Sidney Frank Godley

At the Battle of Mons on 23 August 1914, a wounded British soldier kept his machine gun firing under intense enemy attack for two hours. His courage at Nimy Railway Bridge earned him the Victoria Cross and secured his place among the first recipients of the decoration in the First World War.

Sidney Frank Godley was born on 14 August 1889 at East Grinstead, Sussex. After working in an ironmonger's shop, he enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers on 13 December 1909 and served with the 4th Battalion, which deployed to France in August 1914.

During the Battle of Mons, Godley was serving alongside the machine-gun section commanded by Lieutenant Maurice Dease. As the British defenders suffered heavy casualties, Godley took over a machine gun and maintained fire despite serious wounds. His determined resistance helped cover the British withdrawal. The London Gazette of 25 November 1914 recognised his exceptional gallantry in operating his weapon under sustained fire after being wounded.

Captured by German forces following the action, Godley underwent extensive medical treatment and spent the remaining war years as a prisoner. He returned to Britain in December 1918 and received his Victoria Cross from King George V at Buckingham Palace on 15 February 1919.

His other documented honours included the 1914 Star with clasp, the British War Medal, the Victory Medal with Mention in Despatches emblem, the King George VI Coronation Medal of 1937, and the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal of 1953.

After the war, Godley married Ellen Eliza Norman and worked for many years as a school caretaker. He remained active in veterans' organisations and commemorations of the Battle of Mons. He died at Epping, Essex, on 29 June 1957, aged 67, and was buried with military honours at Loughton Cemetery.