GENERAL GODLEY

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 April 1935, Page 9

GENERAL GODLEY

COLLEAGUE’S APPRECIATION. The following article, written by Colonel J. Gethin Hughes, C.M.G., D.S.O. (D.), will be of special interest on the eve of Anzac Day. •‘General Sir Alexander Godley was ths- first to command a division of Australian and New Zealand troops. I am glad of the chance to tell something of this distinguished soldier. 1 was closely in touch with him from lull (when he was Chief of Staff, 2nd Division, Aidershot) until I went into hospital at Lemnos, October, 1915. He was a strict disciplinarian and intolerant of inefficiency, and in spite of not being of a particularly robust constitution and being occasionally laid up, he still managed to cany on and to bo one of the few who never left Peninsular during its occupation. I was Camp Commandant (and A.D.C.) at the landing, and amongst other things, responsible for the housing of the staff. The shelters I built were on Wellington Terrace, Anzac Cove. My own (shared with Tahu Rhodes, Grenadier Guards, the other A.D.C.) was the first on the left of the line, with the General’s next. 1 am looking at it as I write, as shown in Sapper MooreJones’s fine picture of Anzac Cove. You Australians are fortunate to have 'the original, of this picture, with the remainder of the Gallipoli series. 1 can never forgive the New Zealand Government for missing the chance • which was offered of buying. Sapper Moore-Jones lost his life a few years ago, in trying to save a man from a burning building. These shelters were built up from the ground with filled in sand bags, roofed by tarpaulins. We fed at a table in the open. I can remember a stray shrapnel getting a wonderful mixed bag there one day, which holed the dining table, and wounded a cook, a batman, a groom and an orderly-room clerk. I am afraid the General, like most regular officers, doubted the efficiency and discipline of the Colonial troops. I remember when sailing for South Africa, an ex-regular officer (who had never been in action) saying goodbye to me, added, “You will never get to the .front, Jackie. They won’t trust your discipline, you will be used to guard the lines of communication.” I recalled his words a few weeks after landing, just before taking part in a bayonet charge (N.Z. Hill) and wished to God he was in my shoes. SEVERE TRAINING.

Our severe training in Egypt did a lot to ’make us something like the real article. The men growled . tremendously, but 1 expect the General noticed that they were never too tired to visit Cairo after a gruelling day. I remember years ago, hearing a man sing “You Can’t Tell Cigars by the Pictures on the Box" —this is true of an soldiers, even Generals. We all found it out in the war —officers and men. Officers and mon I thought splendid soldiers, were found wanting "•hen the “guns began to play." The Junior Subaltern with our main body was considered a bit of a “cissy by his brother subalterns —he commanded a regiment before he returned. The General was most particular about dress—can never forget the day I paraded in front of him sans Tunic and Sam Browne and wearing, shores. I got in first with “General Birdwood was dressed like this yesterday Sir. 1 think it was the bravest thing I did in the war. lie was so thorough all the time. My last job us .Military Secretary before sailing with the Main Body from Wellington Harbour was to write to the Mayor and all public bodies that had helped him to get his troops away—those letters actually went ashore with the Pilot. You must remember that while commanding a Division, he was still O.C.N.Z. Expeditionary Force. Later, when commanding an Army Corps he was still O.C.N.Z.E.F. and by jove he did his job thoroughly. In my humble opinion no other General in the vai did more or did better. On the Peninsula it was thought he went to the trenches too often for a Divisional Commander. On these occasions Rhodes aiid myself took turns to accompany him. For the landing a man was detailed as his bodyguard (Aitken, a well-known Christchurch (N.Z.) I business man who had enlisted in the Canterbury Battalion), and 1 who was killed when with the General on Quinn’s Post. Ths Turks attacked during one of his visits 'and Aitken gallantly joined in the counter-attack I —he was not replaced. The General always looked us over before we started on these visits as 1 required I a map, periscope, telescope, notebook, 1 revolver —I can remember the period I best when General Monash was hold- ' ing Quinn’s and Courtney’s Posts and Pope’s Hill with the 4th Australian Frigade. Let me go back to return to the day when this magnificent Brigade—the finest in physique 1 have seen, joined us. I was sent to bring General Monash to Headquarters and foolishly took a three-seater A button hook was indicated to get General Monash and his Brigade Major (McGlinn) out of the car—surely easily the biggest pair in the war.

INSPECTING TRENCHES.

The only track to the 4th Brigade Headquaiters was via Shrapnel Valley where every bend of the way was Perfectly “sighted” by Turkish snip—General Bridges was killed then. My General would often lie held up there at a bad corner where one usually found a group of men taking’ cover. On these occasions at the first lull in the sniping I would rush the General across —coming back one found the men still waiting, for darkness I suppose. The Brigade Headquarters was in the gully just below the Posts. After a conference with Monash, the General would go to one of the Posts and inspect the trenches—a steep climb, in fact a rope was needed to get to Pope’s Hill. General Monash was and proved to be. one of the ablest soldiers in the War, although never a “thruster as Montague Ciadock (brother of the Admiral! used to ray, but no one ever questioned his courage. He and I were gieat friends—the last time I saw him was at a camp fire “sing song" at Lemnos, the night before I went into hospita’. October, 1915, when we “jollied” each other to cheer up what was left oi our men after the “August push.” who were then resting am 1 being fed on eggs and stout to build them up rapidly so that they could be sent back to the trenches—poor tired ■ devils. God, what magnificent fellows > they were. We, in New Zealand, were delighted to see and welcome him after an absence of 20 years. His tour hero from Auckland to the Bluff v.as a great success —no town with a Returned Soldiers’ Club was missed. At all the gatherings at. those Clubs the General, in replying to welcome ’and congratulations, on his very successful career, always gave the most

credit to his good luck in having for war command that splendid body of troops with its leaders — Monash, “Hookey” Walker, Guy Russell. “Slinker” Johnston, Earle Johnston, and further helped by, his excellent Chief of Staff, Dear “Bill" Braithwaite, —The New Zealand and Australian Division.

So that Imperial soldiers reading this article may not gather that we Anzacs think we were the only pebbles on the beaches of Gallipoli, 1 would like them to know that before dismissing my regiment on Anzac Day parades we give three cheers for “The Gallant 29tli. Division."