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Discussion - Encyclopedia > Sidney Frank Godley
These are comments that our moderators found as non-authoritative though possibly interesting for
further discussion on Encyclopedia > Sidney Frank Godley
Ian Andrews
20th November 2005 |
Sidney Frank Godley was a small athletic man, nick-named 'mud' because as a keen footballer he often left the field covered in that substance. He was chosen for the defense of Nimy Bridge because of his expertees with a machine gun. He was able to write his initials on a barn door half a mile away using a machine gun. Before the action some of the local people brought Maurice Dease and Sidney Godley some food and some brandy. As the German Army approached he told the locals, in his cockney voice 'Sling yer bloody 'ooks.' The two men defended the bridge side by side until Sidney felt the lieutenant leaning on him. He said 'Lay off mate.' then realised that he was dead. He continued to defend the bridge on his own despite being severely wounded. He had a piece of shrapnel embedded in his head which was never removed. The Germans approached the bridge having collected together the local children. They marched forwards behind the children. Sidney refused to fire on the children. This is when he disabled the gun and escaped. The events that followed this are not clear. but it seems that he was hospitalised, but the hospital came under attack and a wall is supposed to have collapsed on his bed. Whether or not he was in it at the time is not known. Later a cart was used to as an ambulance to transport wounded patients. It seems that he was thrown out of the cart to lighten the load, because they thought he was dead. It was after this that he was captured by the Germans and served the rest of the war as a war prisoner. The Germans were not aware that it was he who had defended Nimny bridge against them. He was of the opinion that if they had known this they would have killed him. Sidney lived to old age, and ended his days in retirement having had a full working life. His last job being as a school caretaker. |
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