Thomas Griffiths.jpg
Sopwith-Triplane-Flying.jpg
19510178_1076534419145475_638642026513727516_n-1.jpg
WWI Aviation Dog Fight.jpg
Thomas Griffiths.jpg

Thomas Griffiths


SCROLL DOWN

Thomas Griffiths


Thomas lived in Queen street Auckland and was educated at King’s College, he was the only son of his mother Fanny and father Thomas. In 1916, Thomas joined the Naval Air Service and got his wings after he was transferred to England to learn how to fly. He was trained on a Maurice Fairman biplane at the Chingford Aerodrome in England.

 

Sopwith-Triplane-Flying.jpg

Medal


After completing his training, he was assigned to fly the latest Sopwith tri-plane, and flew sorties during Bloody April.

Medal


After completing his training, he was assigned to fly the latest Sopwith tri-plane, and flew sorties during Bloody April.

Once being assigned to Number 1 naval squadron, he flew with the Aussie Ace ‘Stan Dallas,’ and in 1917 they together took on a formation of 14 Germans alone. Together the two ANZAC pilots saw off the Germans with Griffiths taking down five of their number making him New Zealand’s first Ace and meriting him to be awarded with the Distinguished Service Cross.

large.jpg

death


death


King and Country were quick to pin medals on heroic fighter pilots, they were the rock-stars of their day. The tragic truth as to why propaganda and coverage was so heavily emphasised on Aces, was not just because their narrative would boost the morale of the nation, but often because their stories were cut short.

19510178_1076534419145475_638642026513727516_n-1.jpg

shot down


Death was a close companion of fighter pilots.

shot down


Death was a close companion of fighter pilots.

Later in 1917, he met his match against his Imperial German Navy pilot counterpart, Hans Bottler who shot him down over the skies of the Western Front. Tragically, he did not survive – in fact, pilots had a worse life expectancy than men going over the top on the ground. He never saw his mates from King’s College nor his loving family again.

WWI Aviation Dog Fight.jpg

Interaction


The Average life expectancy of a British Fighter Pilot during, 'Bloody April,' was only 17 and a half hours. 9 in 10 Tommies survived going, 'over the top.' Pilots had the most dangerous job of all.

Interaction


The Average life expectancy of a British Fighter Pilot during, 'Bloody April,' was only 17 and a half hours. 9 in 10 Tommies survived going, 'over the top.' Pilots had the most dangerous job of all.

After learning about the lot of an RFC pilot, would you rather gamble your life in the sky or go over the top of the trenches? Cast your ballot here and answer the call up.

Will you take your chances in the sky or head into the mud and blood of the trenches?

Write an obituary for Thomas Griffiths.

#passion4passchendaele

Educating the year 9 boys at St Paul's Collegiate School, Hamilton on the battle at Passchendaele in an interactive way. Here the boys are giving the 'Adopt and Anzac' activity a go (this is available on our website bloodandmud.org). The boys loved getting involved with this activity, making it an awesome and successful way to teach them a bit about this gruesome battle. #passion4passchendaele
Learn more about this shattering battle at our website https://bloodandmud.org #passion4passchendaele
❤️Memorial Museum Passchendaele, Zonnebeke #passion4passchendaele
The story of the Newlove brothers. Charles, Edwin and Leslie came from Tākaka in Golden Bay, from a large family of 8 boys. After each enlisting in 1916 the boys joined their battalions in France by July of 1917. Edwin and Leslie were to serve in the 2nd Battalion, The Canterbury Regiment, and Charles the 3rd, The Auckland Regiment. Devastatingly, the three brothers were all killed within eight days of the Passchendaele Offensive. Edwin and Leslie were killed during the second attack at Bellevue Spur, and Charles prior to this at the attack on Gravenstafel Spur. The only one of these brothers whose body was pulled from the mud and identified was Edwin. If his brothers bodies were ever recovered, it would not be possible to identify them. Potentially the bodies of Charles and Leslie are buried among the 322 unidentified soldiers at Tyne Cot Cemetry in Passchendaele. The story of these three brothers; the pure horror of their deaths in such a short space of time, and the fact that two of them were never recovered from the mud, represents all that Passchendaele was. This battle came to symbolise the worst terrors of war, something which as New Zealanders we must remember solemnly upon its 100 year anniversary.
What did New Zealand look like in 1917? Here's a photograph of the Main Street of Te Puke, Bay of Plenty at the time of the Passchendaele Offensive. This battle was one which effected every community, with over 2700 New Zealanders killed in total. This was hugely devastating for our young country, with it being stated that in some towns, entire generations of men were wiped out. #passion4passchendaele
#passion4passchendaele Sketch of Bellevue Ridge by artist George Edmund Butler. Harrowing destruction.
A recreation of the trenches of Passchendaele at the Passchendaele 1917 Memorial Museum. Pretty crazy to consider what living in here would have been like when taken into account the mud, rain and disease. #passion4passchendaele

Continue your journey.