Pte. Edmund Godfrey - Essex & Gloucesters.

[stephen p nunn]

Evening all. For father's day my dear daughter and wife clubbed together and bought me a GW pair to:

Private Edmund GODFREY.

Sadly he was KIA and this is what I have discovered so far:

Born in Leytonstone.

Enlisted at Ilford.

First in the 4th Battalion Essex Regiment (as 3077).

Then with the 2/6th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment (as 6113 and then 267331).

KIA 28/8/1917.

Remembered at Tyne Cot (panel 72 to 75) and on a family grave in the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium, Manor Park.

Can anyone please kindly add anything to this brave lad's story?

Many thanks.

SPN
Maldon

[MelPack]

Maldon

You may already have this:

Resided at 59 Mornington Road, Leytonstone in the 1901 census:-

Reginald Godfrey Head Married Male 50 1851 Electric Acessory Stock Keeper Newton Abbott, Devonshire

Mary Frances Godfrey Wife Married Female 44 1857 - Plumpton, Devonshire

William R Godfrey Son - Male 13 1888 - Leytonstone, Essex

Frederick Godfrey Son - Male 9 1892 - Leytonstone, Essex

Mabel Louise Godfrey Daughter - Female 8 1893 - Leytonstone, Essex

Edmund Godfrey Son - Male 7 1894 - Leytonstone, Essex

Harold Y Godfrey Son - Male 1 1900 - Leytonstone, Essex

By 1911 the family had moved to 32 Boleyn Road Forest Gate but no sign of Edmund on the census return:

Reginald Godfrey 60 Head Married Male 1851 Newton Abbot Devon Stationery Assistant

Mary Frances Godfrey 54 Wife Married Female 1857 Glympton St Mary Devon -

Alice Frances Godfrey 30 Daughter Single Female 1881 Newton Abbot Devon Draper's Assistant

Reginald William Godfrey 23 Son Single Male 1888 Leytonstone Essex Commercial Clerk

Frederick Godfrey 19 Son Single Male 1892 Leytonstone Essex Draper's Assistant

Mabel Louise Godfrey 18 Daughter Single Female 1893 Leytonstone Essex -

Harold Godfrey 11 Son - Male 1900 Leytonstone Essex School

[simon2]

Cannot add too much more but the war diary for the 2/6th Glosters may tie in with him being in Essex.

Originally he was with the 3/4th Battalion Essex Regiment which being raised in Essex would suggest that

he enlisted into the local regiment. At this time the 2/6th Glosters were in Epping, Chelmsford, Kelvedon,

Danbury, Back to Epping and up until 23/5/1916 they were in Brentwood. They then moved to Tidworth

ready for embarking at Southampton for the second time on the 24/5/1916.

I would like to think that he may have joined the Glosters between this time and went to France with them.

His Glosters number could have been issued in May 1916 but without looking at the medal rolls cannot

confirm. Some other similar numbers were allocated later than May.Or he may have been sent to France

as part of a draft of reinforcements a little later and joined / renumbered to the Glosters whilst there.

On the 28/8/1917 the 2/6th Glosters were in trenches at Wieltje, Ypres. The diary for that day states:

" Artillery quieter on both sides all day "

but for the 29/8/1917:

" The enemy bombarded our trenches + positions heavily for one hour at 5am "

It is more than likely, as he is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial that he was caught up in an

artillery barrage during the day on the 28/8/1917 or even possible during the night. The diary does

not state any casualty figures but according to CWGC there were 14 men killed on that day.

Not alot but hope it helps.

Simon.

[stephen p nunn]

Thank you so much both of you. Fantastic detail. Things are really coming together with the story now.

Best regards.

SPN
Maldon

[stephen p nunn]

Dear all. I have discovered that Edmund Godfrey attended Davies Lane School in Leyton. What is not clear yet is when he joined the Essex Regiment (as 3077). It seems like a low number so perhaps it was early. He isn't with the family in 1911. And then at some time he transferred to the Gloucestershire Regiment (as 6113 and then 267331 - which seems odd). Looks like the 2/6 Gloucesters were at Wieltje in August 1917 but I don't know where. Can anyone throw any light on any of these questions please?

Many thanks.

SPN
Maldon

[stephen p nunn]

According to CWGC on the 28/8/1917 the 2/6 Gloucesters seem to have lost 15 men. 2 of them are buried in New Irish Farm (Pte's W.G.W. King and R. Slade). 1 is buried at Brandhoek (L/C F. Jarvis). However, 12 are missing and listed at Tyne Cot. as well as Edmund Godfrey these are:

Pte's C.H. Perry, G. Chandler, A.F. Jamieson, A.C. Fancy, P.R. Faithfull, A.J. Parsons, D. Westcott, G. Sewell, R.L.O. Bugden and L/C's P.G.H. Costello and A.R. Beaumont. This looks like shells doesn't it?

[stephen p nunn]

Does anyone please have access to the actual medal rolls for Edmund?

Thank you.

SPN
Maldon

[stephen p nunn]

I am getting on with this research but am struggling to pin point where Edmund's trench would have been on 28/8/17 with the 2/6th Gloucesters.All I have at the moment is based on the fatalities that day which seems to indicate Tyne Cot-Brandhoek-New Irish Farm areas. Can anyone help with a more precise position please?

Thank you.

SPN
Maldon

[simon2]

Maldon,

There are no maps in the 2/6th diary for that time so cannot pinpoint it but there are maps

in the 2/8th or 2/7th Worcestershires I believe. They may only show relevent positions for

that regiment but could show the overall trench system. I will have a look this evening.

Simon.

[simon2]

I have PM'd you in regards to 3 maps for the correct time period from the war diary of the 2/8th Worcesters.

[stephen p nunn]

That's fantastic Simon - thank you so much. So looking at the maps the front line for that time can be seen running from roughly St. Julien down to Frezenberg. The diary seems to indicate they were at Wieltje, so I need to trace that line to there?

Best regards.

SPN

Maldon