Queen's South Africa Medal : Second Lieutenant David Clayton Winchcombe Howell-Price, 3rd New South Wales Mounted Rifles

Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps 'SOUTH AFRICA 1902', 'SOUTH AFRICA 1901', 'CAPE COLONY', 'TRANSVAAL', and 'ORANGE FREE STATE'. Engraved around edge with recipient's details.

Born in 1888 David Clayton Winchcombe Howell-Price served in the Boer War as a second lieutenant, with E Squadron, 3rd New South Wales Mounted Rifles.

Howell-Price later joined the Permanent Military Forces as a lieutenant attached to the Administrative and Instructional Staff. In 1914 he was appointed adjutant of the 9th Light Horse Regiment (NSW Mounted Rifles), a militia unit. As such he was responsible for the administration of the unit and its finances. In private life Howell-Price lived a life of considerable luxury, funded by his horse racing interests. While he owned a small number of race horses, most of his money was made from high stakes betting. Apparently finding himself in financial difficulty he devised a system of defrauding the Commonwealth through his position as adjutant. From 1914 to late 1916, when his actions were uncovered, he devised a system of paying non-existent members of the regiment, by claiming that they had been mobilised for the wartime AIF, enriching himself in the process. It was estimated that 66,000 pounds had passed through his hands in this way. After a widely reported and sensational trial, further complicated by Howell-Price's divorce and declaration of bankruptcy, he was eventually convicted on two counts of fraud and sentenced to four years imprisonment. Charges relating to a possible further 55,000 pounds were dropped out of consideration for his parents.

The Howell-Prices had six sons, of whom David was the eldest. His five brothers - John, Frederick, Owen, Philip and Richmond - served with great distinction in the First World War. All were highly decorated. The three youngest had been killed by the end of 1917 and prosecutors agreed that the family had suffered enough. The medals of all six brothers are held by the Australian War Memorial.