Orders, Decorations and Medals

Five: Chief Stoker W. G. Griffiths, Royal Navy

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, no clasp (Sto., H.M.S. Woodlark); India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Burma 1885-7 (Stoker, H.M.S. Woodlark); China 1900, 2 clasps, Taku Forts, Relief of Pekin (Act. Ch. Sto., H.M.S. Alacrity); British War Medal 1914-20 (125218 Ch. Sto., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (Stoker, H.M.S. Victory) mounted as worn, some edge bruising, contact marks, nearly very fine and better (5) £800-1000

A total of 42 China 1900 ‘two clasp’ medals were awarded to the crew of the despatch vessel H.M.S. Alacrity.

William George Griffiths was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, on 30 September 1864. He entered the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class, serving on Asia on 13 November 1883. He was promoted to Stoker in June 1884 when on Woodlark; Leading Stoker 2nd Class in September 1896 and Leading Stoker 1st Class in April 1898, when on the Royal Soveriegn. Griffiths joined the Alacrity in January 1899 and attained the rank of Chief Stoker aboard her in July 1901. Pensioned ashore in July 1903, he joined the R.F.R. at Portsmoth in November that year. With the onset of war, he served on Victory II, Hermione and Magpie and was demobilized in 1919. Sold with copied service papers and with riband bar.