George Lawrence Price

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Private George Lawrence Price (Regimental Number: 256265) (15 December 1892 – 11 November 1918) was a Canadian soldier who is traditionally recognized as being the last soldier killed during the First World War.

He was born in Nova Scotia on December 15, 1892, and lived in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan when he was conscripted in late 1917. He served with A Company of the 28th Battalion. On the 11th of November, Price was part of an advance to take the small village of Havre.

After crossing the Canal du Centre into the town of Ville-sur-Haine under German machine gun fire, Pte. Price and his patrol moved toward a row of houses intent on pursuing the machine gunner who had harassed their crossing of the canal. The patrol had entered the house they had thought the shooting had come from but found the Germans had exited through the back door as they entered the front. They then pursued into the house next door and again found it empty. George Price was fatally shot in the region of his heart by a German sniper as he stepped out of the house into the street at 10:58 AM November 11th 1918, just two minutes before the armistice ceasefire that ended the war went into effect at 11:00 AM. [1]

He is buried at St. Symphorien Military Cemetery, just southwest of Mons.

See the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site for details of his war grave.

There is also a marker beside the Canal Du Centre in the town of Ville-Sur-Haine that marks the place where Private Price was shot.

George Price's story has been researched and is the topic of a 2003 screenplay (Remembrance: Dr Michael Moss) and a documentary film (First and Last: Director: Matt Gallagher).

[edit] External links

• The Last Hours