Ville-sur-Haine
George Lawrence Price
Canadian private George Lawrence Price, known as the last soldier of the British Empire to be killed in the First World War, was shot and killed by a German sniper at Ville-sur-Haine just two minutes before the armistice went into effect. A memorial plaque marks the location.
In 1991, the town erected a new footbridge across the Canal du Centre, at 50°28′25″N 4°03′58″E / 50.4737°N 4.0662°E. A plebiscite was held and on 11 November of that year the bridge was officially named the George Price Footbridge (French: Passerelle George Price).
On April 24, 2015, l’école communale de Ville-sur-Haine was renamed École George Price.
On November 10, 2018, Canadian Governor General Julie Payette and other dignitaries, attended the inauguration of a tear drop shaped monument in honour of Private Price, located in Ville-sur-Haine.
References
- ^ Bridger, Geoff (2009). The Great War Handbook. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. p. 182. ISBN 978-1-84415-936-9.
- ^ George Price, Web matters, retrieved 13 November 2010 Contains photographs of canal, monument and plaque.
- ^ Le Clercq, Jean, Le Rœulx: le village de Ville-sur-Haine (in French), Belgium, retrieved 13 November 2010. Contains photographs of bridge and monument, and record (in English) by Price's nephew George Barkhouse as guest at the naming of the bridge.