William Austin Griffiths ( Bill)

[Ray Griffiths]

SHIPS NAME AND SERVICE RECORD

Full Name

William Austin Griffiths ( Bill)

Discharge Book Number

-

Department

Deck

Your Rank/Rating

A.B./Bosun.

Which Ships were you on and When

British Fortitude. 18/11/41-17/12/42
Kafiristan. 17/09/1939

Notes:

My mame is Ray and i am looking for any Merchant Navy information relating to his service. I am led to believe that he was on the Kafiristan when it was sunk by U-53 on the 17/09/39 he was rescued by the ship American Farmer and taken to New York, although i have no proof of any of this. If anyone out there new my father William Austin Griffiths (Bill) born Cardiff 22/05/14. also lived in Swansea, or can confirm or dispute any of these facts please contact me. I would be grateful for any snippit of information regarding my fathers M.N. service.
Thank you all.
Ray Griffiths.

[Captain Kong]

Keep looking in Ray.
it gets a little quiet at weekends but some one will give you the answers you want. try and give as much detail as possible, if you know his Discharge Book Number that makes it easier. but no worries if you do not have it.
Meanwhile here is a photo of the "British Fortitude" "Kafiristan," and the "American Farmer",


Name Kafiristan
Type: Steam merchant
Tonnage 5,193 tons
Completed 1924 - Short Bros Ltd, Pallion, Sunderland
Owner Common Brothers Ltd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Homeport Newcastle
Date of attack 17 Sep 1939 Nationality: British

Fate Sunk by U-53 (Ernst-Günter Heinicke)
Position 50° 16'N, 16° 55'W - Grid BE 2384
Complement 35 (6 dead and 29 survivors).
Convoy
Route Jucaro, Cuba - Liverpool
Cargo 8870 tons of sugar
History

Notes on event
At 15.55 hours on 17 Sep 1939 the unescorted Kafiristan (Master John Busby) was torpedoed by U-53 about 350 miles west of Cape Clear. The ship had been missed by a first torpedo at 15.42 hours and was sunk by a coup de grâce at 16.14 hours. Six crew members were lost. The master and 28 crew members were picked up by the American merchant American Farmer and landed at New York.




Name British Fortitude
Type: Motor tanker
Tonnage 8,482 tons
Completed 1937 - Cammell Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead
Owner British Tanker Co Ltd, London
Homeport London
Date of attack 23 Feb 1943 Nationality: British

Fate Damaged by U-202 (Günter Poser)
Position 31° 10'N, 27° 30'W - Grid DG 5624
Complement 59 (0 dead and 59 survivors).
Convoy UC-1
Route Barry (30 Jan) - Swansea - Milford Haven - Curaçao
Cargo Ballast
History Completed in April 1937
Post-war:
1957 renamed Anglian Fortitude for BP Tanker Co. Broken up at Burcht in August 1958.


Notes on event
At 22.17 hours on 23 Feb 1943, U-202 fired a spread of four torpedoes at the convoy UC-1. The first struck the Murena and the second the British Fortitude, both tankers were able to continue their voyage, though in a damaged condition. The third torpedo failed and the last hit the Empire Norseman, which had already been damaged by U-382 (Juli) and was later sunk by a coup de grâce from U-558 (Krech).

The British Fortitude arrived at Guantanamo on 8 March, was later repaired at Galveston and returned to service in May 1943.



just click on the thumbnail.

Cheers
Brian

[DeepSea]

As he was at sea in 1942 his service records (CRS-10) should be held at Kew if it has survived. This would list the ships he served on during WWII and the dates he joined and left each ship. These records are held in block by surname and each block contains records on around 60 individuals, so would require a visit to Kew unless you wish to pay a fortune for the Archives own researchers. His record should be in BT382/698 covering the surnames “Griffiths John Price to Griffiths William G”

There is also a copy of the Kafiristan's 1939 Log Book & Crew Agreements at Kew held under the ships Official No. 148088 in file BT381/288. You can order a copy at the link given. When requesting information ask only for copies of her last Crew Agreements before she was lost as these records run from January to December of any given year.

[Ray Griffiths]

Thanks very much
Kind regards,
Ray.

[Ray Griffiths]

Thank you Brian, much obliged. Not to good with this thank you,reply,post,like etc, Suppose i will get have to try it out, have'nt a clue at the moment how to use the site, it is my first day.
Regards,
Ray

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks Brian,
Regards,
Ray

[Ray Griffiths]

Thank you very much Deep Sea, on your good advice I contacted Kew, and have discovered that my dad was on the Kafiristan when it was sunk by a u-boat on the 17/09/1939. He was No:12 on the crew list. Also now have his M.N. Number, R108557. And it gets better, he has been awarded five medals and a clasp. In the last few days i have taken delivery of these. They are as follows- [B]ATLANTIC STAR-AFRICA STAR-PACIFIC STAR-1939/45 STAR-1939/45 WAR MEDAL-AFRICA STAR CLASP. Not bad for a man who never ever spoke of his past. Thank you for your contribution, little things mean a lot.

Regards
Ray Griffiths.

[j.sabourn]

Ray, knew/know two Griffiths out here ,father and son, both from UK and both seafarers, but unless you have relatives out here known to you, will be pointless information as a fairly common name. JS