Born in 1892 at Woodford, son of James (Domestic Gardener) and Clara Griggs. 1901: A Scholar with his family at Inmans Row Woodford Wells. 1911: A Domestic Gardener still with his family at 5 Inmans Row. His medal card suggests he spent time with the Essex and Cambridgeshire Regiments (numbers 4357 and 8089 respectively) before moving on to 2 Lincolnshire.
During the early part of 1917, 2 Lincolnshire performed several tours of duty in the line to the North of the Somme. At the end of February 1917 they undertook a number of trench raids, a period during which 14 other ranks were killed and 16 wounded.
On 4th March 1917 the Battalion was in the Bouchavesnes Sector. 8 Division were to drive German forces off high ground to the east, depriving them of commanding views over the lower British positions. “C” and half “D” Companies of 2 Lincolnshire would “mop up” German trenches after the main attack, the remainder of “D” and all “B” Company would provided carrying parties, while “A” Company plus the Lewis gunners would safeguard the line from which the attack was launched.
At 05.15, 2 Royal Berkshires advanced under a barrage beginning what would prove a successful attack, capturing both Pallas and Fritz trenches. Things went generally well for 2 Lincolnshire, but having become lost the carrying parties sustained heavy casualties. The narrative of 25 Brigade also suggests that having got into Pallas Trench, “C” and “D” Companies moved too far to the left.
In addition to the 18 Other Ranks killed that day, 53 were wounded and thirteen posted missing.
Leopold Griggs could have been injured during either of these actions, or by the usual attrition of continuing daily warfare. In any event he Died of Wounds in number 2 or 5 British Red Cross Stationary Hospital in Abbeville.
Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian
Sources:
Ancestry.com