A town’s pride, a grandson’s tribute

27 August 2014

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DEPUTY Town Mayor Dick Sweatman welcomed Colin Godley to East Grinstead today (27 August) when he paid a poignant private visit to the town to see the Memorial stone unveiled at the weekend in honour of his grandfather, Private Sidney Godley VC.

Colin missed the unveiling because he was at Mons with 26 members of his family for the 100th anniversary visiting the spot where his grandfather’s heroism had earned him the nation’s highest award For Valour.

“Exactly a century after it had happened, we stood under the same bridge where my grandfather held off the Germans with a machine gun so that his comrades could escape,” said Colin. “It was very emotional and we all had wet eyes.”

Three generations of the family paid their respects including Colin’s 14-year-old grandsons Zac, who wore his ATC uniform, and Matthew, 17, who is in the army cadets.

They were joined by three more grandchildren – Harry, 16 and nine-year-olds Eloise and Kate.

The boys all laid wreaths at the spot and the girls laid crosses after a service commemorating all those who had taken part in the battle.

After the ceremony at Mons, the family visited Ypres where Colin was invited to read at the nightly Menin Gate tribute to the fallen. They also laid wreaths at the grave of Sidney’s older brother Percy, a sergeant in the 32 Fusiliers, who died in battle and is buried on the Somme.

“We were the first family members ever to have visited his grave,” said Colin.

But for Colin there was something very special about coming back to his grandfather’s home town to see the newly-unveiled tribute which will be a permanent part of the High Street scene.

“Grandad was from East Grinstead and he never ever forgot that – or lost his country burr,” said Colin.

And it was another historic moment for Colin himself to stand proudly by the East Grinstead War Memorial with his own grandchildren to see the stone laid in their great, great grandfather’s memory.

“People in East Grinstead have never forgotten Sidney Godley,” he said, looking down at the newly-installed memorial at his feet.

“And now they never will. Grandad will always be here, at the heart of the town.

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