Albert Griffiths was the son of Richard Griffiths, Grandstand, Burntwood. In the census of 1891 the family was living at the Grandstand with Richard 38, Ellen 39, Arthur 12, William 10, Albert 5, Frederick 3, and Ernest 7 months.

In the next census of 1901 the family was still at Burntwood.  Richard Griffiths was 48,  a widower and a licensed victualler. The listed children were  Arthur 22, Albert 15, Fred 13 and Ernest 10.

In 1911 Richard was a hotel proprietor of the Pied Bull, Lane End and had remarried to Elizabeth Charlotte. Only Ernest was still living at home.  In 1911,  Albert was living as an asylum attendant at the Cheshire County Lunatic Asylum, Upton, Cheshire.

His medal index card (on Ancestry.couk) lists his three medals and adds that his first theatre of War was The Balkans, (Gallipoli) and that he arrived there on the 28th June 1915.

UK Soldiers who Died in The Great War 1914 19 – accessible on Ancestry.co.uk confirms the military details at the top left of this page. It adds that he resided in Burntwood, Buckley and that he enlisted in Wrexham. This source tells us he died of wounds on the 20th September 1917.  He died near Ypres at the time of the battle of Passchendaele.

A Pension Ledger on Ancestry, informs us that Albert Griffiths Pte 11939 was married. His widow was listed as Vida Griffiths (nee Mercer). Her date of birth was the 5th September 1896. Her address on the card was 31, Village Road, Higher Bebbington, Cheshire.

Further inquiries in marriage records confirm that they had married in the Qtr July,August, September 1917 on the Wirral. (Vol 8a page 778). He died on the 20th of September so had only been married a matter of weeks.