Captain GODFREY, Intelligence Corps, Served Libya 1941. NFD known

Hi

I am trying to locate a Captain Godfrey of the Intelligence Corps who was present in Libya in April 1941, this follows a post I made yesterday researching my Granddads war years.
The tale my Granddad told is that on retreating from Derna Aerodrome via the coast between 7th April 1941-11th April 1941, there was a group of men who made it to Bombah and ran into a company of Germans. My Granddad and Corporal Godfrey made a brief run along the beach and got behind a dune. Capt Godfrey passed my Granddad a revolver and said he had to get back to a waiting submarine. My Granddad fired a couple of shots and buried the revolver and was taken POW. He always wondered if Capt Godfrey made it back to Tobruk and was there any waiting submarine.
If anyone has any knowledge of the intelligence officer, I would be grateful.
Thanks

 

Too little information for an easy search online and am reasonably sure he has not appeared here before your post.

 

Coops,

I would suspect your man might have been 44868 Captain Arthur Stuart Talbot Godfrey.

In October of 1940 he's a 2nd Lt in the Intelligence Corps, seniority 2nd Lt. (now War Subs. Lt. & temp. Capt.) A. S. T. Godfrey (44868), from Spec. List (T.A.R.O.), to be 2nd Lt. 15th July 1940, retaining his present seniority.

Page 5955 | Supplement 34965, 8 October 1940 | London Gazette | The Gazette

By October of 1941, he's a Captain and back to his parent unit, the Royal Engineers. At the time of his death at Narvik, Norway 14 May 1942 he was a Lieutenant Colonel.

Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Stuart Talbot Godfrey | War Casualty Details 2146281 | CWGC

Regards,

Dave

 

Looked through some notes but nil found yet. Coops, can you just check the chap's rank at that time and rule out forename option?

may be right, but this officer was an Arctic expert and:
Arthur Stuart Talbot Godfrey – Wikipedia
suggests his employment in that area of operations, rather than North Africa. Not impossible, but ....?

'Trade' activity in the Mediterranean is described at:
Chapter 9
with the Patrolgram at:
https://www.rnsubmusfriends.org.uk/hezlet/patrolgrams/7 CD.pdf
and schematically at:
Map 17

Afternote: Did a trawl through Gottfrieds, just in case, but nil found with that surname. There was a Captain Charles Godfrey, but only noted for service in India - died 1951 in UK from effects of disease contracted in India.

 

My Granddad recalled this tale many times, he only knew he was a Captain and his surname was Godfrey at the time of April 1941.

Thank you so much for your efforts it is very much appreciated. I will look into the chap mentioned.

 

Hi

These are the only other Intelligence Corps Officers with the surname Godfrey when I search "British Army Records and Lists" on Ancestry.

Their service numbers, full names and date of commissioning were found on The London Gazette. Rest with a little help from Mr Google.

204488 Brian Elliott Godfrey - Commissioned October 1941

Joined up too late to be your man.

115330 Harold Guy Wilder GODFREY - Commissioned February 1940

Found on National Army Museum archives

Passport, August 1940; five passes and identity cards, 1943-1945; maps, 1944 (c); Officer's Release Book and release certificate, March 1946; map, nd; map, 1934; photocopy history, ' A Short History of the 421st Battery RFA, North Russia 1918-19'; programme, 15 Aug 1944; associated with Lt Col Harold Guy Wilder Godfrey, Intelligence Corps; associated with 421 Bty Royal Field Artillery; associated with World War One, Eastern Front (1918-1919) and with World War Two, NW Europe (1944-1945).

Found on Mr. Fairley: The Oldest Banker in Glasgow By Harold Peacock (google books)




This would suggest he wasn't in Lybia/North Africa during April 1941.

143886 Albert William Godfrey - Commissioned August 1940
Awarded King Haakon VII Liberty Cross in March 1948.
SOE Personal File for same name found on TNA
Albert William GODFREY - born 10.06.1901 | The National Archives

There are no casualty records on FMP for any of these officers so that means none of them were ever wounded or taken POW during the war.

Hope this helps

Gus

 

Thanks once again for the efforts.
There is a Capt Peter Godfrey listed online of South African Int who was active during this period. Unknown if he was in Libya at the time.

 

I think on review the earlier suggestion by alieneyes looks the best with ref to the submarine and being attached from Royal Engineers. Thanks all