Basil Charles Godfrey Place VC CB CV (1921 - 1994)

Born 19 Jul 1921 in Little Malvern, Worcestershire, England

Ancestors

Died 27 Dec 1994 at age 73 in St Bartholomews Hospital, Holborn, Central London, England

Godfrey Place VC CB CV was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Biography

Basil Charles Godfrey Place (usually known as Godfrey) was born on 19 July 1921 at “Wintercot”, Little Malvern, Worcestershire, England. He was the son of Charles Godfrey Morris Place and Ann Margaret Place (nee Stuart-William) ^{[1] [2]}

Godfrey was initially schooled at The Grange, Folkestone before entering the Royal Naval College Dartmouth as a Cadet aged 13. At the outbreak of World War Two he was serving as a Midshipman in the cruiser HMS Newcastle. Later he transferred to submarines^[1].

In July 1943 he married the then Second Officer WRNS Althea Tickler in Grimsby ^[3].

Shortly after this Godfrey departed for the action which earned him the Victoria Cross, an attack on the German battleship Tirpitz (Operation Source) commanding the midget submarine X7. Following the attack Lt. Place and other survivors were captured by the Germans and made Prisoners of War until 1945 ^{[4] [5]}.

Godfrey and Althea had three children, a son and two daughters^[1].

Following the war he returned to the navy and held a succession of sea-going and shore-based appointments, attaining the rank of Rear-Admiral in 1968 and finally retiring in 1970. Also in 1970 he was appointed a Companion of the Bath (CB).

Rear-Admiral B C G Place VC, CB, CVO, DSC died on 27 December 1994 in St Bartholomew's Hospital, Holborn, Central London ^[6]. He is buried in Corton Denham Cemetery, Corton Denham, Somerset^[5].

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} John Winton The Victoria Cross at Sea Frontline Books pub 2016 pp 233-238.
2. ↑ "Birth Entry" (https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=bHKC6MKRcbmqLyqiUD%2FbYw&scan=1) FreeBMD.org; database online. Citing: PLACE Basil (Mother’s maiden name STUART-WILLIAM), Births 1921 Sep Quarter District: Upton Vol: 6c Page: 308. (accessed 3 Jun 2021)
3. ↑ "Marriage Entry" (https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=wrxBZeaQgdSTXp1P%2FsjulQ&scan=1) FreeBMD.org; database online. Citing: PLACE Basil, Marriages 194 Sep Quarter District Grimsby Vol: 7a Page:1462. (accessed 3 Jun 2021)
4. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Godfrey Place," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Godfrey_Place&oldid=865084583 (accessed June 7, 2021).
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "The Victoria Cross Online" http://www.vconline.org.uk/basil-c-g-place-vc/4587914554 (accessed 7 Jun 2021)
6. ↑ "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVZ8-4RHJ : 4 September 2014), Basil Charles G Place, Dec 1994; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death Registration, London City, London, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.