Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

"GRIFFITHS.— The Relatives and Friends of Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Griffiths Snr., of 11 Curry Street, Merewether, are invited to attend the funeral of their late beloved son, ROBERT WRIGHT GRIFFITHS, to move from Newcastle Hospital on TUESDAY, at 10 a.m., for Crematorium, Beresfield." - from the Newcastle Sun 22 Dec 1941 (nla.gov.au)

"OBITUARY - MR. R. W. GRIFFITHS.

The funeral of Mr. Robert Wright Griffiths, of Curry-street, Merewether, will take place to-day. Mr. Griffiths was fatally injured in a road accident on Saturday night. Police and police reservists will march a short distance with the funeral from Newcastle Hospital, and a number of police will go by car to Beresfield Crematorium and act as an escort there. Mr. Griffiths was a police reservist and a Customs Officer. The funeral will leave Newcastle Hospital at 10 a.m." - from the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate 23 Dec 1941 (nla.gov.au)

"CUSTOMS MAN'S ACCIDENTAL DEATH BY CAR

Knocked down by a car near the intersection of Hunter and Merewether streets, Newcastle, on the night of December 20, Robert Wright Griffiths, 47, a Customs employee, of Curry-street, Merewether, died on December 22. A finding of accidental death was recorded by the District Coroner (Mr. A. G. Chiplin) at the inquest to-day. Detective H. N. White said that he examined the scene of the accident at about 11.20 p.m. and saw a pool of blood about 12 feet from the kerb on the northern side of Hunter-street and about 30 feet from the intersection of Merewether-street. He also interviewed the driver of the car, Ernest James Connors, who was sober. Asked what his version of the accident was, Connors replied that he had not seen the man. He had only felt a bump and had pulled his car up immediately. He was travelling at not more than 20 miles an hour on his correct side. Replying to Mr. F. O'Donnell (for Grifflths's relatives), White said he would not like to express an opinion that a car going at 20 miles an hour would make a dent like the one on the car. To Captain G. J. O'Sullivan (for Connors), he said he understood that Griffiths was blind in the right eye. David Deakin, a builder, of Pell and Janet streets. Merewether. said that about 11.25 p.m. he was driving a car east in Hunter street and when approaching the intersection of Hunter and Merewether streets, he saw what appeared to be papers fly from a car he was following. This car stopped and as he drove up he saw a man lying on the road way. The car in front had been travelling at about 20 miles an hour. There was a slight haze, the lighting was poor, and the visibility bad. He did not see Griffiths struck by the other car.

DID NOT SEE PEDESTRIAN

To Sergeant Flynn (for the police) he said that he did not see any pedestrian cross from the south to the north of Hunter street. He was watching the car in front. Ernest James Connors, a corporal in the East Command Provost Company, Newcastle Covering Force, said that he was driving his car in an easterly direction along Hunter-street at a speed of about 17 or 20 miles an hour. He was on his correct side about six feet out from the kerb. Just after he passed the intersection of Merewether and Hunter streets he felt a bump but did not know what he struck. He applied the brakes and stopped in about 20 feet. He got out of the car and went back to where he saw a man lying on the roadway. He appeared to be unconscious. Connors said that while he was driving along he did not notice any person walking on the road way or step off the footpath. The lighting in the vicinity was very poor, owing to the international situation. To Mr. O'Donnell, Connors said that he knew the yellow lines at the intersection were a safety zone for pedestrians crossing the street. He always eased his speed at this intersection. Dr. J. W. Smith said that cause of death was shock and cerebral haemorrhage due to a fracture of the skull and laceration of the brain. Mr. F. A. L. O'Donnell appeared for Griffiths' relatives, Captain G. L. O'Sulllvan for Ernest James Connors, and Sergeant Flynn for the police." - from the Newcastle Sun 13 Jan 1942 (nla.gov.au)