Dave Walter GRIFFITHS

Dave Walter GRIFFITHS Update Details

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GRIFFITHS, Dave Walter

Service Number:	452
Enlisted:	22 August 1914, An original of G Company
Last Rank:	Lance Corporal
Last Unit:	4th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1895
Home Town:	Summer Hill, Ashfield, New South Wales
Schooling:	Petersham Public School, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation:	Labourer
Died:	Killed In Action, France, 18 April 1917
Cemetery:	Lebucquiere Communal Cemetery Extension Plot II, Row B, Grave No. 30
Memorials:

World War 1 Service

22 Aug 1914:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 452, 4th Infantry Battalion, An original of G Company
20 Oct 1914:	Involvement Private, 452, 4th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: ''
20 Oct 1914:	Embarked Private, 452, 4th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Sydney
1 Feb 1916:	Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 4th Infantry Battalion

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Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

Lance-Corp. Dave Walter Griffiths, M.M., was the son of ex Senior Sergeant D. Griffiths, of the New South Wales Police Force, who lived at 15 Prospect Road, Summer Hill, Sydney. His dad was stationed at Darlinghurst for 26 years and was later in charge of Ashfield Police Station. Lance-Corporal Griffiths was awarded the Military Medal for great bravery at the battle of Lagnicourt. For two days he acted as a linesman and continued to signal under tremendous difficulties, under heavy fire and as result of the correctness of the messages he sent through he did much to save his unit. Unfortunately, he afterwards lost his life when a delayed action mine left by the Germans, exploded at the Quartermaster’s store in Velu, near Bapaume, only three days later. Nine men in total were killed in the explosion.

He enlisted in Sydney at the outset of the war (August 1914) at the age of 19 and went through the Gallipoli campaign from the landing to the evacuation, acting as a signaller all the time. Later, on his unit going to England, he was appointed a signalling instructor at. Salisbury Plain, and continued in that position till he was sent to France as a signaller on the headquarters staff.

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