2/Lt George GRIFFITHS, 1/KRRC DoW 15 Sep 1916

[MBrockway]

Pals,

I've been doing some research on 2/Lt. George Richards GRIFFITHS, 1st Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps for Chris_B's Mitcham War Memorial project - see this post and following: George Griffiths in 'Annals of KRRC' Topic.

This tragic chap had a very unlucky career on the Western Front in 1916 ...

01 Sep - disembarked in France

12 Sep - joined 1/KRRC

14 Sep - left 1/KRRC due to wounds

15 Sep - Died of Wounds

On his MIC, he is also listed as Lance Serjeant George Richard (sic) GRIFFITHS, 5810, Inns of Court OTC. (This is an error incidentally - his middle name was definitely Richards)

So far I've been able to fill in a lot of his family history for Chris_B from the Census, Trade Directories etc., as well as his very brief KRRC career. See the posts after the link above.

It would be very nice if anyone could help with his time in the Inns of Court OTC.

I've also drawn a blank so far on finding the London Gazette entry for when he was commissioned as 2/Lt in the KRRC. No luck withthe LG Search Engine yet Any help there also gratefully appreciated!

Cheers,

Mark

[stiletto_33853]

Mark,

His time in the Inns of Court O.T.C. shows as:-

joined 21/8/15

served in No.6 & No.2 Companies

number 5810

rank Sergeant

commissioned KRRC 21/4/16

Died of wounds 15/9/16

O.T.C. show his middle name as Richards

Andy

[SteveE]

Mark

A London Gazette entry, #29774 5th October 1916. Link to Gazette is Here

The undermentioned are transfd. from Res. to Regular Bns. as temp. Officers, with dates of seniority as shown against their names:

K.R. Rif. C. - 2nd Lts.: -

G. R. Griffiths. 22nd Apr. 1916.

R. C. Hadland. 6th June. 1916.

S. Barrand. 7th July 1916.

A. W. Farnan. 7th July 1916.

H. G. Leigh. 7th July 1916.

Regards

Steve

[SteveE]

Mark

He has a file at the NA under the following reference:- WO339/56905 GRIFFITHS G [1914-1922]

The index to Officer's long number papers records him as 2nd Lt. Griffiths, Geo. Richards 20/60 (or 20th Bn. K.R.R.C.)

Regards

Steve

[MBrockway]

Mark

He has a file at the NA under the following reference:- WO339/56905 GRIFFITHS G [1914-1922]

The index to Officer's long number papers records him as 2nd Lt. Griffiths, Geo. Richards 20/60 (or 20th Bn. K.R.R.C.)

Regards

Steve

Steve,

Many thanks - I was hoping your LG expertise would come to our aid!

So LG has him transferring from a Reserve to a Regular Battalion effective 22 April 1916.

Andy has him being commissioned out of the Inns of Court OTC into the KRRC on 21 April 1916.

His MIC has his Date of Entry into Theatre as 1st Sep 1916.

The KRRC Chronicle has him joining 1/KRRC on 12 Sep 1916.

It looks like the NA Officers Papers has him in 20/KRRC (BEL Pioneers), who were already in France on 21/22 April 1916, but had only been there 3-4 weeks.

Is it safe then to assume that he was initially posted into 20/KRRC in April 1916, but stayed in England over the summer, and by the time he eventually went overseas, he was earmarked for service with 1/KRRC instead? 1/KRRC would have certainly needed replacement officers after the losses on The Somme.

Unfortunately I'm unable to get to Kew to look up his papers in WO339 and these are not available on-line as far as I'm aware.

Another angle might be to check the KRRC BVM medal roll and see what battalions are mentioned for George. Can anyone help with that?

I've checked for mentions in the 20/KRRC sections in the 1915, 1916 and 1917 KRRC Chronicles with no result, and I've also searched through Turberville's History of the 20th KRRC (British Empire League Pioneers) - again drawing a blank.

The 20/KRRC War Diary might mention the transfer of an officer to another battalion, or possibly his posting in from the OTC, but as he was never physically present with the battalion, this is perhaps unlikely.

1/KRRC's War Diary for 12 Sep 1916 might mention his arrival and whether he had transferred from 20/KRRC, but that's a bit of a long shot.

Incidentally I found another reference to George in the Corrigenda for the 1916 KRRC Chronicle, but it merely confirms that the Place of Wounding was indeed Hébuterne which is where 1/KRRC were on 14 Sep 1916.

He was buried at Couin further to the west, presumably after being evacuated to the Field Ambulance there from Hébuterne.

Cheers,

Mark

[John Charles Griffiths]

Hello! I've only made one posting ( 5/6/2018 ) and I'm probably in trouble with mbrockway already. Please see original thread for 2lt George Richards Griffiths KRRC

[MBrockway]

1 hour ago, John Charles Griffiths said:

Hello! I've only made one posting ( 5/6/2018 ) and I'm probably in trouble with mbrockway already. Please see original thread for 2lt George Richards Griffiths KRRC

 

That’s Mark to you Old Chap!

 

A very big welcome to the Rifles family here on the Forum.

 

I’m made up to read your contributions in the other topic. I’ll copy it over to here when I’m back at home in a day or two.  It would be good though if we used this topic for any further material!

 

Cheers,

Mark

[John Charles Griffiths]

Glad to be aboard, Mark.

Having just retired, I've actually been allotted a few hours a day by " she who must be obeyed " I'll have a dig round and see if there is anything else that may be relevant.

 I can tell you that Georges' wife, my nana, saw out her days in a flat in Thames Ditton ( from childhood memory it was 9, Longmead.... I believe Terrace, being cared for by my aunt Muriel.

David ( known as George ) took his family to the Derby neck of the woods and Uncle Wlliam went to Leatherhead and is survived by his wife Mavis ( a lot younger, I'm sure you will appreciate.)

I'll keep in touch.

 

John

[John Charles Griffiths]

Mark - 

a bit further info for you...

George re enlisted 3rd November 1903 & discharged again as 4877, trumpeter, 3rd Middlesex Royal Garrison Artillery on 3rd February 1904.

Again re enlisting he was finally discharged by purchase, on 22nd June 1906, as 2000, George R. Griffiths, private, Middlesex Imperial Yeomanry Regiment. Total service in the Imperial Yeomanry 2 years 231 days.

He was then 28 years 7 months old.

In 1900 or the early part of 1901, George Richards Griffiths, Trumpeter, was presented with a silver trumpet by the then Prince of Wales, later to become Edward VII, for services rendered. ( I believe that this, along with his QSAM, went to David/George)

And that, good people, is all I know of my granddad !!

[MBrockway]

Thanks for those additional facts John.

 

Here's the content from the other topic ....

 

On 05/06/2018 at 13:07, John Charles Griffiths said:

As an introduction, my name is John Charles Griffiths - George Richards Griffiths was my paternal grandfather.

 

I know that I'm very late on parade but I do hope that someone out there is still interested. The following was in my late father's bits and bobs....... read on.

 

The following is typed by my father Kenneth Charles Griffiths b13/8/1913 and died in his 80th year.

 

"MY FATHER : GEORGE RICHARDS GRIFFITHS.

The following information is derived from various items in my possession and memory. Dates are as near as I can assess.

 

My grandfather came to London from Carmarthen in the late 1800's. He resided on Highgate Hill and on can only surmise that he was buried in Highgate Cemetery. Nothing is known of his wife but I believe he had three sons, George, Arthur and Percy. I do not know in what order.

 

My father was born in September 1878. As to his education I know nothing. In 1899 at the age of 21years, he served in the Boer War in 62 Coy The Imperial Yeomanry, as, amongst other things, a bugler, during the reign of Queen Victoria and early part of Edward VII.

 

My father was awarded the Queens South Africa Medal, stamped 24430 Bugl. George Richards Griffiths 62nd Coy Imperial Yeomanry.  This carries five clasps; Cape Colony, Orange Free State,Transvaal, South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902.

 

He married my mother in 1907, then 29 years old, my mother was 19.

 

Four children were born.

• David ( thereafter always called George because of his outstanding likeness to my father ) 1908,
• Muriel 1910,
• Kenneth 1913 and
• William 1915.

 

At the beginning of the marriage they lived in Carshalton, Surrey.

 

Between the ages of 24 and 26 and up to the beginning of the 1914 war he was in partnership with his brother Percy in premises in High Holborn London as Civil and Military Tailors. My mother told me that he said if he returned from the war he would give up the business and get a job as a cutter, as so much money was owing by officers who purchased uniforms and equipment and the got posted to India and far flung places and failed to pay their bills. It would seem that it was not unusual in those days to keep the poor old tailor waiting for their money.

 

Sometime during this period he also seems to have served with the Inns of Court Regiment.

 

The family then moved to 6, Preshaw Cresent, Mitcham, Surrey where I was born, and then finally to 1, Abbey Terrace, Abbey Road, Merton S.W.19. His name is inscribed on the war memorial on the green in front of the house at 6, Preshaw Cresent, Mitcham.

 

At the outbreak of war my father was posted to Wellingboro' on an Officers course and then to a hutted camp on Wimbledon Common - I remember as a child being driven in an open Landau accompanied by the then Capt. James from the cottage at Mitcham up to the camp.

 

Before sailing for France my father must have been posted to Ipswich, for he sent me a postcard showing the round pond In Christchurch Park dated 29th June 1915 and one to Muriel showing a house opposite the White Hart PH in Wickham Market dated 18th July 1915. He also sent me an embroided silk Good Luck card showing a black cat and Union Jack. He also sent me a postcard of a donkey and child from Southampton dated 1st September 1916 from where he presumably embarked, plus a futher one from Le Harve dated 9th September 1916.

 

On arrival in France my father was sent to a base and a few days after to the front line on the Somme.

 

My mother was notified of his death on a Sunday morning on or about 23rd September 1916. He was awarded the British War Medal 1914 -1918.

 

He was 38 years old.''

 

I ( John ) am in possession of his '' Death Penny''.