Alexander John Godley GCB KCMG (1867 - 1957)

Ancestors

Biography

General Sir Alexander Godley

General Sir Alexander Godley GCB KCMG was a senior British Army officer, best known for his role as commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and II Anzac Corps during the First World War. He had previously helped to raise irregular mounted regiments in the Second Boer War in South Africa and commanded a platoon of the Home Guard during the Second World War, when he was in his 70s.

Alexander John Godley was born on 4th February 1867 at Chatham, Kent, England. He was the eldest son of Irishman, William Godley, and English-born Laura Bird.^[1] Although born in England, Alexander always regarded himself as Irish. His father died when Alexander was thirteen years of age; his mother being left to care for the four children with limited financial means. His father's brother was John Robert Godley, the founder of Canterbury province in New Zealand. ^[2]

He entered the Royal Naval School in 1879, intending to create a career in the Royal Navy. After a few years, he re-considered his future and chose to pursue a career with the British Army. Graduating from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the Royal Dublin Fusiliers as a Lieutenant in 1886. ^[2]

Alexander married Louisa Fowler, the elder sister of Lieutenant General Sir John Sharman Fowler, on 17th September 1898 in Daventry, Northamptonshire; ^[3] however, they would remain childless.

Alexander ended his studies at Staff College Camberley early so as to volunteer for service in South Africa during the Second Boer War. In 1910, with the rank of Colonel, he accepted the position of commandant of the New Zealand Military Forces, as the New Zealand Army was then known. Promoted to temporary Major General, Alexander was tasked with re-organising and instilling professionalism in the military establishment of the country. ^[2]

The New Zealand government authorised the formation of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force for service in the First World War in support of Great Britain, with Alexander as its commander. He would retain command of the NZEF for the duration of the war. He was created Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1914 and Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1916 for his service as commander New Zealand Division at Gallipoli; upon which Louisa became entitled as Lady Godley. On the Western Front, he commanded the Second Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (II ANZAC). In 1918, II ANZAC was re-designated British XXII Corps and he led it for the remainder of the war. He received a number of foreign decorations, including the French Croix de Guerre, French Legion of Honour as a Grand Officier, Serbian Great Officer Cross of the Order of the White Eagle (with Swords), the Belgian Order of the Crown in 1917, and the Belgian Croix de guerre. ^[2]

After the war, he was appointed commander of IV Corps, which was based in Germany as an occupation army. From 1920 to 1922, he was military secretary to the Secretary of State for War. He then returned to Germany as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army of the Rhine. In August 1928, Alexander was appointed Governor of Gibraltar, a position in which he remained until his retirement in 1933. He was upgraded to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) upon his appointment. ^[2]

In retirement at Bedfordshire, he published two works: ^[2]

1. Life of an Irish Soldier: Reminiscences of General Sir Alexander Godley. E P Dutton and Company, New York 1939. OCLC 398289.
2. British Military History in South America. Feilden Publications, London, 1943. OCLC 18542093.

Alexander passed away, aged 90 years, on 6th March 1957 at Oxford, Oxfordshire.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ UK FreeBMD Birth Index Mar qtr 1867, vol 2a, page 449; registered at Medway
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Wikipedia profile: Alexander Godley
3. ↑ UK FreeBMD Marriage Index Sep qtr 1898, vol 3b, page 190
4. ↑ UK FreeBMD Death Index Mar qtr 1957, vol 6b, page 928

• Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003.
• Wikidata: Item Q2756718