Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Trimmer G. Griffiths, Mercantile Fleet Auxiliary, killed when serving on S.S. Royal Edward, 13 August 1915

British War Medal 1914-20 (G. Griffiths, Tt., M.F.A.); Mercantile Marine War Medal 1914-18, unnamed, good very fine (2) £60-80

Griffith Griffiths was born c.1885 in Treherbert, Glamorganshire. He worked for the Royal Line of Toronto, as a Fireman and Trimmer. He was killed (presume drowned) when the S.S. Royal Edward was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UB-14 in the Aegean Sea, 13 August 1915. He was the son of David and Margaret Griffiths, of 8 Wyndham Street, Tynewydd, Glamorgan.

The submarine was one of a number of German vessels transported across Europe in sections and reassembled for service in the Mediterranean. The Royal Edward was en-route from Alexandria to Mudros carrying reinforcements for the Gallipoli campaign when she was attacked. The ship sank very quickly and although rescue vessels were soon on the scene and the submarine made no effort to interfere, the loss of life was severe, with less than 500 survivors out of the 1,366 troops being carried and a crew of 220.

With the paperback, Fastest to Canada, The Royal Edward from Govan to Gallipoli, by Richard Oliff (signed by the author) with C.D.; together with copied research in a folder.