263234 Sgt. Laurie Noel Price New Zealand Expeditionary Force 3rd Echelon 2nd New Zealand Division from:Oakura, Taranaki, New Zealand I was about 16 years of age when my uncle, Laurie Price returned to New Zealand after the war. As far as I know this information is correct and is written from memory of conversations within the family. He was my mother's younger brother, one of four who went to the war. Luckily all returned, as did my brother.
Sgt. Laurie Price, was with the 3rd Echelon from New Zealand, was sent to Egypt. His next of kin was his mother, Charlotte Maude Price.
He was captured in Greece and shipped to Bari, Italy. In Italy he had surgery possibly an appendectomy? Then he was sent to Udine before being moved to Stalag 8A.
My uncle was one of the many men who walked across Germany. I understand he spent time at Bournemouth to recover before being shipped back to his home in New Zealand. He said very little about his experiences, except that his surgery was painful, the injection for the surgery didn't work, but the one they gave him afterwards behind the knee allowed him to pull hair out for years later without any pain. The prevalence of lice was mentioned and how his finger nails became V-shaped because it was better to stroke them away rather than scratch and break the skin. On the march across Germany, he and his mates found a cellar with potatoes, they boiled the first lot, dirt and all, the second lot they washed, and the third they peeled before eating them. Unfortunately, I do not know where he met up with the Allied forces. However, he did comment that the American POWs struggled more than most on the long march.
He was a very quiet man who never married and died approximately in the 1960-1970s.
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