashire Division).
The Division moved to France in April 1940,by which time Stanley Price had earned promotion to Sergeant. His Bn were involved in heavy fighting all the way back to cover the withdrawal to Dunkirk,and Stanley remained with his Bn until evacuated from the Dunkirk beaches on the 30th May. So,our man was already a veteran of Dunkirk as a Sgt before he was 19 years old!! Stanley Price then spent some time training at Wellington Barracks until he joined the 2/8th Bn and later the 1/6th as a Training instructor.
He had already been promoted to WO2.
In December 1943, he was posted to the 1st Bn The XXth The Lancashire Fusiliers in India and was a Company Sergeant Major with the Bn throughout the whole of the Second Chindit Campaign in Burma. In October 1944 he was selected and promoted to be Warrant Officer First Class Stanley Price,and appointed RSM of the 1st BN. He was 23 years and 4 months old.
The die was cast and the scene set for one of the most colourful periods of his career,when he became a legendary figure,not only within his own regiment,but to the world in general. He would be(save for a short mysterious break in 1949/50) the RSM of the 1st Bn for 11 glorious years,during tours of India, Warminster, Egypt, Kenya and Iserlohn.
Memories & Anecdotes
These are some of the true stories about him and the impact he had on men like Jim Costello, Bill Duffy, Ronnie Turner, and Pete Newton, who sent us these memorable stories:
Related People
Throughout this 11 year period when Kitna was RSM,the 1st Bn The XXth The Lancashire Fusiliers had a reputation second to none and was widely spoken of as the finest Infantry Bn in the World at that time.
The example he set so influenced the Junior NCO's who worked for him that one could still hear the same tones and vocal inflections and colourful phrases used by him 20 years later,so that many of the WO2s of the 1960s sounded like rather poor imitations!
They will know who I mean!
Project Liaison Officer
Kitna Price was commissioned in April 1954 and served as QM in BAOR,UK and Cyprus,where he earned a Mention in Dispatches.
He became the Project Liaison Officer given the task of setting up the new Fusilier Brigade Depot at Sutton Coldfield and between 1961 and 1963 he supervised the building and equipping of St George's Barracks.
1963 to 1970 saw him in Kenya again as QM to the Army Civil Defence School at Kahawa until his promotion to Lt Col. Lt Col Stanley Price then went to the Army Staff as Staff QM MOD AG2 and served there until he retired from active service in 1975,having given a total of 36 years,and having been awarded the OBE in 1974.
He had not finished! He took a Retired Officer Post at HQ The Prince of Wales Division and then he was off to the Sultan Of Oman's Armed Forces with the responsibility of equiping the Sultan's Armed Forces.
He was home on leave when following a sudden and very short illness he died.
John Lemmon's memories of Kitna
This was sent in to the site by John Lemmon
Stanley (Kitna) Price's Son in Law
My memories are of a more mellow man, with a sharp and witty sense of humour, whose greatest pleasure was to tease his grand-daughter unmercifully, and, from what I have read this will cause many of you to wince at the thought, laugh uproariously when she used to tug at that famous moustache.
I met Stan's daughter, Linda, when I was posted to the Depot Prince of Wales Division, Lichfield, after a two year tour in Ballykelly.(1977) At the time I was a Cpl in 1st Bn 37th/67th Royal Hampshire Regiment. Linda was a Civil Servant working in the Depot pay office, and was stunningly attractive. After some discreet enquiries, I was suprised to find she was unattached, although there always seemed to be a lot of young subalterns lurking around the pay office when they were not involved in training recruits. I bit the bullet and asked her out for dinner, which she accepted, and our courtship started. All the time I went out with Linda, the only information she gave me was that 'Daddy worked in Oman'. After a couple of months she asked me to go and have Sunday lunch as 'Daddy was home on leave, and would like to meet you.'As she was driving me to the Price household, I asked her just what the Hell did 'Daddy' do in Oman? She airily replied, 'Oh, he's a Lt Col or something, in the Sultans Army. He's dying to meet you'. I'll bet he bloody is, I thought to myself.
'Does "Daddy", the Colonel, know that I'm a Cpl?'
During the rest of the drive, I got the whole lot, Lancashire Fusiliers, Chindits, RS bloody M, OBE,
commissioned from
the ranks, finishing with, 'You'll like him, he's very interested in you!'
The rest of the drive was completed in a thoughtful silence.
on arriving at the front door, it was opened before Linda could get her key out, and I was confronted with a ram rod straight man, the same height as me, with steel grey temples, a pepper an'salt moustache and ice blue eyes that bored right through me. 'Ah! so you're John, are you?'Not quite a bark, but very staccato.
'Yessir, pleased to meet you Sir!'
'Cut the Sir rubbish, call me Stan.'
'Yessi...I mean, Stan.'
'Well, come in then. Linda, go and help your mother, I want to have a chat with John.'
I was ushered in to a large sitting room, and Stan made me sit while he busied himself at a drinks cabinet.
'Will you have a whisky with me?'
'Yes please, Si...er,..Stan.'
He waved a bottle of Teachers Cream at me and asked, 'Soda, coke, lemonaid, ginger, water?'
'Er, nothing thank you, just straight.'
'Ice?'
'No thanks, just as it is please.'
'Good man.' The Teachers was replaced in the cabinet, and a bottle of 12 year Chivas Regal was produced. It
appeared I
had passed my first test!
That was the first of many sessions over a bottle of one kind or another. 6 months later, Stan was again home on leave, and I had to pluck up the courage to ask him for his daughters hand in marriage. His reaction was to pull a bottle of champagne out of the fridge, and with a big beam on his face, say to me, 'I was wondering when I was going to get to open this bloody wine.'
Over the few short years that I had the privilage to know this extraordinary man, my respect and admiration for him kept growing. On my promotion to Sgt, he gave me his LF silver topped cane, (which I still use on my walks in the New Forest)saying that the LF crest on the handle would bring a touch of class to the Royal Hampshires. I didn't dare disagree! He forgave Linda for marrying a Royal Hampshire, on the grounds that the 37th of Foot had been at Minden, and the 2nd Bn Hampshire Regt had disembarked from the collier,'River Clyde'at Gallipoli. Francesca, my daughter, insisted that on her wedding last June, that she cut her cake with an LF sword. I am grateful Lt.Col. Jim Martlew O.B.E.for the loan of the sword. (She also had a few R.Hamps and REME items as well. A true Barrack Brat!'
Finally, to Jimmy Cavanagh who wrote about a memoir from Christmas 1955 in Iserlohne. That little girl who talked your hind leg off is my wife, and she can still talk for NATO!!
Ray Coadwell
Greetings Joe. on this dull and over cast ANZAC Day morning 2008.
The following are the memories I have of the RSM Kitna Price by Ray Coadwell
On the afternoon after our arrival in Moascar four of us decided to have a look around the camp and it was whilst doing so we encountered, crossing the road ahead of us a smartly turned out officer, stick under arm, sam-brown shining is the sun. Up went four arms giving the smartest salute we could muster, but all we got for our effort was to be yelled at, YOU DONT SALUTE ME, I' M THE RSM, BUT YOU DO CALL ME SIR. and with that he walked on.
Later when I as an R.P I was detailed to meet the RSM outside the Sgts.Mess. don't recall the reason, and we headed towards the company lines. A 2/Lt emerged from one of the barrack blocks and started up the road. As we converged the RSM whispered to me "on the word three, a smart eyes right now" At the moment of the officer passing we saluted but the RSM came to a sudden stop, spun on his heels and standing rigidly at attention called after the officer who had now passed us "Sir, we saluted you, you did not return our salute, don't ever do that again Sir, " He gave another salute which the officer sheepisly returned, and we all continued on our way.
The 25 Jan. a date we all remember, my section was told to occupy an intersection alongside a Centurion at the corner of the Barracks with my task, being the section Bren-gunner, to cover the road and a door in the wall and prevent anyone from leaving. The tank opened fire on the building with its machine gun which was followed by the deafening roar of its gun. Small arms fire came back in our direction, but we had the cover of the wall.It was shortly after ofter this that the RSM arrived and without any apparent concern for his well-being, climed upon the tank and grabbed what I think must have been an external phone directed the firing of three rounds into the building. all this took place with continued incoming fire. Why he was not hit I do not know but then the was off again.
About two months later I was transfered to the M.T.Company as the PLO stores clerk and one Saturday the RSM came into the office and asked me who the duty driver was for that night, "I am sir" I replied "Well then Coadwell there's a do on tonight at the Sergeants Mess and I want you to pick up Mrs Price and myself from the mess at 2355 hrs. and return us to our quarters and don't be late" I took note and arrived in good time, The Regimental Dance Band was in full swing at the time. On cue the RSM and Mrs Price arrived and I drove sedately to their home in the married quarters. As I pulled to a stop outside, Mrs Price who was sitting in the rear said to the RSM,"give him something","what" he replied so she said again " give him something for driving us home" "but he's on duty" was the reply. "It does'nt matter, he's out at this time of night and could have been home in bed". A couple of notes were passed over and that was that. I often wondered who ran the Battalion.
After my unfortunate accident just outside Fort Hall,I had to attend the MO Centre at Eastleigh for head bandage replacement. Upon leaving I encountered the RSM who looked at me and said with a smile and a dig "put your hat on Coadwell" "sorry it wont fit sir" and as he walked away he turned and still with a smile said " then carry it smartly" About a week later I again emerged from the MO this time without bandage I again saw the RSM. "Glad to see you can get your beret on Coadwell" "thank you sir" This time as he walked away he turned his head and again with a grin said "and get a hair cut" That was the last time we met.
Joe those are my stories, but a postscript to all this is that after my N.S. my TA unit was the Wiltshire Reg. I was soon transfered to the 1st C/Bn. Wiltshire Regiment as a CSM drill instructor. A year later became the Battalion RSM. I learnt a lot from our RSM. It is also ironic that I was later commissioned and became CO of "C" Coy. Hope you find all this interesting regards Ray Coadwell
My Uncle... Their Hero
09 October 2008
ISN'T it funny how the past catches up with us at the most unexpected moments?
Sometimes things we haven't thought about for years are suddenly there, in our face. And usually caused by the daftest things.
Last week I was researching the Gurkhas on the net and there was a link to the Chindits, some sort of special forces outfit that fought in Burma during the Second World War. It rang a vague bell from when I was a kid.
So I clicked on it. Then I spotted one word that rang an even louder bell. It was "Kitna."
Where had I heard that before?
Then I remembered. Kitna. Kitna Price. Also known as Uncle Stan.
He died years ago. In the early 80s, I think. I remember because I was going to ask him to give me away at my wedding and then it was too late.
My mother was devastated. He was her kid brother and she adored him. He was the one who got away, who left the mills and ran off to join up.
And the boy did good.
He became the youngest regimental sergeant major in the British Army and shot up through the ranks. By the time I was old enough to understand these things, he was a Lieutenant Colonel.
But to me, he was Uncle Stan. I didn't see him often but he was very dapper with a dauntingly glamorous wife and a beautiful daughter.
He was warm, funny, generous – and prone to gentle teasing. He had the most outrageous waxed handlebar moustache and I thought he was brilliant, a real pussycat.
So it was a bit of a shock to find a website describing him as a legend in his own lifetime, a hero and a role model.
It was even weirder to read about grown soldiers being so terrified of the Dunkirk veteran that they ran away and cowered in a toilet when he approached.
He was also, it seems, a little eccentric. How else do you describe a man who, while stationed in India, put a bicycle under arrest in the guardroom for moving on parade because it fell over. Or who gave a cloud a rollicking for daring to overshadow his parade ground.
Or who put an entire company in the guardroom for being scruffy on parade. There is even a rumour that he put himself on a charge when he looked in the guardroom mirror and told himself he was scruffy and a disgrace to his regiment.
Frankly. I don't believe that one. But the rest... well, perhaps.
It did, however, clear up his nickname. Kitna is the Urdu for "price" as in Stanley Price. Family mystery solved.
Uncle Stan went on to great things and, when he retired, was hired by the Sultan of Oman to reorganise his army. He died soon after.
But one thing is clear from the website – just how much he was respected by his men.
And that's worth knowing, at any price.
Halifax Evening Courier newspaper. By Jane Percival ( Kitna's Niece)
Grave and Respect Ceremony
From: Sturminster Newton RBL
Sent: 25 January 2009 11:18 PM
To: townclerk
Subject: Trying to locate a grave in town cemetery
Dear Mrs Derricott,
I have been contacted by the Lancashire Fusiliers Web site and asked to get a photograph of the grave for one of their late members.
His name was Stanley Price and he is apparently buried in Plot JJ4 in the Garden of Remembrance in the Bridge Cemetery.
Not knowing my way around the cemetery I wondered if you had a plan of the site that indicated where within it plot JJ4 might be so I could find it.
The council confirms that we have checked the late Stanley Prices ashes plot. It does have a memorial stone but unfortunately it is difficult to read and is in need of a good clean. From the top (new) car park, JJ4 is in the older section of the Gardens of Remembrance on the left of the gravel path going towards the Chapel of Rest. We have an A4 size plan which shows the site of the plot (and others surrounding it) and the council can post this to you
Many thanks,
Trevor Legg
Secretary
Sturminster Newton Branch (BR 2443)
The Royal British Legion
---
Respect ceremony for Lt Col Stanley (Kitna ) Price OBE.
At 1000 hrs on the 7th September 2009, a group of Lancashire Fusiliers and the daughter of a decorated Lancashire Fusilier came together at a tiny cemetery in Sturminster Newton, Dorset.
It had taken the web site team almost 2 years to track down the last resting place of Kitna Price and to organise the renovation of his gravestone,culminating in a visit to his last resting place to pay their personal respects and to convey the respectful sentiments of LFs from around the world.
The party of John McCormick,Geoff Pycroft and Joe Eastwood had spent the night at the White Hart in Sturminster Newton, where they had been joined the night before by Mrs Esmee Walsh (widow of Brian Walsh LF ) and by Alan and Pauline Gunn (Warwicks and 2 RRF ) Also attending the Saturday night's convivialities were Mr Trevor Legg, Secretary of the local RBL and his ex service colleague David.
On the Sunday morning, they were pleased to meet at the churchyard Barbara Parker (daughter of John ( Mucky )
Mason DCM)
of 2LF and Cassino fame.
Barbara has kindly agreed to place Minden Roses on the grave on August the 1st of each year.
Also arriving unannounced having travelled from Devon was John Griffiths (LF) who we had last seen at the Veterans weekend in Blackpool.
The group were welcomed by Mr Nigel Pope, an ex Warrant Officer from the Dorset Regiment who in civilian life is the local Undertaker.
It was Nigel who had officiated at the funeral for Kitna in 1982, the cremation having taken place in Yeovil and the urn of ashes interred at Sturminster Newton.
For the past 27 years Nigel has retained and kept safe the cap badge worn by Kitna which had been placed upon the coffin before cremation.
He has promised to send it to Joe Eastwood for presenting to the Gallipoli Garden Museum.
Following a brief service which included a eulogy followed by a short silence and the lowering of the LF standard, Minden Roses and a Poppy were carefully placed at the head of the gravestone.
Nigel gave the group information which led to Geoff, John McCormick and Joe being able to locate and to visit the very house where Kitna had died. The current owners were away, but a charming couple who lived next door agreed to give us what they knew about the events of 1982, including the latest address they had in the USA for Mrs Billy Price who had remarried.
The team will now try and communicate with her.
We now feel that Kitna has had the proper send off he should have been accorded in 1982 and that our duty to him has been carried out.
Since writing this report, I have been contacted by the Mrs Linda Lemmon, Kitna's daughter.
Linda sends her thanks and appreciation for the restoration work on the grave stone.
Linda tells me that her mother Billy (Kitna'swidow ) is now 95 years old and living with Linda and her husband
John in Southampton.
I have their address.
Joe
Minden Day 2010
True to her word,
Barbara (daughter of Mucky Mason DCM ) attended the grave of Kitna Price and paid her respects on behalf of us
all.
Since our refurbishment, the grave still looks pristine.
Many thanks Barbara.
1st Aug 2021
Once again our thanks go to Barbara Parker who again visted Co lPrices grave and place a cross and Minden rose on it
LT. COL. STANLEY (Kitna) PRICE. OBE.
I salute you Sir.
"Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did"
Captain(retd) Joe Eastwood BEM CQSW.
OMNIA AUDAX XXTH.