Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family Group:

British War Medal 1914-20 (2. Lieut. J. E. Griffiths) contained in an unrelated velvet lined leatherette case; together with silver plated photograph frame with studio portrait of Second Lieutenant Jack Griffiths, in uniform, frame with applied silver plated Gloucestershire Regiment cap badge (frame size 110mm x 204mm); together with a matching silver plated photograph frame, with studio portrait in uniform, of his brother Second Lieutenant William George Griffiths, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, with applied silver plated Royal Welsh Fusiliers cap badge, some polishing loss to silver plating on photo frames, otherwise good very fine (lot) £160-£200

John ‘Jack’ Enos Griffiths was born in 1893, the second son of John Griffiths, a ship owner and coal exporter who lived at Gnoll Park Road, Neath. Educated at Taunton School along with his younger brother William, he was a talented sportsman and captained the school cricket XI in both 1912 and 1913. After returning to Neath to join the family business he played rugby for the Y.M.C.A. and represented Neath R.F.C. at full back at least once in the 1913-14 season. He also turned out regularly for the Neath Cricket Club. He attested for service on the same day as his younger brother in December 1915, and after training in the Inns of Court O.T.C., in November 1917 he was commissioned into the Gloucestershire Regiment. Posted o the 2/5th Battalion, on 23 April 1918 his battalion launched a successful attack on a position called Bacquerolles Farm. The German retaliatory bombardment caused a number of casualties and Jack was one of four officers killed. He is buried in the St Venant Robecq Road British Cemetery, France.

Sold with a silver mounted presentation cricket ball, silver band (no hallmarks) engraved: ‘Taunton School 1910. Average Ball won by Jack Griffiths who also won the average Bat’; and an original photographic image of Jack at Taunton School.

William George Griffiths was born in 1896, the youngest of three sons to John Griffiths. Along with his older brother ‘Jack’ he was educated at Taunton School where, like his older brother, he excelled at sport. He spent a year in the school’s Officer Training Corps and after leaving studied mining engineering, with the intention of following his father into the coal exporting trade. He attested for military service alongside his brother in December 1915 and after a brief period in the Reserve and the Inns of Court O.T.C., was accepted for a temporary commission in the army. In July 1917 he landed at Alexandria to join 5th Battalion the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, in the 53rd Welsh Division, Egyptian Expeditionary Force. On 9 March 1918 his battalion was ordered to capture a position on Cairn Hill, adjacent to Tell ‘Asur. William was the only officer of 5th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers to be killed in the assault. He is buried in the Jerusalem War Cemetery.
Both brothers are commemorated on the Taunton School War Memorial and the Neath Town War Memorial.

Sold with a Great War period British Officer’s Marching Compass by Sinclair, London (lacking leather case) but contained in retailers box of Sir John Bennett, 65 Cheapside; vintage ‘sports kit’ comprised of white sports shorts and ‘Sportsman’ brand cricket jumper, with dark and pale blue banding, retailed by A. Calder of Cardiff, with sewn in name label ‘Griffiths’.