Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of George Griffiths and his wife Jessie Griffiths (nee Wood, married 1883 in the Stafford district). Arthur was born on the 30th September 1892 in Stafford. In April 1911 Arthur was employed as a general farm labourer and was residing as a servant at Holly Hayes Farm, Whitwick, Leics. Arthur enlisted into the Royal Navy to serve a 5 + 7 year engagement on the 19th August 1913 and was allocated the service number SS/114515 in Portsmouth, Hants. His medical examination recorded that he was 5 foot 5¼ inches in height and he had a chest measurement of 37¼ inches, his hair colour was brown and he had greyish brown eyes, his complexion was described as fresh, it was noted that he had a crop of warts on his right hand, he had four circular scars on the front of his chest, a scar on the back of his neck and a scar on his left ear, he gave his trade or calling as farm servant. His record of service began when he joined HMS Victory II as a Stoker 2nd Class on the 19/8/13 – 10/1/14. HMS Speedwell, 11/1/14 – 7/8/14, when he was promoted to Stoker 1st Class. HMS Speedwell, 8/8/14 – 16/2/15. HMS Victory II, 17/2/15 – 2/7/15. HMS Attentive II (Flirt), 28/7/15 – 27/11/15. On the 28th November 1915 Arthur was transferred as a C.S. (Continuous Service) rating and allocated the service number K/30163. His medical re-examination recorded that he was 5 foot 8¼ inches in height and his chest measurement was 37¼ inches. He rejoined HMS Attentive II (Flirt) and served from the 28/11/15 – 26/10/16, when he was killed in action in the Straits of Dover. The background leading to the circumstances in which Arthur lost his life is as follows. The Battle of Dover Strait that occurred on 26th and 27th October 1916 was a naval battle between two and a half flotillas of German torpedo boats from the Flanders Flotilla who launched a raid into the Dover Strait in an attempt to disrupt the Dover Barrage and destroy whatever Allied shipping could be found in the strait. HMS Flirt under the command of Lieutenant R. P. Kellett responded to gunfire from the drifter line. She found HMS Waveney on fire and sent a boat to assist. When unidentified ships approached she issued a challenge and was immediately fired upon by the Germans who were able to destroy HMS Flirt and successfully assault the barrage’s drifters, but were once more engaged when a flotilla of British destroyers was sent to repel them. The Germans were able to fight off the additional British units before successfully withdrawing. By the end of the night, the British had lost one destroyer, a transport, and several drifters while the Germans themselves suffered only minor damage to a single torpedo boat. HMS Flirt lost all crew in its sinking, the only survivors were those dispatched to aid HMS Waveney.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday December 7th, 1917

LOCAL CASUALTIES

The death is presumed to have taken place on October 26th, 1916 of Stoker Arthur Griffiths, a Whitwick man, who went down in H.M.S. ________ in a Channel raid. The official letter states, “I deeply regret to have to inform you that no further information of him has been received, and that no doubt is now entertained that he lost his life when his ship was sunk.” Stoker Griffiths lived for about seven years with Mr Berrington, at The Farm, in Hall Lane, Whitwick. His mother, Mrs Fairbanks, for some time resided at Castle Street, Whitwick, but now lives at Coalville. The deceased was 25 years of age, and joined the Navy in August, 1913 as a stoker.

Research undertaken and submitted by Andy Murby. 1/1/2018