Captain Llewelyn Wyn Griffith
1890-1977
Llewelyn Wyn Griffith was one of four children born, into a Welsh speaking family in Llandrillo yn Rhos, on 30th August 1890. His father John was a Secondary schoolteacher. Prior to the war, Wyn was a tax surveyor.
At the outbreak of war, aged 24 years old, Wyn applied for a commission in the 15th (1st London Welsh) Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.He remained in this regiment in which he served throughout the war, transferring to the General Staff later in the conflict. After the war he returned to the Inland Revenue and was responsible for implementing the P.A.Y.E system. Following his retirement he held a number of prominent positions on the Arts Council of Great Britain and was a regular radio broadcaster on the 'Round Britain' Quiz Show. His memoir of the First World War, 'Up to Mametz' written in the 1920's was not published until 1931. Click on the link below for a more comprehensive biography. http://www.archiveswales.org.uk/anw/get_collection.php?coll_id=20445 Hear his words at Mametz http://vimeo.com/28134870 It is interesting to note that other notable writers and poets served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers :- Robert Graves Siegfried Sassoon David Jones Ellis Humphrey Evans (Hedd Wyn) (Private Trevor Arnold Thomas, 'Southview' Victoria Avenue, Porthcawl ,also, served in this battalion. Private Thomas died on the Somme 21st August 1916.He is buried in Essex Farm Cemetery, Belgium where the poet John McCrae wrote the poem 'On Flanders Field.' His biography will be available soon on the Battle of the Somme page.) The information above was supplied by Mrs Monica Goebey , Captain Griffith's niece. Monica lives in Porthcawl with husband Peter. Both are active members of Porthcawl Museum. |