The interesting former Halton Apprentice’s Second World War Coastal and Transport Command Pilot and long service group awarded to Squadron Leader M.E. Price, Royal Air Force. Price from Aldershot, Hampshire, became a Halton Apprentice in January 1930, and having qualified as a Master Rigger, went on to convert to become a N.C.O. Pilot in December 1936. He flew pre-war with both No.206 and No.233 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron’s, and was with the latter unit on the outbreak of the war and as such flew patrols over the Atlantic and the North Sea along the coast of Denmark and Norway in Hudson aircraft. When Denmark and Norway were invaded by Germany in April 1940, 233 Squadron flew attacks upon shipping and land targets, such as airfields, virtually every day. Price also flew out of Wick with the detached flight that flew Albatross aircraft on a regular service to Reykjavik in Iceland. Commissioned in March 1943, he saw service with RAF Transport Command for the rest of the war, and also trained up aircrew with the Harrar and Sparrow Flight. Opting to remain the service post-war, he eventually took up a permanent commission in 1952 when serving with the Technical Branch, specialising in aircraft engines. The last period of his service during the 1950’s and through the 1960’s was with HQ Transport Command, the Ministry of Aviation, and the Ministry of Defence. He served just shy of 40 years.
Group of 7: 1939-1945 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence Medal; War Medal; Royal Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVI 2nd type bust; (FLT. LT. M.E. PRICE. R.A.F.)
Condition: Good Very Fine.
Montague Ernest Price was born on 2nd July 1914 in Aldershot, Hampshire, and enlisted into the Royal Air Force on 14th January 1930 as an Aircraft Apprentice (No.564002) for instruction with No.2 (Apprentice) Wing at R.A.F. Halton. Having completed his training as a Halton Apprentice, he was ranked as an Air Craftman 2nd Class from 1st July 1932, and advanced to Air Craftman 1st Class on 31st December 1933, when serving with No.4 Aircraft Depot as a qualified Master Rigger. Advanced to Leading Air Craftman on 31st December 1934, he then found himself posted out to the Middle East for service with No.4 Flying Training School from 20th April 1935, but was posted back to the Home Establishment on 27th December 1935, and was with the Depot in the North East Area from January 1936. In April 1936 he was posted to No.6 Flying Training School for pilot training, and was reclassified as a Pilot and Master Rigger on 31st December 1936, being qualified to fly as a 2nd Pilot in aircraft. Then in January 1937 he was posted to the School of Aerial Navigation at R.A.F. Manston, and later that same month was posted to No.206 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron, which unit was then assigned to the School of Aerial Navigation.
In May 1937 he was posted to No.233 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron at R.A.F. Upper Heyford, and moved with the unit to R.A.F. Thornaby in July 1937. Promoted to Sergeant on 31st December 1937, he was station with his squadron at R.A.F. Leuchars from February 1938, where his squadron, a part of Coastal Command, was busily converting from Anson to Hudson aircraft, and he was still there at Leuchars on the outbreak of the Second World War, and still with No.233 Squadron. Throughout 1940 No. 233 was one of five RAF squadrons equipped with Hudsons, and flew patrols over the Atlantic and the North Sea along the coast of Denmark and Norway. When Denmark and Norway were invaded by Germany in April 1940, 233 Squadron flew attacks upon shipping and land targets, such as airfields, virtually every day.
In July 1940 Price, who had been promoted to temporary Flight Sergeant on 15th May, then found himself posted to the newly formed No.271 Squadron, which was a Transport Squadron that worked mostly within the UK, moving equipment and supplies, especially when RAF fighter squadrons moved airfields. For a while the Squadron operated a detached flight at R.A.F. Wick, and it was to this station that Price found himself posted. The detached flight flew Albatross aircraft on a regular service to Reykjavik in Iceland, but when both aircraft were lost this was abandoned, and the detached flight instead acquiring Dominies, which were used to supply remote Scottish communities.
Price was promoted to temporary Warrant Officer on 1st April 1941, but spent that year in and out of hospital, before being posted to the Aircraft Depot at Hoylake in July 1942. He was discharged to an emergency commission as a Pilot Officer (No.52655) on 2nd March 1943, and posted to the General Duties Branch, being posted back to 271 Squadron, he remained so employed through to February 1944. The Squadron was transferred to the newly formed RAF Transport Command in March 1943, and was re-equipped with Dakotas from August, although a flight of Harrows were retained as air ambulances.
Price who was promoted to Flying Officer on 3rd September 1943, then found himself posted to Doncaster in February 1944, and to No.1689 (Wic) Flight from April 1944, this operated from Wick. He was now employed on aircrew training duty with the Harrar and Sparrow Flight, and from May 1944 found himself posted to the Headquarters of Transport Command, being promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 3rd March 1945.
In April 1946 he retrained with the School of Technical Training, and undertook an engineering course, and then transferred to the Technical Branch from 6th May 1947. Having taken up a short service commission, he then continued in the service as a Flying Officer and temporary Flight Lieutenant, before being promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 25th July 1947 with seniority back dated to 3rd September 1946. Initially posted to the No.4 School of Technical Training at St. Athan, in September 1948 he was posted to the Headquarters of Mediterranean and Middle East Command at Ismailia, and in the following month was posted to El Hamra, before joining No.107 Maintenance Unit at Kasfareet later that same month when employed as a Technical Engineering officer. He would remain there until posted home in March 1952, and after two months leave was posted to No.1 Overseas Ferry Unit at Abingdon. He then took up a Permanent Commission as a Flight Lieutenant on 15th April 1952.
In January 1953 he was posted to the No.3 (Long Range) Ferry Unit as a technical officer with the Handling Party for this unit which operated out of Abingdon, and worked First Line Servicing through to February 1954, his unit having moved to R.A.F. Benson back in April 1953. He then remained with First Line Servicing at Benson until posted to the Headquarters of Transport Command at Upavon as an officer serving with the Technical Plans Department from December 1955 and remained employed there until finding himself one of 16 specialist officers who were selected to attend a Work Study Course at the R.A.F. School of Work Study at Westhorpe House at Hendon from 13th April to 8th May 1959.
In June 1959 he was posted to the No.12 School of Technical Training at Melksham, and in December 1960 was posted for duty with the Ministry of Aviation, when employed as a Staff Officer Technical regarding engine matters. Price was promoted to Squadron Leader on 1st January 1961, and was posted to R.A.F. Bruggen in Germany from 4th March 1964, as the Officer Commanding the General Duties Engineering Squadron. He was however sent home ill in May 1964, and in July on his recovery was posted to the Ministry of Defence as a Staff Officer with the Air Force Department and handling matters concerning aircraft engines. From May 1967 he was with the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and then having rejoined the Headquarters of Transport Command, retired from the service on 1st July 1969. Price died on 2nd March 1997.
