Name
Thomas George Griffin
19 February 1897
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/04/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
12896
Bedfordshire Regiment
4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 5
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Hatfield Town Memorial, Hatfield In Memoriam Book, Welwyn Garden City Memorial, Hatfield Hyde Village Memorial, St. Mary Magdalene, Church Memorial, Hatfield Hyde, All Saints Church Roll of Honour, Datchworth, Not on the Watton-at-Stone memorials
Pre War
Thomas George Griffin was born on 19 February 1897 in Watton. Herts, the son of John Griffin & Emily (nee Parker) and one of nine children.
In 1901 the family were living at The Wharfing Cottages, Stapleford and his father was an agricultural labourer. Thomas moved from Stapleford school to Datchworth in 1904 and on the 1911 census he was living with his sister Edith Nellie and her husband, Frederick W Hunt, at West End, Essendon, Hatfield. His brother in law was a farm labourer.
Thomas gave his home address as Hatfield on enlistment.
Officially recorded as born in Watton and was living in Hatfield, Hyde when he enlisted in Hertford.
Wartime Service
Thomas enlisted at Hertford and joined the Bedfordshire Regt, initially being posted to the 1st Battalion. He served in France from 27 April 1915, joining the Battalion at Bailleul on 1st or 2nd March as part of a draft of 25 men.
At some point he was transferred to the 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment and took part in the attack and capture of Gavrelle village on 23 April 1917 during the 2nd Battle of the Scarpe (part of the Battle of Arras). The battalion suffered 260 casualties that day which included Thomas George Griffin.
He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France.
The Bishop’s Hatfield Parish Magazine of August 1916, in the twenty-fourth list of men mobilised from Hatfield, recorded: “Griffin, Thomas G. The Hyde, 1st Beds Regt.”
Awarded the Victory Medal, British War Medal and the 1915 Star.
Additional Information
His sister Edith N Hunt received a war gratuity of £12 and pay owing of £310 10s 2d.
Hatfield Parish Council Souvenir Committee Ledger: Mrs Harding (Sister) of Hill Farm, Ayot St Lawrence, nr Welwyn, received an “In Memoriam and Roll of Honour Album”.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
June Colegrove, Malcolm Lennox, Adrian Pitts, Pat Bird, Brenda Palmer, www.bedfordregiment.org.uk, Christine & Derek Martindale, Hatfield Local History Society (www.hatfieldhistory.uk)
