George Griffiths was 27 and 2 months old when he enlisted to serve in World War 1. He had previous experience, having enlisted on 16 August, 1914, to serve in New Guinea with E Company, First Expeditonary Force. Griffiths departed from Australia on 19 August on board HS Berrima, and came on strength on 23 December that year, but was invalided out with malaria four and a half months later, returning to Australia on board SS Matunga.
He re-enlisted in Sydney on 18 January, 1915, and, was placed with the 5th Reinforcements. After training at Broadmeadows, Victoria, he was declared fit for duty and departed for Egypt. Here he contracted venereal disease in July 1915, returning home from Suez on board the Port Lincoln on 2 September, 1915. He was sent to Langwarren, Victoria, then, when fit for duty again, was discharged to Broadmeadows. Presumably because he was a fitter by occupation, he was placed with the 1st Pioneer Battalion on 12 March, 1916, sent to England and on to France and the battles of the Western Front.
The Pioneer Battalions were light engineering units, drawn from the trades in civilian life, and employed in tunnelling, trench building, placement of mines, light rail lines etc. The 1st Pioneering Battalion was to serve in France, first in the 'nursery' trenches at Armentieres, then on the Somme, at Fleurbaix and Pozieres in 1916, Mouquet Farm 1916-17, in the Third Battle of Ypres and in resisting the German Spring Offensive of 1918.
On 25 July, 1916, George Griffiths was admitted to the No.26 General Hospital at Etaples, with shell shock. He was returned to England, embarking on HS Newhaven at Calais on 27 July, suffering from shell shock and disability, presumably the deformed toes noted later, on 10 December 1916 . On. 2 September, he was recorded as having a bad knee. Perhaps because of his experiences, he went AWL from midnight on 15 September, on returning at 9pm on 3 October.
Nevertheless, George Griffiths went back to war. He rejoined his unit on 5 May 1917 and served with them until 19 January, 1918, when he returned to England on furlough and subsequently went to hospital. From hospital, he was once again attached for duty on 22 February, 1918, and was not finally detached until 28 July, 1919.
His post war record reflects a life of difficulty. On 30 December, 1922, he married Elen Mary Hayes in Queensland. In 1931, he was back in Victoria, living as a single man at 53 Warburton Rd., Canterbury, but on 5 March voluntarily admitted himself into the mental asylum at Lara, near Geelong. he was there again in 1933. In 1949, he is recorded as living in Redlynch, Queensland and working as a labourer; he was still there in 1954.
Australian National Archives, Enlistment Rolls