muttley Posted 3 August , 2022 Share Posted 3 August , 2022 Hi, I'm Searching for information on a 'I D' bracelet to 2nd. Lt. E. J. M. Griffiths. 9th Cheshires. on the reverce side is, Mametz Wood July 1916. Kemmel Hill Aug 1916. Ploegsteert Sept 1916. With my research iv found him as wounded. The date may be 24/09/16. he served in France but i have a photo of him in Egypt perhaps recovering from his wound. His name in full is Eric John Mortlock Griffiths. I would like to find more on his military service if anyone can help. Kind regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 3 August , 2022 Share Posted 3 August , 2022 (edited) Welcome to the forum. One of four sons(all commissioned) of the Rev TMM Griffiths of Warmingham, he is shown in a January 1915 press clipping as 2nd Lt and Quartermaster, South African Defence Force. His MIC, which you've no doubt seen, says RSM 10th DMR UDF, and Lieut, CheshireR. Entitled BWM/VM. Do you think SADF and UDF have been confused? 10th DMR was a SADF unit. Furthermore he went out to SA in Jan 1911 returned 1915, went back 1927. Charlie DMR = District Mounted Rifles. Edit. His commission 2nd Lt on probation, 3rd Chesires, was LG 8/7/15, effective 10/5/15. Edited 3 August , 2022 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 3 August , 2022 Share Posted 3 August , 2022 (edited) There's an ancestry tree that has in the gallery a photo of him in uniform before King GeorgeV. Another in SA uniform and another on a camel in front of the pyramids. "Eric John Mortlock Griffiths - Facts" https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/57456499/person/48021935356/facts?_phsrc=nxN974&_phstart=successSource Edited 3 August , 2022 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 3 August , 2022 Share Posted 3 August , 2022 The pyramid photo has this on the back: Inscription on back of photograph reads - L to R 2nd/Lt Bolton(Bolo) Norman Hughes M.O., self EJM Griffiths (self) I Griffiths climbed face to top, rested 2 mins, down again in 12 mins 40 secs. Good going?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 3 August , 2022 Share Posted 3 August , 2022 The implication is that after his wounding 1916 he was trfd to another Bn in Egypt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 August , 2022 Share Posted 4 August , 2022 14 hours ago, muttley said: The date may be 24/09/16. No. He was wounded night of 15/16th Sept 1916 in an unsuccessful raid on enemy trenches. War Diary page on Ancestry is here. See app VIII for detail. "Ancestry.co.uk - UK, World War I War Diaries (France, Belgium and Germany), 1914-1920" https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/60779/images/43112_2090_0-00324?backlabel=ReturnSearchResults&queryId=4d8a4155c0177cddb3adc5a298297f96&pId=375496 Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 4 August , 2022 Admin Share Posted 4 August , 2022 Split into new thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 August , 2022 Share Posted 4 August , 2022 Sensible split. Anyway that raid by 9th CheshireR is well detailed in the Appendix VIII. Development of planning, air photos, report of results etc. Excellent detail. Lt Griffiths was in charge of a bombing party that reached German lines but could get no further so he brought them back. Seeing he had some men missing he returned to find them and was hit in the face.... Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muttley Posted 4 August , 2022 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2022 That's a brilliant bit of infomation you have sent. I shall now be able to search deeper into his military history. yes i do have his MIC and was wondering about the UDF. thank so much for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 August , 2022 Share Posted 4 August , 2022 (edited) 4 minutes ago, muttley said: able to search deeper into his military history Keep us posted. Particularly Egypt and after. It would be good to ID 'bolo' Bolton and the MO Norman Hughes. Edited 4 August , 2022 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 August , 2022 Share Posted 4 August , 2022 @FROGSMILE You might like the photo of him in SADF uniform that is on that Ancestry tree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 4 August , 2022 Share Posted 4 August , 2022 12 minutes ago, charlie962 said: @FROGSMILE You might like the photo of him in SADF uniform that is on that Ancestry tree? Yes please, if a ‘copy’ can be made and posted here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 August , 2022 Share Posted 4 August , 2022 (edited) I haven't the skills to copy. Hopefully someone else can? "Lieutenant E J M Griffiths" https://www.ancestry.co.uk/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/57456499/person/48021935356/media/4ca0944d-7585-496f-9273-d03a92a803d2?_phsrc=nxN983&usePUBJs=true&galleryindex=5&sort=-created Edited 4 August , 2022 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 August , 2022 Share Posted 4 August , 2022 Cracked it - oops, no, the 'add files' doesn't seem to want to look for anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRC Posted 4 August , 2022 Share Posted 4 August , 2022 17 hours ago, charlie962 said: Inscription on back of photograph reads - L to R 2nd/Lt Bolton(Bolo) Norman Hughes M.O., self EJM Griffiths (self) I Griffiths climbed face to top, rested 2 mins, down again in 12 mins 40 secs. There is only one E.J.M. Griffitihs in the index to the British Army Lists for November and December 1918 and unfortunately because of the way that page has been scanned for the November one, the relevant column number is not visible. Fortunately the index in the December 1918 edition is more visible. That leads to his entry as a Lieutenant, with seniority from the 1st July 1917, shown on the establishment of the 3rd Battalion (Reserve), Cheshire Regiment, but attached to the 9th Battalion. (Column 1104a). https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103437236 So looks like his entry has never been updated for the subsequent unit(s). Looking through the rest of that months entry for the 3rd Reserve Battalion, it may be a coincidence but in Column 1104c there is a 2nd Lieutenant G. Bolton, with seniority from the 29th August 1917, but he is shown as attached to the 2/22nd Battalion, London Regiment. https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103437248 There is a MiC for a Private 16634 George Bolton, Liverpool Regiment, who was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Cheshire Regiment. 2/22nd (County of London) Battalion (The Queen’s), London Regiment. Formed in Bermondsey in August 1914. By January 1915, in 2/6th London Brigade in 2/2nd London Division at Redhill. This formation was later retitled as 181st Brigade in 60th (2/2nd London) Division. Moved to St Albans in March 1915. Went on to Braintree (May 1915) and Sutton Veny (January 1916). 25 June 1916 : landed at Le Havre. November 1916 : moved to Salonika. 2 July 1917 : moved to Egypt.https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/london-regiment/ The index for the December 1918 British Monthly Army List has 5 I. Griffiths, all with a middle initial but none appear to be on the establishment of the Cheshires or Londons. Of course they too could have been attached. I.C Column 1571m = 2nd Lieutenant Machine Gun Corps (MiC shows Ivor Clifford, 62nd Battalion) I.E. Column 1973j = 2nd Lieutenant New Zealand Machine Gun Corps. I.H. Column 920 = 2nd Lieutenant East Kent Regiment attached 7th Battalion East Kents. (MiC shows Ivor Henry, first landed in France on the 17th April 1918). I.H. Column 1655c = 2nd Lieutenant Army Service Corps. I.J. Column 1657h = 2nd Lieutenant Army Service Corps. (MiC shows Ivor John, first landed in Egypt 31st July 1918). Unfortunately the entry for the 22nd Battalion doesn’t show which Medical officers were attached and there are quite a few N Hughes in the Monthly Army List. The My Heritage website says it has 5 pictures of Eric John Mortlock Griffiths, but they are behind a paywall. The best you get for free is a low res thumbnail like this – Image courtesy MyHeritage. https://www.myheritage.com/names/eric_griffiths So could be a mixed bag of units represented on the picture – is it possible to make out any cap badges? And apologies it it's all a load of red herrings ! Cheers, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 August , 2022 Share Posted 4 August , 2022 (edited) 10 minutes ago, PRC said: I. Griffiths, ? Why I? Edit- ah, I think that in the inscription on the back of the photo, 'I' referred to 'self'. There are only three in the photo ( that you cannot see and I cannot post..) Edited 4 August , 2022 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRC Posted 4 August , 2022 Share Posted 4 August , 2022 Just now, charlie962 said: ? Why I? Because after self in brackets that is the last name you've transcribed - I. Griffiths Of did he have literary aspirations and after writing self twice he added that for good luck as well ! Cheers, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 August , 2022 Share Posted 4 August , 2022 Crossed posts! Sorry. Me myself personally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muttley Posted 4 August , 2022 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2022 That's a brilliant bit of infomation you have sent. I shall now be able to search deeper into his military history. yes i do have his MIC and was wondering about the UDF. thank so much for the help....... Now i have read the War diary on Ancestry that you sent me. difficult to read page 407 to 411 Officers hand writing isnt easy to read but 2Lt Griffiths is mentioned twice. as i find it hard to read i will keep at it until it becomes clear. thanks for all you have come up with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 August , 2022 Share Posted 4 August , 2022 57 minutes ago, muttley said: as i find it hard to read i will keep at it Try a draft transcript and we'll proof read? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muttley Posted 5 August , 2022 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2022 I see in the photo just head and shoulders, his bugle cap badge is that of the "Northern Rifles" of South Africa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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