Phial of desert sand : Trooper L D Price, 2 Light Horse Field Ambulance, AIF

Glass phial with metal lid containing a small sample of sand.

This phail of Sinai Desert sand was collected from Hassaniya in the Sinai Desert in 1916 by 494 Private Lewis David Price. A native of Goodna in Queensland, Price was born in January 1896. Before the First World War he did a year of militia service with 11 Infantry Regiment and then enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 2 November 1914. He was attached to 2 Light Horse Field Ambulance and landed on Gallipoli in May 1915. He served there until December when he was evacuated with frostbite a few weeks before the general evacuation.

Price soon rejoined his unit and served in Egypt and Palestine until the end of the war. He left Suez for home leave in November 1918 and was discharged 26 February 1919. By the time of his discharge Price was a Corporal and had been Mentioned in Despatches. His MID was published in London on 22 January 1919. Between the wars Price worked with the Department of Defence as a Storeman. In the late 1930s he joined the Commonwealth Military Forces and was selected to be part of the Australian Coronation Contingent which traveled to England, via Egypt, for the 1937 Coronation of King George VI. Price was one of the Australians who suggested that Dominion soldiers participate in a 24 hour guard at Buckingham Palace and he proudly took his turn as King's Guardsman.

On his return to Australia he was posted to Darwin with the Australian Army Ordnance Corps from 1938-1940. On 19th June he enlisted in the Second AIF and was assigned the service number DX564. In October that year he embarked for service in the Middle East. He served in North Africa, Palestine and Syria with 7 Division Headquarters, on the staff of Major General Lavarack. He returned to Australia in March 1942 and continued serving with the AAOC in the Northern Territory with the Darwin Mobile Force and was in command of 2 Base Ammunition Depot. During his service he was promoted Lieutenant in August 1941, Captain in September 1942 and Major in May 1944. He was discharged on 30 June 1948.