Sturt de Burgh Griffith

Sturt de Burgh Griffith (15 August 1905 – 14 December 1979) was an Australian engineer, patent attorney, air force officer and journalist who was in command of the RAAF Base Darwin during the Bombing of Darwin.

Early life

Griffith was born in the Sydney suburb of Manly. He was the son of Arthur Hill Griffith and his wife Mildred Carrington (née Smith). He completed his schooling at the Sydney Church of England Grammar School before studying electrical and mechanical engineering at the University of Sydney where he graduated in 1928. In December 1925, while at university, Griffith joined the Citizen Air Force where he gained a 'distinguished pass' in his pilot's training and was commissioned in May 1927. During this time in the Citizen Air Force he survived two perilous landings with only minor injuries. In October 1941 he was promoted to temporary wing commander and, in January 1942, awarded the Air Force Cross.

On 30 January 1942 Griffith received command of the RAAF Base Darwin. He started there less than three weeks before the start of the Bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1924.

Soon after this Griffith was transferred to command the No. 7 Squadron at Bairnsdale in Victoria. Soon after, in June, he was transferred again to the No.5 Maintenance Group in Sydney where he worked primarily in an administrative capacity. In December 1943 he was promoted to temporary group captain and, that month, took command of the No.1 Aircraft Depot in Laverton, Victoria. In October 1945 he transferred back to the reserves and began working again as a patent attorney and a consultant engineer. In 1959 and 1966 his reports were published as compilations and published as Sturt Griffith's Road Tests. In 1974 Griffith also published Philosophy of a Fine Car about the history of the Daimler Benz.

He retired in December 1975 and died on 14 December 1979.