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Ward , Richard Godfrey (R G)

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Identity
Person No.
27717
Service No.
33568
Last Name
First Name
Richard Godfrey
Initials
R G
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
27
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
POW 1,367
Died as prisoner of war
Cause of Death
Died whilst a POW, in Germany
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Private
Defence Force
UDF 24,809
Union Defence Force
Unit History
Role at time of death
Infantry
Status
Active Citizen Force (Reserve)
Part of
Originated 1905 as the Transvaal Cycle Corps; became 11th Infantry (Rand Light Infantry) and transferred to the Active Citizen Force in 1913; renamed Rand Light Infantry 1932. Merged with Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles 1942-45 (WWII), re-established as a reserve unit post-war, serving in the Border War.
Notes

Son of Daisy E. Ward, of Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa. On ROH plaque in Christ Church in Mayfair. Place of death unknown but believed to be a hospital in Berlin. Godfrey was the best friend of Vincent Davies visited by ourselves 7 December 2002 (from Jenny Spruyt). He described Godfrey as a very popular man who was very kind and considerate. He would not go dancing as his sister Thora who had suffered from polio as a child and had a bad leg could not go dancing as well. He had a bad chest and also smoked which was considered to be the cause of his final death from pneumonia. Godfrey got his brother Jack a job at the same mine he worked at Rand Leases Gold Mine. Vincent Davies worked at the same mine but Vincent was in the stores while Godfrey was an artisan. Vincent Davies described Godfrey as the best friend that he had ever had in his life. The 1st Rand left South Africa from Durban on the ship Earl de France. The troops had travelled from Johannesburg by train. Vincent Davies believed that if he had been able to be in the same camp as his friend Godfrey then Godfrey would have survived the war. The two men were separated when one was at the beginning of a new line and the other at the end of the old line. Stalag VIIIB, Lamsdorf, near Breslau, Germany between Poland and Czechoslovakia was believed to be the Camp Godfrey was in.

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