Griffith was born in
Wandsworth, London, and educated at
Dulwich College and
Pembroke College, Cambridge. He scored over 1,200 runs during four years in the 1st XI at Dulwich, despite being in the shadow of
Hugh Bartlett, and he became a capable
wicket-keeper. He won his
blue in his second year at Cambridge. He toured Australia and
New Zealand with the
MCC under
Errol Holmes's captaincy in 1935–36. He lost his Cambridge place to
Paul Gibb in 1937. After graduating from Cambridge, he returned to Dulwich as cricket master and he became the first choice wicket-keeper for Sussex in 1939. He was commissioned into the
Officers' Training Corps in 1938, and transferred to the
Royal Army Service Corps in 1939. He later served in the
Glider Pilot Regiment with Hugh Bartlett. As second-in-command he carried the commander of the
6th Airborne Division, Major-General
Richard "Windy" Gale (coincidentally, he was also from Wandsworth), into
Normandy during
Operation Overlord, crash landing after being caught in a storm. He took part in the
Battle of Arnhem and won the
Distinguished Flying Cross. He remained in the
Territorial Army (TA) after the war, reaching the rank of
lieutenant colonel. He was appointed captain-secretary of Sussex in 1946. Although he relinquished the captaincy after one year, his wicket-keeping form earned him selection for the
MCC tour of the West Indies in 1947–48. On his Test debut he was used as a makeshift opener as three senior batsmen were ill, and made 140 in six hours. It made him the only England player to make his maiden first-class century on his Test debut. He retired in 1974, and he later served as Chairman of the Friends of Arundel Castle Cricket Club. His son,
Mike Griffith, also captained Sussex. Billy Griffith died in
Felpham, West Sussex, following a long illness in 1993, aged 78. ==References==