Andrew Owen Griffiths was born in 1894 in London, to his father Evan Griffiths, from Pontypridd, and his mother, Minnie Emily, who was born in Calcutta. His father spent most of his working life as  Secretary of the Temperance Society.  The family first lived at 12 Gubyon Avenue and then at  24 Brockwell Park Gardens, Herne Hill. Andrew was a student at Alleyn's until 1910 when he left to work as a bank clerk. 

He joined the war effort early on as part of the Royal Sussex Regiment and served overseas on the Western Front as a Corporal. In September 1915, he was serving in France during the Battle of the Loos when he was killed in action by a bomb on September 26.

Andrew is also remembered on the Herne Hill WW1 memorial website.