alexander godley

Some people who served at Gallipoli

The link under a name goes to the person's full biography

These Victorian and First World War orders, decorations and medals, belonging to Lieutenant-General Alexander Godley, are on display at the National Army Museum in Waiouru.

Alexander John Godley (1867–1957): military commander

Major General Godley commanded the 1 New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) during the First World War. At Gallipoli he was in charge of the New Zealand and Australian Division that landed on 25 April 1915. Like many senior officers of the time, he had difficulty coming to terms with the conditions of modern warfare and also the situation on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

Godley and his troops were harshly tested in the campaign. If the men came out with a better reputation than Godley, it was at least partly because their courage was supplemented by his training. Godley himself, however, appears not to have allowed for the steep, rugged ground and the need to reconnoitre it closely, the very poor communications, the losses of some of his most competent officers, and the debility of the troops after time spent on the peninsula. Neither should Godley later have claimed the troops were adequately fed; the food was appalling.