Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte

The M.V.O. group of seven awarded to Commander G. Griffiths, Royal Navy, who served in the battleship Warspite at Jutland - hit by no less than 18 heavy calibre shells, with resultant casualties of 14 killed and 32 wounded, her Executive Officer found it impossible to “darken ship” due to the excessive number of holes in her sides and deck: in a spirited inter-war rescue operation, Griffiths added the S.G.M. to his accolades

The Royal Victorian Order, M.V.O., Member’s 4th Class breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, the reverse officially numbered ‘1218’; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. G. Griffiths, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lieut. G. Griffiths, R.N.); Sea Gallantry Medal, G.V.R., bronze (George Griffiths, R.N., “Faithful”, 22nd November 1921); Italian Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus, 5th class breast badge, gold and enamel; French Croix de Guerre 1914-1917, bronze palm, mounted as worn, slight damage to reverse enamel on the sixth, generally very fine or better (7) £1800-2200

M.V.O. London Gazette 7 August 1927.

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte.

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George Griffiths was commissioned as a Mate, R.N., in August 1913 and joined the destroyer Amazon shortly before the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914. That October, with Admiral Hood aboard to direct operations off the Belgian coast, Amazon ‘was so badly holed that she was put out of action’, following her full speed rush inshore to engage the enemy batteries at Westende Bains.

But Griffiths was to witness a good deal more damage being caused his next ship, the Warspite, at Jutland, in which engagement, as part of the 5th Battle Squadron, she was hit by no less than 18 ‘large projectiles’, several of them when her helm jammed and forced her out of line, right in the face of incoming enemy fire. Notwithstanding this heavy punishment, and the resultant 14 fatalities and 32 wounded, she managed to fire around 250 shells from her 15-inch guns, causing severe damage to the Von der Tann, among others. A very full account of her experiences, written by her Executive Officer, appears in The Fighting at Jutland - together with an impressive series of “battle-damage” photographs - from which the following extracts have been taken: ‘ ... Went on the upper deck and had a look round. Main derrick was shot through and lying across the picket boat, mainmast holed by a 6-inch, and boats all smashed to atoms. Compass platform was riddled by splinters. Big hole starboard side by 6-inch gun, which we covered over with a collision mat and nailed down. Tried to “darken ship” as best we could, but the holes everywhere made this rather hopeless; plugged them w0ith canvas and deck cloths. A 12-inch shell had hit the communication tube of the after director tower, sheared all rivets, and spun the tube through 180 degrees, but only one man was killed and two wounded in the tower above - rather miraculous.

“X” turret had a direct hit, looked like an 8-inch, but no damage whatever inside; in fact, they did not know they had been hit. The boats were a comic sight; launch absolutely smashed to blazes, all Carley rafts except two small ones broken up, and no sound boat left. First picket boat had just been painted, too, and new brass rails round casings were all cut to pieces. Both ladders to quarter deck had gone, and both life buoys blown away by blast from “Y” turret. All mainstays had been shot through except one the starboard side. Searchlights had not suffered very badly, except those on the after-superstructure; they were like scrap iron. There were many holes on the quarter deck, rather death-traps. Where the shell hit the deck, planks and fastenings were removed as cleanly as if they were shovelled away, in several places over an area of 10 or 12 square feet ... We had not time before the action to strip the sick-bay, and a 12-inch had come clean through from port to starboard, completely wrecking sick-bay, which was in an awful state of confusion, due to fire and water, chemicals, broken glass, etc. Having got this fire out, went and saw fleet surgeon, who was very busy in fore distributing station. Large numbers of burnt men were in a dreadful state ... By this time one felt one wanted something inside, so repaired to the ward-room; found they had got some food of sorts going, sardines and tinned tongue; everybody was very cheery. A funny hit here; 6-inch shell had come through ward-room table, making a clean round hole, dented deck, and gone through other side, having wrecked stove, armchair and piano. We hope to sell piano for a good price as a souvenir, although it has no inside left, but the outside is all right ... ’

But it was really in the night action that followed that Southampton faced her most challenging time, when, at about 10.30pm, Goodenough’s Second Light Cruiser Squadron was surprised in the dark by the German 4th Scouting Group. Suddenly switching on their searchlights, at point-blank range, the illuminated Southampton and Dublin were heavily shelled. In returning fire, the enemy ships were also hit and the light cruiser Frauenlob was sunk by a torpedo fired by the Southampton. In this violent action, which lasted but two or three minutes, Southampton received 20 hits, and raised her casualty count to 35 men killed and 40 wounded. An indication of the enemy’s rate of fire may be gleaned from the fact the Munchen expended nearly 100 of her 4.1-inch shells in this two or three minute period, while the range wavered from 800 to 2,500 yards; see The Fighting at Jutland, by Fawcett and Hooper, for extensive commentary on Southampton’s experiences.

Goodenough was mentioned in despatches by Jellicoe, who stated that he had displayed ‘great tenacity’ in keeping touch with the enemy’s battle fleet during the afternoon of 31 May and, moreover, that he would have been recommended for an honour, ‘had he not so recently received the C.B.’ He was, however, awarded the Russian Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class, with swords (London Gazette 5 June 1917 refers), the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class (London Gazette 20 January 1918 refers) and the French Croix de Guerre.

Following Jutland, in late 1916, he took command of the Orion in the Second Battle Squadron, in which capacity he served until the end of the War, and was created a K.C.B. (London Gazette 1 January 1919 refers). His subsequent appointments, prior to being placed on the Retired List in 1930, comprised Rear-Admiral Superintendent Chatham Dockyard 1919-20, Vice-Admiral C.-in-C. Africa Station 1920-22, C.-in-C. Nore 1924-27 and, as a full Admiral, First and Principal Naval A.D.C. to the King 1929-30, in which latter year he was created G.C.B. The Admiral, who died in January 1945, served as President of the Royal Geographical Society 1930-33; sold with a copy of his autobiography, A Rough Record.

Griffiths was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 15 September 1916 refers), in addition to receiving the Italian Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus, 5th class (London Gazette 11 August 1917 refers), and the French Croix de Guerre (London Gazette 2 November 1917 refers).

Having remained in the Warspite until the end of the War, he served in the flotilla leader Stuart as Gunnery Officer and “Jimmy the One” 1918-20, and commanded the fishery protection vessel Cherwell 1921-23, and it was while serving in this latter capacity that he won the Sea Gallantry Medal (S.G.M.):

‘The schooner Faithful of Bristol stranded on Catrick Rock near Wexford Bay on 22 November 1921, in very bad weather, a confused sea and on a black night. The skiff Julia, manned by naval ratings [and Griffiths], managed to get alongside and took off the crew of five. Condiderable risk was incurred’ (official recrods refer).

Having received his S.G.M. from the King on 8 July 1922, Griffiths went on to command a brace of minesweepers in the mid-to-late 1920s, including the Tiverton, aboard which ship he added the M.V.O., 4th class to his accolades following the King’s visit to Cowes in 1927. Placed on the Retired List in the rank of Commander in September 1929, Griffiths was recalled on the renewal of hostilities, and held appointments in a parent ship on the Humber 1939-42, at Hull 1942-43, and in Northern Ireland from June 1943, and was latterly Senior Trial Officer for Minelayers and Minesweepers at Vernon.

Sold with several original photographs, one contained in a presentation silver frame, engraved ‘H.M.S. Neptune, 1911. In Remembrance of Some Able Instructions. R.W.B.’; and a presentation chrome mantel clock, engraved ‘To Commander G. Griffiths, M.V.O., R.N., from His Staff of Hull Base, 14.6.1943, with Their Very Best Wishes.’