"You're only 22 and you see things like that ... it would have been mentally very tough."
Peter said it was clear his father had been traumatised by what he had seen during his brief, but violent, brush with war.
"He'd sometimes just sit down and sit there quietly ... just thinking," Peter said.
"I know a lot of people who have told me that their dads never spoke about what they had been through."
Frank Price was just 22 when he went off to war aboard the troop transport ship, SS Arawa, in October 1914, and the disastrous Gallipoli campaign was to be his introduction to battle.
It was a fiery introduction and on the tenth day of his duty in the line of fire, and in the darkness of night, he felt a shock he later said felt like he had been hit by a sledgehammer and thrown to the ground.
But he felt no harsh pain and was able to get to his feet, but only briefly, before setting out to crawl about 300 metres back from the front line.
He had been hit in the left shoulder by the expanding bullet which had travelled halfway down his back before exiting his body — leaving a hole big enough to put a clenched fist into.
A medical crew cleaned and dressed the wound the best they could and readied him for transport out to one of the waiting battleships offshore.
Private Price later paid great tribute to the medical teams and stretcher bearers who risked their lives to deliver aid to those who suffered often horrendous wounds.
"Not one, but many dozens did I see who deserved Victoria Crosses," he later said.
"There are so many heroes in the stretcher-bearer corps that it would be impossible to particularise — yet they will never be mentioned."
He also remarked that while the average Turkish soldier were "fine fighters" there were some, like snipers, who were "not under control" and were simply out to "bag" anyone on the other side, and that included stretcher bearers in some cases.
The bearers wore broad white armbands to indicate their roles, but some snipers used that as a clear target to aim for, Private Price said.
He had been lucky in that while the gunshot wound was extensive it had not torn into his lungs or other vital organs, and he had talked about being fit and ready to get back into action "in a few months".
But the injury was too severe, and he was put aboard the transport ship Willochra and returned to New Zealand with other wounded Kiwi troops.
The Willochra berthed in Wellington on July 15, 1915, and he spent his first days back in his home country in the Wellington Hospital for more extensive treatment.
He was to be cared for by Mrs A. Ellingham who it was reported at the time had "generously consented to care for the wounded soldier until he recovers from his wounds".
On July 27 he boarded the northbound train for Hastings and Mrs Ellingham travelled down to Waipawa to meet with him there for the final journey to Hastings where a fine welcome had been arranged.
The Hastings Standard newspaper reported that Private Price was to be given a fitting public reception, as he was the first of that town's troops to return home from war.
"The mayor and other prominent citizens will meet the train on arrival and a procession, headed by the town band, will form and march to the Pacific Hotel where speeches of welcome will be made.
"We trust the public will rally around and greet the returned soldier in a befitting manner."
The public did indeed "rally around".
"The whole of the population of Hastings must have turned out judging by the tremendous crowd present at the railway station to welcome him.
"The returned soldier, on stepping from the carriage, was greeted with an outburst of cheering which was kept up until he reached the car that was in waiting for him."
Mayor William Hart addressed the great gathering and said Private Price, along with so many other brave New Zealanders, had helped to uphold the dignity of the British Empire.
After the speeches and welcomes a procession was formed and, led by the band, marched through the city to the Pacific Hotel where a fine meal was put on.
Frank Price stood and thanked everyone for the magnificent reception which had been turned on for him.
He told the gathering that he, like many other young Kiwis, thought they were going on some sort of overseas pleasure trip — an adventure.
But after what so many had gone through it became clear very quickly it was far from fun.
However, those who suffered wounds and were able to recover were quick to put their hands up to return to service — which he managed to later do.
But it was not until December 1918, after WWI had ended, that he was finally able to take up duties again, as a staff sergeant for records duty in Egypt.
He was married at that time, having wed Ida Jean Rapley in February 1917, and they went on to have 10 children, although two died within just days of their birth.
Frank Price worked as a commercial traveller and later a meter reader for the local power board.
And as son Peter pointed out, his dad also returned to a semi-military role during WWII when he was charged with helping look after conscientious objectors in Taupo.
It was there he suffered a heart attack after straining himself helping shift supplies off a truck, as the men he was overseeing refused to work on a Sunday.
He continued to suffer heart problems after that and his wife looked after him for three years before he passed away at the age of 55 in 1947.
Peter said his mother had asked Frank what he wanted to do that day and he replied he wanted to go outside and look at the daphne flowers in the garden.
So she carefully assisted him outside.
"And he died in her arms — looking at the daphne flowers."
