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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
Military Service
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause of Death
Died whilst a POW, in Germany
Grave Reference
Additional Information
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.

Citation
Unknown
External Source
Unknown
South African War Graves Project

southafricawargraves.org — record #27717