Griffin began his Second World War service in HMS Gloucester patrolling off Madagascar guarding against German pocket-battleships. The Gloucester then moved to the Mediterranean, where it took part in the first action with the Italian Navy in July 1940 off Calabria. After returning to Britain to attend courses, Griffin sailed for Cape Town aboard SS Britannia when she was sunk by the German commerce raiderThor. Giffin's lifeboat sailed for the Cape Verde Islands, when they were rescued by SS Raranga and taken to Montevideo, Uruguay. From there he made his way to Gibraltar and was assigned to. With Fury, Griffin served in the Mediterranean as part of Force H and as an escort to Convoy PQ 17 to the Soviet Union. Returning to the Mediterranean, Griffin sailed as part of Operation Pedestal to supply Malta in August 1942. The following month the ship then once again joined the Arctic Convoys, escorting Convoy PQ 18. Following promotion to lieutenant and being mentioned in dispatches, Griffin was made second-in-command of the new destroyer. With Talybont, Griffin served in the Western Approaches. Qualifying as a navigator, he was briefly in the aircraft carrier off the coast of Norway, where they launched her attacks on the Tirpitz. From there Griffin went to the Far East to serve in the escort carrier. There he was once again mentioned in dispatches.
Postwar service (1945–1971)
The 1950s saw Griffin promoted to commander in 1951 and captain in 1956. His varied postwar career took him from navigator in, service in aircraft carriers, radarresearch and development before taking command of the support ship. In 1964 he was given command of the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, and in 1966 he took over as Naval Secretary and promoted to rear-admiral. He was made assistant chief of the Naval Staff later in 1966, Flag Officer Second in Command Far East Fleet in 1968 and Flag Officer, Plymouth and admiral superintendent at Devonport in 1969. At one stage he was required to combine his roles of Admiral Superintendent of Plymouth dockyard with his flag officer position, doing one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Of this period he noted, "Sometimes I would write to myself. I was often quite rude to myself, too." He went on to be Controller of the Navy in 1971 before retiring in 1975. Griffin was appointed Knight Commander of the Bath in 1971 followed by the Knight Grand Cross upon his retirement.
In 1943, he married Rosemary Hickling; they had two sons and one daughter. Lady Griffin died on 2 February 2015. His uncle, Admiral Sir Tom Phillips, was killed when was sunk in 1941.
