Personal Number: 255163 Rank: Lieutenant Name: William Hugh GRIFFITHS, MC Unit: 2 Welsh Guards London Gazette : 26 March 1943 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35953/supplement/1410/data.pdf The undermentioned Cadets to be 2nd Lts.: — FOOT GUARDS. W. G'ds. 5th Dec. 1942:— William Hugh GRIFFITHS (255173). London Gazette : 1 March 1945 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36961/supplement/1175/data.pdf The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following awards in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North West Europe:— The Military Cross Lieutenant William Hugh Griffiths (255163), Welsh Guards (London, W.1). London Gazette : 3 October 1980 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/48329/page/13809/data.pdf The QUEEN has been pleased by Letters. Patent under the Great Seal dated the 30th day of September 1980, to appoint Sir William Hugh Griffiths, Knight, M.C., one of the Justices of Her Majesty's High Court of Justice, to be one of the Lords Justices of Appeal.
The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Image Details Reference: WO 373/51/202 Name Griffiths, William Hugh Rank: Lieutenant Service No: 255163 Regiment: 2 Armoured Reconnaissance Welsh Guards Theatre of Combat or Operation: North West Europe 1944-45 Award: Military Cross Date of announcement in London Gazette: 01 March 1945
Griffiths, William Hugh (Oral history) Object description British officer served with 2nd Bn Welsh Guards in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1945; served with 1st Bn Welsh Guards in Palestine, 1945-1946 Content description: REEL 1 Aspects of period as schoolchild at Charterhouse School in GB, 1940-1941: reaction to declaration of Second World War, 9/1939; bombs which fell on Charterhouse School; membership of Charterhouse Home Guard. Aspects of period as private with 70th Bn Hampshire Regt in GB, 1941-1942: background to joining Young Soldiers Battalion, 10/1941; opinion of training with unit, 1941-1942; joining Royal Military College, Sandhurst as cadet, 1942. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn Welsh Guards, Guards Armoured Division in GB, 1943-1944: joining unit at Thetford; move of division to Yorkshire Wolds; opinion of Cromwell Tank; opinion of training to remove casualties from damaged tanks; waterproofing of tanks, early 1944; story of about artist Rex Whistler and rude mural he painted in Brighton, early 1944. Recollections of operations as officer with 2nd Bn Welsh Guards in North West Europe, 1944-1945: landing in France after D-Day; work commanding Headquarters Troop later in campaign; in action before Caen; technique for commanding tank. REEL 2 Continues: degree of contact with civilians in Normandy; opinion of German opposition; memories of liberation of Brussels, 9/1944; aftermath of incident when Hawker Typhoons accidentally rocketed tanks of Irish Guards at Hechtel; his disabling of German Jagdpanther at Hechtel, 9/1944; attempt by German soldier to fire Panzerfaust at his tank; first sight of German Messerschmitt Me 262 jets, 9/1944; attempts to advance to Arnhem, 9/1944; orders to move to Namur, 12/1944. REEL 3 Continues: memories of visit by Montgomery; his wounding in Germany, 1945. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Welsh Guards in Palestine, 1945-1946: background to posting to battalion in Kington after recuperation, move to Tiberius; hostility of mob towards himself and a brother officer in jeep in Tel Aviv; story of how unit newly lost mess sergeant who was trying to sell non-kosher meat.
