Ralph Godfrey

Ralph Godfrey

Personal Information
Date of Birth	7 Apr 1917
Place of Birth	Ballarat, Victoria
Death	21 Jun 1999, aged 82
Place of Death	Wongan Hills, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	23 years, 2 months
Description	5'8" (1.73m) tall ; ; dark complexion ; blue eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Labourer
Religion	Church of England
Address	Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother , Mrs Ada Bradley
Military Information
Reg Number	WX7009
Date of Enlistment	30 Jul 1940
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	2/14th Australian Infantry Battalion & HQ 21st Australian Infantry Brigade
Military Movement
1st Departure from Australia
Journey Dates	7 Nov 1941 ‒ 22 Nov 1941
Transport Details	HMT Queen Elizabeth Convoy US13 Fremantle to Port Tewfik
Return to Australia
Journey Dates	29 Jan 1942 ‒ 6 Feb 1942
Transport Details	SS Île de France Port Tewfik to Bombay
Journey Dates	13 Feb 1942 ‒ 24 Mar 1942
Transport Details	SS City of Paris Bombay to Adelaide via Colombo
2nd Departure from Australia
Journey Dates	6 Aug 1942 ‒ 12 Aug 1942
Transport Details	SS James Wilson Brisbane to Port Moresby
Return to Australia
Journey Dates	7 Jan 1943 ‒ 10 Jan 1943
Transport Details	unknown ship Port Moresby to Australia
3rd Departure from Australia
Journey Dates	31 Jul 1943 ‒ 2 Aug 1943
Transport Details	HMT Duntroon Townsville to Port Moresby
Return to Australia
Journey Dates	15 Feb 1944 ‒ 18 Feb 1944
Transport Details	SS Canberra Port Moresby to Townsville
4th Departure from Australia
Journey Dates	2 Jun 1945 ‒ 8 Jun 1945
Transport Details	USS General Anderson Townsville to Morotai
Transfers
Journey Dates	21 Jun 1945 ‒ 23 Jun 1945
Transport Details	HMAS Manoora Morotai to Balikpapan
Journey Dates	26 Sep 1945 ‒ 23 Nov 1945
Transport Details	HMAS Gascoyne Balikpapan to Makassar & return
Return to Australia
Journey Dates	3 Dec 1945 ‒ 19 Dec 1945
Transport Details	HMT Moreton Bay Singapore to Sydney
Post War Details
Fate	Returned to Australia
Medals	1939-45 Star Pacific Star Defence Medal War Medal 1939-45 Australian Service Medal 1939-45

Pre War

Married Jean Florence Godfrey during 1940 prior to enlistment.

War Service

Enlisted at the Claremont recruit Reception Depot and was sent to Melville camp to join the No 1 Training Battalion. On 2 Sep 1940 he was moved to Northam camp, and the 13th Depot Battalion for training. On 27 Nov 1940 he was posted to the 2/4th Australian Machine Gun Battalion. Granted leave from 1 to 11 Jul 1941 prior to the unit moving to Adelaide aboard HMT Duntroon, departing Fremantle on 21 Jul 1941 and arriving in Adelaide on 25 Jul 1941.

On 2 Oct 1941 he entrained in Adelaide for Perth, arriving on 4 Nov 1941. Sent to the Claremont camp, and then on 7 Oct 1941 to the Northam camp where he joined the 3rd Training Battalion before being posted to the reinforcements for the 2/16th Australian Infantry Battalion. Granted pre-embarkation leave from 15 to 21 Oct 1941, he embarked on HMT Queen Elizabeth which with HMT Queen Mary comprised convoy US13 convoy, at Fremantle on 7 Nov 1941, and disembarked at Suez on 22 Nov 1941.

Ralph, on arrival in Egypt, was sent to the 21st Australian Infantry Training Battalion before being posted to the 2/14th Australian Infantry Battalion on 19 Jan 1942. They were performing Garrison duties in Lebanon when he joined them. Barely had he joined them, then they embarked on the SS Île de France on 29 Jan 1942 for Australia. Transhipped at Bombay, on 25 Mar 1942 they disembarked at Adelaide from the SS City of Paris. On 16 Jul 1942 Ralph was charged with drunkenness, and he was admonished by his Commanding Officer.

On 6 Aug 1942 he and his unit boarded the SS James Wilson in Brisbane for Port Moresby which they reached on 12 Aug 1942. The 2/14th Battalion were part of the force that pursued the Japanese back up the Kokoda track, and participated in actions around Gona. On 14 Dec 1942 he was evacuated to the 2/9th Australian General Hospital and passed on to the 6th Casualty Clearing Station with suspected malaria on 1 Jan 1943. Evacuated to Australia he was placed on Ambulance Train for 117th Australian General Hospital which he reached on 13 Jan 1943. Four days later he was released to the 102nd Australian Convalescent Depot. By the end of January he was well enough to transfer to the Ascot Staging Camp, where he was granted leave from 11 until 25 Feb 1943, and on 20 Mar 1943 he rejoined his unit.

Ralph was transferred to HQ 21st Australian Infantry Brigade on 19 Apr 1943 in north Queensland, and following further training, during which time he qualified for Proficiency pay, they boarded HMT Duntroon at Townsville on 31 Jul 1943 for Port Moresby, arriving on 2 Aug 1943. On 15 Feb 1944 he boarded SS Canberra for Townsville, arriving there on 18 Feb 1944. On arrival they were granted leave during which Ralph entered the 110th Australian Base Hospital Perth with malaria on 31 Mar 1944. On 7 Apr 1944 he was transferred to the 118th Australian General Hospital at Northam until 28 Apr 1944 when he was fit to return to his unit in north Queensland. Ralph suffered another malaria attack on 12 Jul 1944 and was evacuated by the 105th Australian Casualty Clearing Station to the 7th Australian Division Rest Camp on 17 Jul 1944, returning to his unit soon after.

Ralph boarded USS General Anderson in Townsville on 2 Jun 1945 for Morotai, disembarking there on 8 Jun 1945. On 21 Jun 1945 he boarded HMAS Manoora for Balikpapan where they landed to engage Japanese troops on Borneo. On 26 Sep 1945 he embarked on HMAS Gascoyne for service with "MakForce" at Makassar, and on 22 Nov 1945 again boarded HMAS Gascoyne at Makassar for Balikpapan, disembarking on 23 Nov 1945. On 3 Dec 1945, in Singapore he embarked on the HMT Moreton Bay for Sydney, arriving there on 19 Dec 1945. Ralph was discharged in WA on 16 Jan 1946.

Post War

Son David Ralph Godfrey born in Armadale on 5 Nov 1951; son Kevin Victor Godfrey born 1959, died 3 Dec 1977 at Wongan Hills; birth and death of daughter Vicki-Marie Godfrey 10 Oct 1961 at Wongan Hills. Wife Jean died in Wongan Hills 12 Nov 1994