Cecil Godwin

Medals are shown left to right, as per the bullet point list above.

Cecil Courtney Godwin was born in South Kensington on the 5th of October 1884. At the time of his baptism in 1884 his family were living at 3, Ashburn Place, London. His mother was Catherine Hart from Adelaide, Australia who died in 1904 and his father was Lieutenant Colonel Algernon Arbuthnot Godwin JP who served with the 103 Foot and the Royal Bombay Fusiliers who died in 1927.

Cecil joined the regiment in 1903. In 1906 he attempted to join the West African Frontier Force, or King’s African Rifles, but was turned down because he not sufficiently experienced. Godwin served with the Green Howards in India and Egypt, as the 1st Battalion’s Adjutant between January 1911 and January 1913.

From 1913 he worked for the Egyptian Army taking part in operations in Dafur and with Camel Corps in operations in the Nymia hills, Nuba mountains, Sudan, where he was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded 4th class Order of the Nile. During the First World War he served for a short period of time in Gallipoli in 1915.

After the war he continued to work for the Egyptian army until the assassination of  Lee Stack in 1924. Cecil was awarded with the OBE in 1925. He served with Green Howards in Shanghai in 1927 and retired with the rank of Major on the 15th of June 1928.

On his retirement from the army Godwin served as secretary to the Green Howards. He was reader for the diocese of Ripon in Bedale and served in the Home Guard during the Second World War. He was killed in a motor accident in August 1956. At the time of his death he was living at Sunsque House, West End, Middleham, North Yorkshire.

In addition to his medals, the museum has a number of other items relating to Cecil Godwin, all donated in a very handsome suitcase.  Find out more…