Llewellyn Griffiths

Commander Llewellyn Griffiths (23 January, 1871 – 31 October, 1942) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

The son of a Colonel L. Griffiths from Broadstairs. The younger Griffiths gained eleven months' time on passing out of Britannia. His first naval appointment was two years in the central battery ironclad Audacious on the China Station from July 1886 to July 1888. He stayed in China another year, spending time in Imperieuse and Sapphire. On 19 July 1889, he was appointed to Camperdown for the Annual Manoeuvres of 1889.

Griffiths was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 13 November, 1892. He was appointed to the Widgeon on the CApe of Good Hope Station, where he spent a year.

Griffiths was appointed in command of the destroyer Hardy on 15 April, 1898.

He was appointed in command of the destroyer Chamois on 13 January, 1899.

On 2 May, 1899, he was appointed to Psyche on the North American Squadron as First Lieutenant. He was invalided out in March, 1901.

Griffiths was appointed in command of the torpedo gunboat Skipjack from mid January 1902 to 18 October 1904. He was blamed for the 1904 flooding of the ship's forward 4.7-in magazine.

Griffiths was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1904.

Griffiths was appointed executive officer in the second class battleship Trafalgar on 25 April 1905. On 7 May 1906, he received a favourable inspection of Trafalgar, except his wine bills were noted as being excessive. On 6 July he was superseded and went to Portsmouth for a Signal Course and a War Course.

His last appointment was in Cumberland from 21 February to 12 March, 1907, after which he went on half pay. A survey was requested to see if his ill health was due to alcoholism, and Commander-in-Chief, Devonport opined that Griffiths should not again be employed.

An application to join the Coast Guard was refused in early 1908. Griffiths was placed on the Retired List by his own request on 16 December, 1909. He suffered a decision to suspend his retired pay at the turn of 1914 for failure to support his wife and children, but he seemingly corrected affairs before this took effect.

There is no indication that Griffiths was called up for service in either World War.

See Also

• Wikipedia

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Edward H. F. Heaton-Ellis	Captain of H.M.S. Hardy 15 Apr, 1898 – 12 Jan, 1899	Succeeded by Harry H. Smyth
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Chamois 13 Jan, 1899 – 2 May, 1899	Succeeded by Robert G. Corbett
Preceded by Hastings F. Shakespear	Captain of H.M.S. Skipjack 14 Jan, 1902 – 18 Oct, 1904	Succeeded by Joseph Sanders
Preceded by Wyndham Forbes	Captain of H.M.S. Sharpshooter 19 Oct, 1904 – 8 Feb, 1905	Succeeded by Oscar M. Makins