Ypres Reservoir Cemetery: P. Priano
Ypres Reservoir Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Hospital Ship Aberdonian
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Godfrey was the youngest of 8 known children, 3 sons and 5 daughters, he also appears to have had 1 half-brother from his father’s previous marriage, since this took place in Scotland details have not been found. His half-brother Robert was born at St. Giles, Edinburgh, September 14th 1862. His father John Godfrey Snr was born at Pentland, Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1837 and married June 15th 1866 at Roxburgh to Janet Gibson, affectionately known as Jessie, born circa 1843 at Kelso, Roxburghshire, Scotland. Their daughter Jessie was born August 3rd 1867 at Roxburghshire, as was Alice, November 10th 1869, Alison 1870, Gavin 1871 and William, February 12th 1872.
Between 1872 and 1877 they left Scotland and moved to the north east of England, settling at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, where Bella was born in 1877 and Margaret in 1880, however by 1881 they had returned to Edinburgh, Scotland, as John Godfrey Snr was a joiner described as a journeyman. Again in search of work they returned to the north east where John Jnr was born in 1884 in the district of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and baptised, January 30th 1884, at St Andrew’s, Newcastle.
In 1891 the family were living at 50, Byker Hill, Byker, a suburb of Newcastle, where John Snr was employed as a general labourer, William (19) as a spirit bar assistant as was their boarder William Armstay, Alice (21) assisted her mother at home while her sister Bella (14) was employed as a domestic servant, Margaret (11) and John (7) were scholars.
By 1901 John Godfrey Jnr (17) was the only one of their children still living at home at 32, Stephen Street, Byker. His father, now 60 years of age is described as a scavenger, John Jnr was employed as a barman. John Snr had been taken in by his married daughter Jessie and her husband William Lewis by 1911 as his wife Jessie Godfrey nee Gibson had died aged 67 years in 1910.
John Godfrey Jnr prior to his mother’s death had married at Sunderland in 1908 to Jane Greener born 1887 at Sheerness, Kent, who had been brought to Sunderland by her family when she was 4-years old. Their son John was born in 1908 registered in the district of Easington. In 1911 they were living in 4 rooms at 7, Victoria Terrace, Murton, County Durham. Living with them as a home-help was Jane’s younger sister Bella (15) and to supplement John’s stipend as a barman, boarder David Williams (39), married and employed as a musician. Their daughter Maisie was born August 6th 1912 but unfortunately within four months, son John Godfrey Jnr died in aged 4 years.
When war was declared John and his family were living at 11, Railway Street, Seaham Harbour where he was employed as a bottling store manager (licensed). He enlisted at Seaham, December 16th 1915, assigned as Private 32801 Durham Light Infantry to the 21st Reserve Battalion. Initially stationed at Wensleydale they moved to Catterick and by April 1916 were at Hornsea. In September 1916 the Battalion was renamed the 87th Training Brigade, training recruits and supplying men for the draft overseas.
Private Godfrey, was posted to the 4th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, stationed at Seaham Harbour, September 1st 1916, which was part of the coastal defences at Wallsend and along the north bank of the Tyne. Having been given notice of his imminent departure for the front, John broke out of his station September 9th and absented himself as of 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. on the 11th in order to see his family. handing himself in to his unit, his punishment, the forfeiture of 3 days' pay.
September 14th 1916 Private John Godfrey departed with his regiment as part of the British Expeditionary Force, landing in France. At the Base Depot he was posted to the 11th Battalion D.L.I. joining his regiment in the field, September 27th 1916, spending the remainder of September and the winter in the mud filled trenches of the Somme. January 25th 1917 he was admitted to the 34th Casualty Clearing Station at what was known by the troops as Grovetown, in the village of Meaulte, south of Albert, on the Somme, and from there admitted to the 11th Stationary Hospital at Rouen the following day. Suffering from a contusion to the left arm he was repatriated to England aboard the Hospital Ship Aberdonian, January 29th 1917.
John remained in hospital for 39 days, January 30th-March 9th 1917, the medical officer was of the opinion that his disability was not critical and would not affect his future efficiency as a soldier. Once sufficiently recovered he was posted to the 3rd Battalion Durham Light Infantry, part of the coastal defences at South Shields but also a retraining unit for the recovered sick and wounded, he went on to Alnwick Camp and finally to Ripon Command Depot, from June 19th-July 13th 1917.
When he departed again for the front, July 28th 1917, neither he nor Jessie knew she was pregnant with their 3rd child. Private Godfrey arrived at the 35th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples and was posted to the 19th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, July 30th 1917, joining his regiment in the field in the Arras sector as a non-Bantam to fill the gaps left by those of the original battalion that had been found unfit and sent to other units.
In late 1917 the 19th Battalion D.L.I. participated during the final stages of the Battle of Passchendaele on the Ypres salient in Belgium. Prior to his demise Private Godfrey was posted to the 15th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, 21st Division. March 21st 1918 they were sent back to the Somme when the Germans attacked again on that front. After 4 days of fighting the battalion had lost almost 500 men and fighting in April gave rise to further casualties.
Private 32801 John Godfrey Durham Light Infantry was killed in action, April 15th 1918, only three weeks later, May 5th 1918, his widow Jane gave birth to their third child, a girl, whom she named Lilian Erine Godfrey.
The explanation as to why Private Godfrey was interred in Belgium can only be that he was one of the many brought into Ypres Reservoir Cemetery after the Armistice during the clearing of the battlefields and removal of smaller concentrations at the request of the Belgian and French Governments. He is at rest grave III. E. 25. and was 34 years of age.
Jane received all monies due to her husband from the Army, a pension of 25 shilling 5 pence a week for herself and their 2 children and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 11, Railway Street, Seaham Harbour, County Durham.
Details as regards the demise of Jane Godfrey nee Greener unknown. Maisie Godfrey died in 1927 aged 15 years. Lilian Erine may have married at Cockermouth in 1933 to John J. Banks.
John Godfrey’s father John Godfrey Snr died in 1920 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John Godrey is remembered at Murton on M47.01, M47.09 and M47.12
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 86
