Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The General Service Medal awarded to Rifleman D. Griffiths, Royal Green Jackets, who was shot dead by an I.R.A. gunman in the Falls Road area in August 1972
General Service 1962, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland (24227550 Rfn. D. Griffiths, R.G.J.), in its named card box of issue, last letter of regiment officially corrected, extremely fine £600-800

David Griffiths, who was born in Birkenhead in March 1953, was serving on his second operational tour in ‘B’ Company, 3rd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets, when murdered by an I.R.A. gunman in the Falls Road area of Belfast on 30 August 1972. He was 20 years of age, single and from Speke, Liverpool.

I.R.A. terrorists had the night previously 'made prisoner' the occupants of a house located on the comer of Clonards Street, in the catholic Falls Road. Then, under cover of darkness the terrorists carefully removed the mortar from surrounding a single brick below the front window of the house, which overlooked the street - then equally carefully they replaced the brick into its original position.

In the early morning of 30 August 1972 a foot patrol of ‘B’ Company, 3rd Royal Green jackets, commanded by 2nd Lieutenant A. Kinnear, moved slowly down the street, the soldiers keenly but nervously alert. The practice of the patrol was to move forward in a leap-frogging manner with the first section of the patrol taking up a stationary position to cover the second section of the patrol as it moved quickly forward. The second section then took up a similar position to cover the advance of the first section. Rifleman Griffiths moved quickly forward from his covering position to take up a kneeling position in front of the window of the house on the comer of Clonards Street, which unbeknown to him, was occupied by the I.R.A. gunmen. The previously loosened brick was silently removed and, edging his rifle quietly through the gap, the terrorist gunman shot Rifleman Griffiths in the back at point-blank range. Although wearing body armour in the form of a flak-jacket the range was too close for the jacket to protect him adequately - he was mortally wounded and died a few minutes later. In the confusion, the murderers made good their escape via the back door of the house, through the narrow back streets of The Falls, until they merged into the safety of the residents of the area, sympathetic to their cause. Only 24 hours previously, Corporal Morrill of ‘A’ Company, 3rd Green Jackets, had been killed in the same area whilst searching a terrorist suspect.

Griffiths was buried with full military honours at Allerton Cemetery, his coffin being borne on a gun-carriage and the service attended by Lieutenant-Colonel Robin Evelegh, 3rd Royal Green Jackets, and Griffiths’ platoon commander, 2nd Lieutenant Andrew Kinnear; sold with a poignant hand written letter from a fellow Green Jacket who was charged with the removal of Griffiths’ body to the mortuary - on collecting his private possessions for return to his family, the tip of the round that killed him was found inside of his flak jacket.