Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Michael Griffin was born at Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham, September 23rd 1885, one of 5 known children, 4 sons and a daughter. His father Michael Griffin Snr was born County Clare, Ireland in 1842 and married Mary McCormick born 1850 at Houghton-le-Spring, in 1871 at Houghton. They lived in the Rainton and Newbottle area where Michael Snr was employed as a coal miner. In 1891 daughter Mary Ann (17) was employed as a quilter and shirt maker, sons Thomas (15) and Daniel (13) worked at the colliery, Michael (5) was a scholar. Michael’s father died in 1894, aged 52 years, when he was only 9 years old and was buried April 4th 1894, exact location unknown. His mother moved the family to Garden Street, Newbottle, where in 1901 Michael now aged 15 was also working at the colliery below ground as a pony driver.
Having moved to Felling, Gateshead, County Durham, Michael met and married, December 5th 1908, at St. Patrick’s Church, Felling, Mary Ann Lynch born 1886 at Rosslea, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland and with whom he had two children Catherine born October 2nd 1909 and Thomas June 19th 1911.
He left his employment as a miner to enlist, September 9th 1914, at Felling, for a period of 3 years or the duration of the war, joining his regiment at Newcastle-upon-Tyne that same day. The recruits left Newcastle for Bullswater Camp, Surrey, September 16th where they were divided into the 12th and 13th Durham Light Infantry and the 10th and 11th Northumberland Fusiliers. Michael was assigned as Private 19368 to the 13th Battalion Durham Light Infantry on the 17th. By late November, rain had made Bullswater tented camp unusable, the 12th and 13th DLI moved to Malplaquet Barracks in Aldershot, later to Ashford in Kent, and finally to Bramshott in Hampshire. The recruits had begun their military training wearing their own civilian clothes, later blue serge uniforms were issued but khaki uniforms and leather equipment only arrived in February 1915. Prior to his departure to France Private Griffin was appointed paid Lance Corporal, August 2nd 1915.
August 26th 1915 as part of the British Expeditionary Force the13th Battalion DLI, attached to the 68th Brigade, 23rd Division, landed in France and within days sent into the trenches, however, it was spared the disastrous Battle of Loos and spent the rest of 1915 and early 1916 in and out of the trenches at Armentieres and Souchez. In late June 1916, the 23rd Division was moved south to the Somme and the battalion entered the fighting south of La Boisselle on July 7th. He again rose through the ranks and was appointed Lance Sergeant, July 19th 1916. Late July and early August, the battalion was involved in fighting around Munster Alley east of Pozieres where they suffered over 100 casualties.
Lance Sergeant 19168 Michael Griffin Durham Light Infantry was wounded August 3rd 1916 during the fighting and taken to the 2nd Field Ambulance where he died of his wounds that same day. Taken 4 miles to the area of Albert he was interred at Albert Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France, grave I. M. 51. He was 31 years old.
His widow received all monies due to him from the Army, a pension of 18 shillings 6 pence a week for herself and their two children as of February 19th 1917, as per his will, all his effects and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 28 Coxon Street, Bill Quay, Gateshead, County Durham.
Margaret Ann remarried at Gateshead in 1922 Peter McWilliams born April 19th 1897 at Bill Quay, Gateshead and with whom she had a daughter Margaret Elsie born December 28th 1926. The death of Margaret Ann McWilliams-Griffen nee Lynch preceded that of her second husband, she died aged 73 years in 1959, Peter Mc Williams died April 12th 1976.
Thomas Griffin, Michael and Margaret Ann’s son died at South Tyneside in 2001, aged 90 years, daughter Catherine, aged 97, in 2006. Margaret Elsie McWilliams died March 3rd 2015, aged 89 years, at Pelaw Gateshead, County Durham.
The CWGC have listed Michael in error as Griffen M. All official documents including his war record spell his surname as Griffin.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Michael Griffin is remembered at Heworth on H92.03 and at Felling on F32.06
