Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The unique Second War D.S.M. group of ten awarded to Engineman W. C. G. Godsall, Royal Naval Patrol Service, late Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Marines, a veteran of the Benin 1897 operations who, although initially a serial deserter, went on to serve throughout both the Great War and Second World War, winning his D.S.M. in 1941 at the age of 64 for services aboard H.M. Drifter Reverberation

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R (KX.101733 W. C. Godsall. Engn. R.N.) officially re-impressed naming; East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Benin 1897 (W. C. Godsall, Pte. H.M.S. Theseus.); 1914-15 Star (ES.30. W. C. Godsall. Engn., R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals (30E.S. W. C. Godsall. Engn. R.N.R.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Naval Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (E.S.30. W. C. Godsall, Engn. R.N.R.) good very fine or better (10) £1,800-£2,200

D.S.M. London Gazette 1 January 1941:
‘For outstanding zeal, patience and cheerfulness, and for never failing to set an example of wholehearted devotion to duty, without which the high tradition of the Royal Navy could not have been upheld’

William Charles Gilbert Godsall was born in Lambeth, London on 20 June 1876. A labourer by occupation, he attested for the 4th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment (Militia) on 7 February 1894. His service record with the Militia contains no further entries and just over two months later, on 14 April 1894, he entered the Royal Marines at Chatham. Godsall served on H.M.S. Theseus, January 1896 - July 1897, during which time he served with the Naval Brigade in the capture of Benin City in 1897. He returned to Chatham in July 1897 and deserted on 23 August 1897, leading to his trial by court-martial and imprisonment between 23 November and 31 December 1897. His character at this time being described as ‘indifferent’. He next joined H.M.S. Galetea on 26 June 1899 and deserted once more on on 13 January 1900, never to be recovered.

In June 1911, Godsall, now working in Grimsby as a Trawler Engineer, joined the Royal Naval Reserve. He was mobilised on the outbreak of the Great War to serve aboard hired trawlers and remained serving in that capacity until demobilised on 22 December 1919, his service record also showing that he represented the Royal Naval Reserve at the funeral of the unknown warrior in 11 November 1920. He received the L.S. & G.C. Medal on 21 April 1921 and remained in the Royal Naval Reserve until 1925, during which time he also saw service in the Grimsby Defence Force.

On the outbreak of the Second World War he joined the Royal Naval Patrol Service as an Engineman and was awarded the D.S.M. for services in that rate aboard H.M. Drifter Reverberation, the investiture taking place on 13 March 1941. Godsell continued to serve throughout the Second World War and was still serving, stationed at Beaver, the R.N. base at Grimsby, when he died of heart failure on 21 January 1946, aged 70. Godsall’s extraordinary medal group, representing service spanning 52 years, is undoubtedly unique and as a 64 year old recipient of the D.S.M. he was quite likely the oldest man to receive that award.