William Alfred Griffin

Forenames

William Alfred AWMM

Surname

Griffin AWMM

Service number

23035 AWMM

Gender

Male AWMM

Date of birth

b. 1916

Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 15 March 2024 - Estimated from age at death

Place of birth

Auckland

Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 15 March 2024 - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56407955/william_alfred_griffin

Birth notes

Son of William Arthur & Lily GRIFFIN of Parnell, Auckland

Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 15 March 2024 - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56407955/william_alfred_griffin

Address before enlistment

Unknown AWMM 13 St Benedict Street, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM

Next of kin

Mrs R.A. Griffin (wife), 113 Cook Street, Auckland Central, New Zealand AWMM

Relationship status

• Unknown AWMM Married AWMM
• 1938 William Alfred GRIFFIN married Althea Roie LLOYD
  Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 15 March 2024 - NZ BDM Marriage Records

War

World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Armed force / branch

Army AWMM

Service number

23035 AWMM

Enlistment

WW2 Unknown AWMM Labourer/Civilian AWMM

Embarkation details

WW2 Private AWMM 24 (Auckland) Infantry Battalion AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM

Capture details

WW2 POW - Stalag XVIII-A, Wolfsberg, Austria AWMM

Medical notes

• Killed or died while a Prisoner of War, Cause of Death AWMM
  Died whilst a prisoner of war AWMM
• 15 Feb 1944 AWMM Other, WWII AWMM
  Death from shooting by guard. AWMM

Last rank

Private AWMM
21 (Auckland) Infantry Battalion AWMM

William Griffin was the husband of Roie Althea Griffin, of Auckland.

He died while a prisoner of war. AWMM

Death

15 Feb 1944 AWMM
Age  28 AWMM

Cause of death

Killed or died while a Prisoner of War AWMM

Cemetery

Belgrade War Cemetery, Yugoslavia AWMM 5. C. 2. AWMM

Obituary

• Reported to have died while a prisoner of war, Private W A. Griffin, aged 27, was the husband of Mrs. R A. Griffin and the only son of Mrs. L. Ireland, of 113 Cook Street. Private Griffin was educated at the Parnell School.
  Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 15 March 2024 - ROLL OF HONOUR
  NEW ZEALAND HERALD, VOLUME 81, ISSUE 24878, 27 APRIL 1944, PAGE 7
• William A GRIFFIN served with the 24 Infantry Battalion, Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. William was taken prisoner of war and interred in Stalag XVIII-A in Wolfsberg, Austria. At some stage he was moved to a POW camp in Serbia. It was here that a guard shot him dead on 15 February 1944. Further details are as yet unknown, but William was buried in the Belgrade War Cemetery.
  Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 15 March 2024 - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56407955/william_alfred_griffin

Memorial name

Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM

Related objects

External links

Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2224177
Sources Used

References

• Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 3 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1940 to 31st March, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  WW2 3: WW2 185
• Cody, J. F., & New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs War History Branch. (1953). 21 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z. : War History Branch, Dept. of Internal Affairs.
• Burdon, R. (1959). 24 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
• Deaths While Prisoner of War - Navy, Army, Air Force and Civilians [WW2 NZ POW Deaths], Archives New Zealand, Wellington, AAAA 7393 Box 1 (R25405152).
• Mason, W.W. (1954) Prisoners of war. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
• Auckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139.
• Fortune, G. & Bebich, M. (2008). Citizenship and remembrance : a history of the 24 NZ Infantry Battalion Association. Auckland, N.Z.: Polygraphia.