The RAF pilot who became a 'pin-up boy' for Llandudno

Glyn Griffiths, son of a proprietor of Llandudno’s West End Café that is now Tiffany’s, was the first person from Llandudno to be decorated for bravery after receiving the Distinguished Flying Medal from George VI in March 1941, following his role in the major air battle between the RAF and Luftwaffe.

After leaving John Bright County School and taking a job with Llandudno Urban District Council’s gas department, he volunteered to join the RAF before the war in 1937, along with three people around the same age from the school, two of whom were killed in the war – but Glyn would survive to tell the story of his courage, which was used by recruiting officers to encourage others in Llandudno to sign up.

Adrian Hughes, owner of the Home Front Museum, has researched the names of Llandudno War Memorial during the last 20 years and found Glyn’s to be one that is not only extraordinary but well recorded.

Glyn Griffiths.

“Glyn is someone I’ve known about for a while, after I came across his war service documents,” he said “He was a very successful pilot and scored a few hits, usually in a Hurricane, which did the bulk of the work.

“Spitfires and their pilots got most of the glory, but Glyn swore by the Hurricane.

“He was treated in high regard in Llandudno at that time; he was a pin-up boy because he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal.

“RAF recruiting sergeants used him to encourage others from the town to join the Royal Air Force, saying ‘You too can be like Glyn and shoot down the enemy’. It must have inspired other local men – and boys – to join up.”

Glyn became a flight sergeant with the Royal Air Force over the skies of southern England in the summer of 1940 with No.17 Squadron and was a staunch supporter of the aircraft, which he once described as a “better machine than the Spitfire”.

During the phoney war, the squadron flew defensive patrols over southern England, before moving to France in June 1940 to cover the final retreat of the British Expeditionary Force, evacuating back to Britain via the Channel Islands.

But it was in the Battle of Britain between July and October 1940 when Griffiths showed “splendid courage and initiative in his attacks against the enemy”, according to the Llandudno Advertiser. He destroyed at least six Luftwaffe aircraft, including two on the same day.

On the announcement that he was to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal, he told the newspaper that “skill and craft are of more avail in the long run than pure daring”.

In celebration of his award, a civic reception was organised at the Town Hall, where one councillor said he “had not only brought glory to himself but reflected glory to his colleagues and the whole town”.

After being posted to Canada, where he was an instructor with Training Command, he returned to Britain and throughout the summer of 1943.

Now promoted to Flying Officer, Glyn was piloting Mustangs out of Odiham and, upon returning from a reconnaissance mission over the Cherbourg area of France, he collided with his wingman. He bailed out of the blazing fighter and, with his clothes still on fire, flagged down a passing car who took him to hospital. He spent much of the remainder of the war having treatment for his injuries.

Glyn was demobilised from the RAF in 1946 and got a job as an engineer with the Gaslight and Coke Company in London.

As well as the Distinguished Flying Medal he was also awarded the Croix de Guerre and was also made a Chevalier of the Order of Leopold II by the Belgian King, which are on display in the National Museum, Cardiff.

Mr Hughes said: “Glyn was treated in high regard in Llandudno at that time; he was a pin-up boy because he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal.

“RAF recruiting sergeants used him to encourage others from the town to join the Royal Air Force, saying ‘You too can be like Glyn and shoot down the enemy’. It must have inspired other local men – and boys – to join up.

“But he was not like most RAF sergeants, who were private school boys with twiddly moustaches. Glyn was from grammar school and when he was at his base in South East England and most officers disappeared to the mess, Glyn wouldn’t have been allowed to socialise with them.”

After the war Glyn would return to Llandudno, where his parents, who married at the height of the Battle of Britain, continued to live, and he was presented with cutlery by the town council.

Mr Hughes carried out his research using historic newspaper archives, RAF records from National Archives down in Kew, London and online research.

There are more records available than many of the men named on Llandudno War Memorial because RAF records are usually better than those of the Army.

“Glyn was decorated and the records mention each of the planes he shot down, which is a peculiarity that you don’t get with the Army,” Mr Hughes said. “If a soldier shoots solider then that is less record-worthy, but shooting down the Luftwaffe is."

Mr Hughes has put a QR code with the story of Glyn’s life outside Tiffany’s café on Gloddaeth Street.

“It is my passion to tell the stories of the 300 plus men on Llandudno War Memorial,” said Mr Hughes.

“Their stories, and Glyn’s, are not well known and only people who are aware of the museum know about them.

“It is important; men like Glyn were local boys who volunteered to serve their country, and their legacy is that we have freedom 80 years on.”