MILITARY NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1162, 24 June 1911, Page 9

MILITARY NOTES.

MAJOR-GENtRAL A. J. GODLEY, C.B. A SKETCH OF HIS CAREER. [Edited By Echelon.) Of the Commandant of the New Zealand Forces, Major-General A. J, Godley, C.8., who arrived, in Iho Dominion iu December last, and since taking up tho reins of military government has ercaicd a most favourable impression upon tho public mind, thero has not yet'appeared in the New Zealand press anything approichiiig a; complete, biographical nolo. As a matter of fact, to most people, iu New Zealand, (he first news of his appointment conveyed nothing more than a name, and a bald rclerenra (o his identify, culled from tho Arnvy list. A recent issue 1 of the United Service Gazette, however, devotes a full pa go biographical note to tho General, with a characteristic photograph. It is reproduced with these notes ; as a sketch of general interest. Colonel (temporary Major-General) Alexander John Godley, C.8., who was ; appointed ou October < last to tho very responsible post of Commandant of tho Dctcnco Forces of the Dominion of New [ Zealand, has a. distinguished record, and L is well known for his work in connection ; with tho training of troops, having dovot- ! cd a great deal of his lifo to the efficient , training of mounted infantry. No more | ijualified officer could have been selected • for the great task of putting New Zea- . land's forces on a sound lighting basis, . and although he has only been, a few . months in the Daiuiiiion, the press is al- . ready passing high encomiums on Majorj General Godley's capacity for the work given him to do. I Born at County Cavnn on February 4, i 1587, Alexander John Godley wasetlneatcd . at Hailoybury College, at the United Service College, Westward Ho..', and at the > Royal Military College,. Sandhurst, and . was gazetted (o a lieutenancy in tho - Hoyal Dublin Fusiliers on August 25, f 18Hi>, when ho was posted to'the Ist Batl talion of that famous regiment. For a short period, from February 6, ISSO, to November 7, ISOO, ho was adjutant to tha regiment. ' He early gave his attention .to mounted infantry training, and served as section officer and company commander in that ■ branch of the service, from ltfU to ISO.") later becoming r.djutaut of the units, uui tier training at Aldei-shoi, then commandi ed by Lieutenant-Colonel (now Lieutenant- • General) tho Hon. Sir F. W. Stopford. Promoted to Captain ou November C, i 1895, he, in tho following year, was ap- , pointed adjutant of the battalion of mounl- . Ed infantry organised for special service i in Rhodesia, under the command of Major [ (now Jlajor-GeneralLE. A. H. Aldorson. . Hera Captain. Godley's keenness in tho performance of his duties and his avidity > for hard work, speedily attracted the at- ' trillion of l\is superiors, and ho was spwi-: t ally selected as staff officer with the Mas shonalnnd Field Force in ISflli. He com- ! manded a column during the operations . under Major-General Sir Frederick Carrington, was mentioned in dispatches s ("London Gazette," March !), 1S07), and ; rewarded with the Brevet of Major, dated : Mav 8, 1807, and -the medal. 1 On his return to England he continued '. to devote his energies to,the mounted-in- : fantrv, of which he commanded a bat- : lalioii during tho Salisbury Plain manoeuvres of ISOS, and some twelve months ■ later he graduated at the Stall College. In July, ISD-1. when trouble was brew- ' ing wiili the Boers. Major Godley was sent out b South Africa on special ser- : vice to assist in the raising of colonial mounted troops prior to the commencement of operations. On the outbreak of hostilities he was serving as adjutant of tho Protectorate Regiment, onl was shut up in Mafcking during the w.aole of tho sice. While in the beleaguered town he was one of Colonel R. S. S. BadenPowell's most trusted officers, who were mostly picked men, and went out to South Africa with the Defender or Mafcking. Major Godley was appointed to - tho' command of the entire western portion of the defence, whore ho not only ■ saw a considerable amount of fighting, but carried out useful reconnaissance- work. Ho was entrusted with the conduct ot tho night attack on the Western Boer' Laager on November 7, 1000, having under him GO of tho Protectorate Regiment under Caplaiu Vernon. 30 Bechuaiialand Rifles, under Captain Cowan, and three guns under Major Pauzera. The Bscr camp was surprised and at the cost of only live casualties Major Godley succeeded iu tho object of the attack, which was to compel.. Uie enemy to move farther away. The energetic work of tho defenders led Cronjc to give up the investment'of Mafc.-' king on November 1!), and to leave Swymafi iu charge. On December 2l> Major Godley took part in the armoured fraiu attack on E'.off's Fort at Game Tree Hill, which, although not successful owing to a-misunderstanding by Captain Vernon (who lost his life), proved to the B:ors that tho garrison was still ready to take tho offensive. A few days prior to tho Relief of Mafcking in May, 1000, the Boers made a determined attack on (he town, led by Field Cornet: Ktoff, who succeeded in capturing Colonel Hare's headquarters, owing to tlie treachery of a deserter from the Protectorate Regiment. Major Godlev look immediate,' steps to recapture vho position, and not only succeeded, but mat!:* prisoners of Eloff and 07 of his men bv the'evening. After the relief of Mafcking, on May 17, ItlM. Maior Gadlev continued to lake an aclive part in the war, serving as Chief Staff Officer in succession to Major-Gen-c'rls Baden-Powell and Plumer. In August. lOfiO, he took command of the Rho-dc-ian Brigade, a force of mounted irregulars made up of the Rhodesian and Protectorate Regiments. British South Africa and Cape Police, and Southern Rhodesian Volunteers. With this force he was busily employed with Generals BadenPowell, Plumer, and Paget; in the YU'st- • ern and Northern Transvaal, where ho participated iu the operations with credit to himself and Ins gallant force. Un tho formation of the Irish Guards ho was gazetted to a majority in the regiment (October G, 10001, and on the disbandmeni of tho Rhodesian Brigade, iu 1901, he camo home, his services during the war being mentiom-d in disuatches ("J/Oiu on Gazette," February 8, 1001), wid rewarded with a Brovct-Lieutoaant-Coloneley, dated November !!'J, WOO, and the Queen's medal with three clasps. . ' U'ler a short spell of regimental duly in London with his new unit. LieuvonantColoncl Godley was appointed on l'obruarv IS, 1001, Deputy-Assistant AdjutantGeneral for Mounted Infantry in tho Aldershot Command, which ho retained until Apiii III). MS. . On the.introduclicn of the t.v s|j)in of training schools lor mounted infantry, he was selected for.the post of commandant of the one formed at Longmoor, which appointment he took, up on May 1, 1903. Under his experienced trued, the work of the establishment was earned on so efficiently that in lr.ss'tbaii two years he was promoted to the ran* , ol Brevet-Colonel (February 13, 100 M. Ho gnve up the post at Langmoor on Icbriic urv 28. lilfili. and on the following day was gazetted colonel, and appointed Assistaii - Adjutant-General of tho 2nd Division, Aldorsbot Army Corps, afterwards graded General Staff Officer, Ist Grade, 2nd amnion, Aldcrshot Command. . Colonel Godlev vacated his post, .on- tho expiry of his tenure on February 2S, 1910, when'he went on half-pay. On the decision cf the Government, of New Zealand to put the colony's del'enc.w' ',(, it sound footing, by raising numntcO brigades for the respective districts, eael: organised, into four battalions. Colonel Godley was selected by the Imperial Goveminent- to assist the Dominion in flv training of the troops, and on October 'I last lie took up his present appointment of Commandant of the New Zealand 1> twice Forces, being graded Major-Generel on the Imperial General S*a(T. Bearing an exceptionally fine soldierl,', i.ddress, and possessing cool and deter minate power over his subordinate, Xfajor-General Godley is a typical British commander, and will undoubtedly' leave an indelible mark upon, the organisation of New Zealand's Forces, based on his extensive knowledge of mounted infiuilrj efficiency.

Tho subject of our sketch is a lover n! all outdoor spoils, and a fearless ridei across country, he bavin? disliniiiishocl himself by winning Hie Mounted Infantry Ttonvy-webiht ToinHo-Voinl Knee and the Irish Guards' Ucginiental bo has al c o been Master of the Staff College mid Woolmer Draghomuls, nnd as an accomplished polo plavcr eaplained the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, Irish Guards, and Mounted Infantry polo teams.