2716440 George GRIFFIN, 1 Irish Guards

Army Number: 2716440
Rank: Guardsman
Name: G GRIFFIN
Unit: 1 Irish Guards
GSM & Clasp: GSM, Palestine Clasp 1936 - 1939
TNA Reference: WO 100/503
Notes: Killed in Action, Palestine 1938

 

From
Lot 155, 2 April 2003 | Dix Noonan Webb

Lot 155
Date of Auction: 2nd April 2003

Sold for £820

Estimate: £400 - £500

A Small Collection of Medals to the Irish Guards
General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (2716440 Gdsmn. G. Griffin, I. Gds.) extremely fine £400-500
Footnote
Guardsman G. Griffin was killed in a terrorist ambush in Palestine in 1938, an incident referred to in the Irish Guards Journal:

‘Excluding the many encounters between patrols and small gangs, and the almost nightly engagements between Officers, road patrols and snipers, the Battalion fought in six actions against rebels, and perhaps and account of one, which will long be remembered by Irish Guardsmen, may not be without interest. At 4 p.m. on 18 August the Brigade Intelligence Officer was driving through the hills about twelve miles from Nablus, escorted by one armoured car and one section from the Battalion mounted in a truck. On reaching Deir Bajjala, the truck, which was the leading escort, was blown up by a mine and at the same time came under heavy fire from a gang of fity at about 80 yards range. As the immediate result, Guardsman Griffen (sic) was killed, all the remainder of the section were wounded, and the Section Commander, Sergeant Millar, who was slightly wounded in the back, received a bullet through his helmet. The machine-gun in the armoured car jammed, the Lewis gun on the truck had been put out of action by a bullet, and the only weapons in the action against the advancing Arabs were the rifles of the Brigade Intelligence Officer, the Brigade Interpreter and Sergeant Millar. The situation was now extremely serious and, although wireless calls had been sent up for air and ground assistance, no immediate reinforcements could be expected. Accurate and rapid fire from these three rifles, assisted by Guardsman Murphy, who, although badly wounded, continued to fire, did infact keep off the gang, but by the time reinforcements had arrived the Arabs had crept to within thirty yards and were being heavily engaged by Sergeant Millar with hand grenades. Two aeroplanes arrived on the scene, one of which was shot down and both the pilot and observer were killed. Shortly afterwards, two armoured cars arrived, followed by No. 4 Company’s mobile column ...’

The enemy gang was subsequently driven off, leaving behind ten killed.

Sold with an original National Forces of Eire discharge certificate for ‘R103 Pte. George Griffin’, dated 25 April 1924.