Griffiths, William Percy

4510 Private William Percy Griffiths - 11th Battalion AIF

William Percy Griffiths was born in Fremantle WA in 1898 to John and Emily Griffiths. He was the youngest of eight siblings, with, Walter 1879, Mary 1881, Emily 1883, Alice 1885, Edward 1891 and Violet 1896.

Sadly his mother died in 1905 in Perth aged just 48. His father and elder siblings then helped raise William. William was initially educated in Perth and then Guildford. After leaving school he took up employment as an Assistant Tallowman. This is a worker who operates the rendering equipment, digesters, or boilers used to melt down animal fats.

His father died in Guildford in 1915, however by this time William was living in Hamilton Street East Fremantle, with his sister Mrs. C Johnson.

On the 16th October 1915 William enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force and was accepted as fit for service. He named his elder brother Walter, who was working at the Langford Brewery in Kalgoorlie, as his next of kin.

The medical examiner recorded William's physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 11 inches tall;

Weight - 156lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-38 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Dark Brown.

After his successful enlistment, Willim was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was initially assigned to No.33 Training Depot. He spent several weeks at this depot being taken through the basics of infantry work. On the 16th December 1915 he was then transferred into the 14th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF.

William trained with this group in WA for the next few months. On the 12th February 1916 William and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour and boarded the transport ship Miltiades and set sail for Egypt, arriving at Suez on the 10th March 1916. William and his group were then disembarked and sent to the 3rd Training Battalion.

On the 29th March 1916 George was sent to France with the reinforcements and arrived at Marseilles on the 4th April 1916. The men were then entrained north for Etaples where they went into the 1st Australian Division Base Depot. William was at the Base Depot till the 14th May 1916, and he was then sent to his unit, being taken on strength of the 11th battalion on the 17th May 1916.

The 11th battalion were then in the Bois Grenier section of Armentieres, gaining experience of the Western Front. They would remain here through to the end of June 1916 and were then sent to the Somme battlefield.

On the 23rd July 1916 the 11th battalion took part in the capture of Pozieres Village. William helped in the capture of the village but was then wounded by shrapnel in the left arm. His wound was initially treated at the 2nd Field Ambulance and he was then sent to the 1st South Midland Casualty Clearing Station. Further work was done on William's arm and he was then sent by Ambulance Train to Rouen where he was admitted to the 1st Stationary Hospital. William only spent two days here before being shipped to England.

On arrival in England, William was admitted to the Beaufort War Hospital in Bristol. He remained a patient here till the 2nd September 1916. He was then sent to No.1 Command Depot Camp at Perham Downs where he spent another six weeks. William then returned to France on the 22nd October 1916 and went to the 1st Australian Base Depot at Etaples. He spent another few weeks here and was then taken back on strength of the 11th battalion on the 14th November 1916.

The 11th Battalion were hen on the Somme battlefield undergoing a very cold French winter and they would be based here till February 1917.  At the end of February 1917 the Germans began their withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. It was a fighting withdrawal as it was pressed all the way by the Australian and British divisions. The 11^th Battalion saw action at Le Barque in February and Morchies in March, while in April they held an outpost line at Lagnicourt. On the 15^th April 1917 the Germans launched an assault on this line and they were initially successful as the Australian posts weren’t connected and they were able to make their way through the posts, surrounding and capturing the men in many of the positions. The Germans were eventually repulsed and there were large casualties for both sides. William was initially reported missing from this action but news soon came through that he had been captured at Boursies/Lagnicourt.

William had been wounded in the feet and legs during the battle and was eventually treated at a German hospital where he had to have his toes on one foot amputated. He was sent to Limburg and then also in a Prisoner of War Camp in Hannover. Due to his wound, William was repatriated, arriving in Holland in January 1918.

William was then sent to the 1st London General Hospital at Camberwell where his left leg was amputated as were the toes on his right foot. Unfortunately the whole of the right foot had to be taken off.

On the 19th February 1918 he was sent to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Southall where he was resting and recovering for the next several months.

By the 3rd August 1918 William was well enough to be granted a furlough which lasted till the 17th August. He was then returned to hospital and would now wait to be assigned to a hospital transport ship. On the 15th September 1918 William was sent aboard the transport ship Arawa and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 10th November 1918. The following day the Armistice was declared.

William was discharged from the AIF on the 24th March 1919.

When William returned home he returned to his sisters place in Hamilton street for a short period but then moved to 16 Sydney Sy South Fremantle (later renumbered to 12 Sydney)

William was married in 1924 to Ivy Vagg and they would have a son Raymond born in 1926. They then moved to 30 Price Street South Fremantle (later renumbered to 14 Price) and William was working as a steward.

By 1931 the family were living at 205 South Street. The house was originally number 205 South St but in 1937 it was renumbered to 87 South St, and later becoming no.89 South St in 1959/60.

During the 1930's William was working as a Company secretary and was heavily involved in the Returned and Serviceman's league.

In 1931 William was elected to Fremantle Council and served until 1945. He had three years off and then in 1948 he stood again and then served on Fremantle Council till 1968.

During his term in 1940 William put a motion in, which was supported by the Mayor, that the Navy board name one of the new ships they were building HMAS Fremantle. This then took place.

His wife Ivy died on the 23rd April 1969 and William then moved in 1972 to Bristol Ave Bicton. He lived in Bicton for the remainder of his life.

William died on 17th January 1987 in Bicton aged 88. He was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery and his ashes placed in the family grave at Plot Congregational MON DD 0136.

Griffiths Place in Fremantle is named after William