Walter Owen Godber
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Walter Owen was the only son of Walter and Annie Sophia Godber (née Hodder). His father Walter was born in Hyson Green, Nottingham, in March 1869, the son of Thomas, a lace maker, and Elizabeth Godber. He was baptised in 1872 at St Paul, Hyson Green. His mother Annie Sophia was born in Loughborough, Leicestershire, in February 1869, the daughter of Thomas, a framework knitter, and Elizabeth Hodder. Her parents later moved to Nottingham and in 1871 were living in Sneinton. Walter and Annie Sophia were married on 16 February 1895 at St Paul, Hyson Green. They had two children, Walter Owen b. 1896 bap. St Paul 6 September 1896 and Mabel b. 1902. Walter and Annie were living at 55 Beckenham Street, Hyson Green, when Walter was baptised in 1896 and were still at the same address in 1901. Walter (32) was a lace maker. By 1911 the family had moved to 132 Burrell Road, Hyson Green. Walter was a lace curtain maker, his son Walter was an office boy at a lace warehouse and his daughter Mabel (9) was still at school. In 1917 when Walter was killed in action his parents were living at 29 Exeter Road, Sherwood Rise, and this remained their home until their deaths in the 1940s. Walter and Annie were recorded at 29 Exeter Street in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled. He died in March 1942 and Annie died six years later in February 1948. Their married daughter Mabel was awarded adminstration of her mother's Will.
Walter Owen Godber served with 'C' Coy, 2/7th Bn Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment). He was killed in action on 11 April 1917 and buried in Ecoust Military Cemetery, Cemetery Extension, Ecoust-St. Mein, France (grave ref. I.A.11). He qualified for the British War Medal and Victory Medal. War Diary 2/7th Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, 62nd Division, 11 April 1917: ‘Mory [since 5 April]. Received Orders to move forward at 6 am. Moved along Mory-Ecoust road & remained on field by road until evening. (-) of all arms had been ordered to go forward. Anzac Division attacked on right, gained their objective but had to fall back on their original line. Batn. Returned to Mory about 6pm.’ There was no mention in the diary of any battalion casualties that day. CWGC - History of Ecoust Military Cemetery, Cemetery Extension (extract): 'Ecoust-St. Mein was captured by the 8th and 9th Devons in a blizzard on 2 April 1917, lost on 21 March 1918, and retaken at the end of the following August by the 3rd Division. The military cemetery was begun in April 1917 and used by fighting units until March 1918. A number of burials were then made by the Germans and after the Armistice, further graves, almost all of the 2nd/6th North Staffords, were brought into Plot II, Row B from a position just outside the cemetery.' (www.cwgc.org)
St Paul Hyson Green memorial: Walter's cousin, Harold Godber (b. 1895), the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Godber of 38 Noel Street, Hyson Green, Nottingham, also served with 'C' Coy. 2/7th Bn Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) and was killed in action on 3 May 1917. (Arras Memorial) CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'He was a lover of peace' Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Roll of Honour’, 27 April 1917: ‘Godber. Killed in action, April 9th (sic), Private W. Owen Godber, aged 20, beloved and only son of Walter and Annie Godber, 29, Exeter Road.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his father Walter Godber was his legatee WW1 Pension Ledgers: named his mother, Annie Godber
