Howell-Price, John, DSO, DSC (Lieutenant, b.1886 - d.1937)

Collection relating to the First World War service of Lt John Howell-Price, RAN. Collections consists of Howell-Price's commissioning certificate upon his appointment to the rank of Lieutenant on 13 January 1921.

John Howell-Price was born on 16 September 1886 at St Alban's Parsonage, Five Dock, Sydney, and after running away to sea at 14 served an apprenticeship as a merchant-navy officer in clippers before obtaining a master mariner's certificate. He joined the Royal Naval Reserve as a temporary sub-lieutenant on 24 March 1915 and was serving as an acting lieutenant in the armed merchant cruiser H.M.S. Alcantara when she met the German raider S.M.S. Greif in the North Sea on 29 February 1916. After a fierce fight both ships were sunk, the survivors nearly freezing to death in open boats before they were rescued. For his part in the engagement John was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. He later transferred to submarine service and was promoted temporary lieutenant, R.N.R., on 24 July 1917. He was second-in-command and navigator of the old British submarine C3 which, filled with explosives, was blown up at Zeebrugge, Belgium, on the night of 22-23 April 1918. The commander of the submarine was awarded the Victoria Cross and John Howell-Price the Distinguished Service Order. After the war he transferred to the Royal Australian Navy in the same rank and returned to Australia in command of the submarine J3; he served with the R.A.N. until 1921 when he rejoined the merchant navy as a master with the Federal Steam Navigation Co. Ltd, making several trips to Australia. He died on 13 November 1937 at Liverpool.

• Oversize folder 1 of 1 - Commissioning certificate issued to John Howell-Price