Thomas Griffiths

Brigadier General Thomas Griffiths, (29 September 1865 – 16 November 1947) was a Welsh-born officer in the Australian Army who served in mainly administrative positions during the First World War. He later served as Administrator of Nauru and of Papua New Guinea.

Early life Thomas Griffiths was born on 29 September 1865 in the town of Presteigne, Radnor, Wales, the son of a builder. He was educated at the Old Vicarage, Wrexham, Denbighshire. After completing his schooling, he emigrated to Australia.

Military career In 1886, Griffiths joined the Victorian Permanent Artillery as a gunner. Four years later, he became a military staff clerk at headquarters in Melbourne. He was promoted to regimental quartermaster sergeant in 1894 and the following year received a further promotion to warrant officer and became chief clerk of the Victorian Military Forces. After the Federation of Australia, he became a clerk in the Australian Military Forces, serving at the Adjutant General's office at Army Headquarters in Melbourne. In September 1908 he was appointed secretary to the Military Board with the honorary rank of lieutenant in the Administrative and Instructional Staff. He became an honorary captain on 30 August 1909. For his work, Griffiths was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in January 1917 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in January 1919.

Post war In March 1920, Griffiths became Inspector General of Administration at the Department of Defence but this was only for a short period before he took up an appointment as Administrator of New Guinea the following month. He served in this role for nearly a year. In 1921, he became Administrator of Nauru, a post he held until 1927, when he retired. His retirement was short lived; in 1929 he became head of the Commonwealth War Pensions Entitlement Appeal Tribunal. He returned to New Guinea as Administrator from 1932 to 1934, after which he retired. He attempted to come out of retirement again in 1938, when he unsuccessfully applied for the administrator position in Nauru. During the Second World War he served for a time in the Department of Defence Co-ordination.

Griffiths died on 16 November 1947 and was buried with military honours in Melbourne General Cemetery. His wife, who he had married in 1891, predeceased him. The couple had two daughters.