Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Able Seaman J. Griffiths, Royal Navy, who was killed in action when the S.S. Avoceta was torpedoed by the German Submarine U-203 and sunk north of the Azores, 25 September 1941

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure, this laminated, in flattened card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. C. A. Griffiths, 44 New Street, Rushall, Walsall, Staffs’, nearly extremely fine (3) £100-140

John ‘Jack’ Griffiths served during the Second World War as a D.E.M.S. (Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship) gunner, with the rate of Able Seaman, in the armed steam passenger ship the S.S. Avoceta. At 00:31 hours on 26 September 1941, whilst part of convoy HG-73, en-route from Lisbon to Liverpool, she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-203, under the command of Rolf Mützelburg, north of the Azores. Hit on the port side close to the engine room, she sank quickly, with the loss of 43 crew, 4 gunner, and 76 passengers. There were only 43 survivors.

Griffiths was amongst those killed, aged 29. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. His medals were sent to his wife Constance Griffiths.

Sold with three postcard photographs, comprising a portrait photograph of the recipient, the reverse inscribed ‘To Connie, with all my love, Jack’, and dated 31 August 1940; a photograph of the recipient with a comrade, dated Gibraltar 16 July 1941; and a group photograph, the reverse inscribed ‘Your ever loving hubby, Jack’, and dated 6 September 1941, less than 3 weeks before the recipient’s death.