Arthur Henry Godfrey

A Company Sergeant Major with 419 (West Lancashire) Field Company, Arthur died on 31st of July 1917 at the age of 35.

Arthur was born at Oulton in 1882, a son of John and Harriet Anne Godfrey. In 1891 his family lived at Horne Hill, Kirkley, by 1901 they were living at Southwold House, Bridge Road, Oulton Broad, and Arthur was an apprentice carpenter and joiner.

By 1911 Arthur had joined the Royal Engineers and the Census shows him as a 2nd Corporal serving at Chatham. Arthur had enlisted at Ipswich.  

In 1914 Arthur married Jessie Mannall at Ipswich. Their home was at 27 Waterworks Road, Ipswich. 

Arthur arrived in France on 31 December 1914. During the war Arthur was promoted to Company Sergeant Major. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in 1916 (London Gazette 11 March 1916).

Arthur served with the 1/1st West Lancashire Field Company. In January 1917 his unit was renamed as the 419th West Lancashire Field Company. 

On 31 July 1917 the Third Battle of Ypres began. Arthur was part of III Section, under Lieutenant Talbot, and the section, working with Second Lieutenant White of the 1/8th Battalion Liverpool Regiment, were given the task of searching for mines on the Wieltje-Gravenstafel Road to 100 yards east of Kansas Cross. They were also to locate dumps and water supplies in the left area of the German lines as well as searching for booby-traps in the German trench system. At 3.10 a.m. the attack began and Arthur's section went to their duties. By 6.45 a.m. it was reported that Second Lieutenant White had been killed and that Arthur was wounded. Arthur died form his wounds later that day. During the day III Section suffered a large number of casualties and at 8.45 a.m. Lieutenant Talbot reported that other than himself there were only three men in the section who had not been killed or wounded.  

His brother Robert served with the Royal Navy and died in 1920.