Second Boer War Mexican Revolution Caryl ap Rhys Pryce DSO (30 September 1876 – 26 November 1955) was a Welshman and soldier of fortune most noted for his role in the 1911 Magonista rebellion in Baja California, Mexico.

Active service ensued in the Boer War, including six months in the Imperial Light Horse in 1900, prior to employment in the South African Constabulary later that year.

But with business slack, and in fear of being hitched by the lady in his life, Pryce made a typically spur of the moment decision - whilst walking late one night he happened upon the ferry to Los Angeles, and without further thought or telling anybody of his intentions he jumped aboard.

Among a party of 18 volunteers, Pryce was guided across the border into Mexico by Generalissimo Jose Maria Leyva, and his second in command, Simon Berthold, his fellow mercenaries including another Boer War veteran, "Melbourne" Hopkins from Australia, and several U.S. Army deserters, most prominent of which was to become Stanley Williams.

Poorly armed, the budding revolutionaries joined up with a party of Indians, 'the only thing distinguishing them as an army, the anarchist emblem, tiny red bows, pinned to their sleeves' (Humphries).

The ongoing raids on cattle, and other activities, caused extreme discomfort amongst the wealthy American land owners in the Imperial Valley, which in turn put further pressure on Washington and, ultimately, President Diaz, to do something.

Williams and Pryce rode out to meet them with what has been called the 2nd Battalion of the Liberal Army in Lower California, better known as the "Foreign Legion" - a force of 80 men, only 30 of whom were mounted - and they were ambushed in an open cornfield on John Little's Ranch by Mexican machine-guns and artillery pieces.

Humphries takes up the story: Shells screamed overhead, kicking up great clouds of dust and sand, the Magonistas diving for cover in the craters gouged in the desert floor.

In fact, one of Bill's bombs took out a machine-gun and Pryce and some of his comrades were able to make their escape, but not before noting that the Mexicans were in no mood to take prisoners, bayoneting their wounded where they fell in the cornfield.

By now, to the 40 or so surviving Magonistas, states Humphries, Pryce 'was a mercenary, pure and simple, the only man capable of leading them to the elusive pot of gold, if it existed,’ and was accordingly appointed their Generalissimo.

However, the victory at Tijuana was overshadowed by the capture of Ciudad Juarez by the Maderista General Orozco, which development persuaded Pryce that he required more arms and ammunition before continuing his advance.

Alerted to their presence, the U.S. authorities moved in and arrested them on 19 May, then rushed them through proceedings at the District Court the next day, but only for the War Department to sanction their release after no evidence was secured to hold them.

Returning to his troops at Tijuana, Pryce was dismayed to discover that Diaz had signed a treaty with Madero on 25 May, the former fleeing to France and the latter now close to gaining power as a result of imminent elections.

His position untenable, Pryce crossed the border for L.A. for a final show down with Magon, who hitherto had been of little assistance; leaving behind a Tijuana that one observer described as 'like living on the brink of a volcano; with not a sane man in the entire town, just anarchy.'

Pryce returned to Canada and joined the Fort Garry Horse at Winnipeg in 1914, but subsequently transferred in the rank of Lieutenant to the 5th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, Humphries stating that 'after ten months training, he sailed with the Canadian Expeditionary Force to England aboard the S.S. Irishman, transferring again on arrival to the Royal Field Artillery, attached to the 38th (Welsh) Division, of which his elder brother, Harry, was a General Staff Officer.'

Ably assisted by Battery Sergeant-Major E. G. Horlock, V.C., who he described in his diary as a 'treasure', Pryce witnessed heavy fighting on the Somme in 1916, when ordered to get his guns into position behind Fricourt, not far from Mametz Wood, one of the objectives of the famous July offensive.