Gordon Spriggs was born in Portsmouth on 10 January 1917, the son of Frank William Spriggs (a Sick Bay Steward in the Royal Navy) and Lucy May Spriggs (née Cave). It is not known when he joined the Royal Navy or submarines but, by 1944, he was a Petty Officer serving in HMS L26. The submarine had been deployed to Canadian waters to provide training services.

On 27 February 1944 there was an explosion in No. 1 Battery Tank resulting in damage to the submarine and the death of Gordon Spriggs.

Gordon Spriggs was the husband of Mary Louise Spriggs (née Dennison) of Merchantville, New Jersey, USA. He is buried in the Halifax (Fort Massey) Cemetery, Nova Scotia, Canada in Section E. Grave No. 88.