Wilfred Griffiths – Merchant Navy, S.S. Empire Eland

Greaser Wilfred Griffiths – Merchant Navy, S.S. Empire Eland

Early Life

Wilfred Griffiths was born in 1899 in Swansea. Very little is known about his early life or family background, and surviving records provide only limited detail. At some point in adulthood, Wilfred married Mary Griffiths, though the date and place of their marriage are not recorded in available sources.

Service in the Merchant Navy

Wilfred served with the Merchant Navy, working as a Greaser—a key engineering‑department role responsible for lubricating and maintaining the ship’s machinery. Greasers worked in the engine room under demanding and often hazardous conditions, ensuring that the vessel’s engines and moving parts operated safely and efficiently.

His recorded wartime address was 16 Ernest Street, Salford, Manchester, indicating that he had moved from Swansea to the northwest of England, an area with strong maritime and industrial connections.

Loss of the S.S. Empire Eland – 15^th September 1941

Merchant Seamen Deaths

According to the Merchant Seamen Deaths register, Greaser Wilfred Griffiths lost his life on 15^th September 1941 following the sinking of the S.S. Empire Eland.

Wilfred Griffiths
Tower Hill Memorial, London
credit - Benjidog Historical Research Resources:
The Merchant Navy Memorial

On that date, the Empire Eland was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U‑94 during wartime operations. The attack resulted in the loss of the vessel and many of those on board, including Wilfred. His death came during a period when Allied merchant shipping faced intense and sustained pressure from German U‑boats in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Death and Commemoration

As Wilfred has no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, which honours the thousands of Merchant Navy personnel who died at sea during both world wars.