Harold (Richard) Griffiths was born in 1895 at Almeley, Herefordshire. He had an elder sister, Annie, and younger brother John. Their mother was Sarah Griffiths. She was a widow and worked as a laundress, as her husband, John, died around c.1897/1898. They lived at Spearmarsh near to Almeley. By 1911, Harold was working as a domestic gardener and living at his employer’s house, Waun y Pwell, near to Llandegveth, Montgomeryshire. His employer was Frederick Thomas, a manufacturer of engineering parts. After 1911 records for him are scant and his movements cannot be traced. It is possible he came to Oswestry working as a gardener, however, he enlisted at Colsterdale Yorkshire joining 15 Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own) – this suggests he had moved on from Oswestry to Yorkshire.

It is not known when he enlisted; he was not awarded the 1915 Star so he did not serve overseas until 1916. His battalion had been raised in November 1914 and had remained in the UK until December 1915 when it went to Egypt. It is possible he was with the battalion then – the last day for award of 1915 Star was 31 December 1915. The battalion left Egypt for France and the Western Front, arriving at Marseilles on 3 March 1916. It is more likely that Harold joined the battalion in France in one of a number of drafts.

During August 1916 the battalion was operating around Festubert. Harold was KIA on the 20 August 1916. He was in the front line when the enemy laid down a bombardment as prelude to a later but unsuccessful raid. He is buried at Le Touret Military Cemetery. He is also commemorated at St Oswald’s Church, Oswestry and on Almeley War Memorial, Herefordshire  – both listing him as West Yorkshire Regiment.

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

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