Roche Noire Photos

While I have yet to visit Salonika and pay my respects to my great-uncle, I was fortunately contacted by Gary Wall, whose great-uncle also died during the taking of the Roche Noire salient.

To mark the centenary, Gary travelled to Greece, visiting the battlefield and the cemetery at Polykastro (aka Karasouli).

He has kindly allowed me to post some of his photos on the blog. Many thanks mate!

The hilltops that were the focus of the assault

Looking across to the Roche Noir, marked a lump of rock on the hilltop.

View from one of the hilltops looking down towards the British line.

Looking down towards the valley bottom where the British line started the assault.

You can still see outline of trenches on the hilltops.

Gary at his great-uncle's grave at Karasouli Cemetery

John's headstone, located in the previous photo at Gary's right shoulder, just to the right.

Thanks once again Gary!

Felton & Preston Wynne Memorial Hall

Another update for my great uncle John Lee Price. A while back I discovered an article in the Hereford Times (thanks to Herefordshire History) that details the opening of Felton & Preston Wynne Memorial Hall.

Among the fallen of the two parishes that the hall is dedicated to is one John Price. I believe this to be my great uncle, and as such have noted the dedication on his page. I have also included a photo of the memorial plaque that I managed to take recently.

(Note that on Herefordshire Council's excellent WW1 centenary website, the incorrect John Price is listed for this memorial - in an email to me, the Herefordshire archives team have promised to rectify this mistake when circumstances allow.)

John Lee Price: Hospital Records

I've found some hospital records, transcribed by Forces-War-Records, which show my great-uncle John being admitted during his time in Salonika.

These are interesting in that they could explain why he was transferred from the 9th Gloucestershires to the 2nd Gloucestershires.

For more details click here or select his name from the list on the right hand side of this page.

John Lee's Final Effects

Ancestry have now digitised the Register of British Soldiers' Final Effects (held at the National Army Museum) and I have found my Great-Uncle John's entry. His page has been updated accordingly.

John Lee Price - his page updated

I have updated the page dedicated to my great uncle John Lee Price.

Thanks to the Government Probate office's website, I have obtained a copy of his will, which gives us more information on which regiment he was serving in during 1918.





I have also found mention of him in a newspaper article from 1924, which reveals that his wooden grave marker was among 90 that were brought to England and erected at Cheltenham Cemetery for the dedication ceremony of the Cross of Sacrifice.

In a way then, John finally returned home.