Sir Alexander John Godley | |
|---|---|
 General Sir Alexander Godley in 1920 | |
| Born | 4 February 1867 Gillingham, England |
| Died | 6 March 1957 (aged 90) Oxford, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1886–1933 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Southern Command (1924–28) British Army of the Rhine (1922–24) XXII Corps (1917–19) II Anzac Corps (1916–17) I Anzac Corps (1916) New Zealand and Australian Division (1915) New Zealand Expeditionary Force (1914–19) New Zealand Military Forces (1910–14) |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Mentioned in dispatches (10) |
| Relations | Sir John Fowler (brother-in-law) |
| Other work | Governor of Gibraltar (1928–32) |
General Sir Alexander John Godley, GCB, KCMG (4 February 1867 – 6 March 1957) was a senior British Army officer. He is best known for his role as commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and II Anzac Corps during the First World War.
Born in Gillingham, Kent, in England, Godley joined the British Army in 1886. He fought in the Boer War and afterwards served in a number of staff positions in England. In 1910 he went to New Zealand as Commandant of the New Zealand Military Forces. Promoted to temporary major general, he reorganised the country's military establishment. Following the outbreak of the First World War, the New Zealand government appointed him as commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, which he led for the duration of the war.
During the Gallipoli campaign, Godley commanded the composite New Zealand and Australian Division, before taking over command of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps for the final stages of the campaign. Promoted to lieutenant general, he was given command of II Anzac Corps in 1916. He led the corps for most of its service on the Western Front. Regarded as a cold and aloof commander, his popularity was further dented in October 1917 when he insisted on continuing an offensive in the Ypres salient when weather and ground conditions were not favourable. His corps suffered heavy losses in the ensuing battle. In 1918, II Anzac Corps was renamed XXII Corps and he led it for the remainder of the war.
After the war, Godley spent time in occupied Germany as commander of the IV Corps and then, from 1922 to 1924, the British Army of the Rhine. In 1924 he was promoted to general and was made General Officer, Commanding, Southern Command in England. He was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1928 and was Governor of Gibraltar for five years until his retirement in 1933. During the Second World War he commanded a platoon of the Home Guard. He died in 1957 at the age of 90.