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Reade Godwin-Austen
General Sir Alfred Reade Godwin-Austen, KCSI, CB, OBE, MC (17 April 1889 – 20 March 1963) was a British Army officer who served during the First and the Second World Wars.
The second son of Lieutenant Colonel A. G. Godwin-Austen, late the 24th and 89th (The Princess Victoria's) Regiment of Foot, Reade Godwin-Austen was born in Frensham, Farnham in Surrey, on 17 April 1889. He was educated at St Lawrence College, Ramsgate, and later at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, to pursue a military career, following both his father and great-grandfather.
Godwin-Austen was a great-grandson of Major General Sir Henry Godwin, who commanded the British and Indian forces in the Second Anglo-Burmese War. His uncle was Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen, who gave his name to the highest mountain in the Karakoram range; this mountain is now better known as K2.
Upon passing out from Sandhurst, Godwin-Austen was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the South Wales Borderers in 1909.
During his service in the First World War, he was awarded the Military Cross and twice mentioned in despatches while serving as a staff officer with the 13th (Western) Division, a Kitchener's Army formation, at Gallipoli, in Palestine, and in Mesopotamia. In November 1915 he succeeded Douglas Brownrigg as the 13th Division's deputy assistant adjutant and quartermaster general.
Godwin-Austen attended the Staff College, Camberley, as a student from 1924 to 1925, alongside fellow students such as Ivor Thomas, Noel Beresford-Peirse, Vyvyan Pope, Douglas Graham, Michael O'Moore Creagh, Daril Watson, Archibald Nye, Humfrey Gale and Noel Irwin, all of whom rose to high command in the next war. He served in numerous staff positions at the War Office until receiving a position as an instructor at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
In February 1930 he was made a major and brevet lieutenant colonel. Due to a lack of promotion in his own regiment, Godwin-Austen transferred as a lieutenant colonel to the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and commanded the 2nd Battalion from 1936 to 1937, before being employed with the British military mission to the Egyptian Army from 1937 to 1938. His next appointment, during the Arab revolt in Palestine, was in successive command of the 13th and 14th Infantry Brigades, the latter post being held until August 1939, shortly before the Second World War began. While in Palestine, Godwin-Austen gained a reputation for being very sympathetic towards and supportive of the Zionist movement. In the conflict between Jewish and Arab residents, he believed the Arabs were "clearly the aggressors" and the Jewish residents of the territory needed to be protected. Godwin-Austen advocated that the British army provide said protection.
On the outbreak of war in September 1939, Godwin-Austen, mentioned in despatches for his services in Palestine, had just been promoted to the acting rank of major general to become General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 8th Infantry Division. Bernard Montgomery had relinquished command and returned to England to command the 3rd Infantry Division. The understrength division was responsible for internal security in the British Mandate of Palestine. After the division was disbanded in February 1940, Godwin-Austen was nominated in July to command the 2nd (African) Division, which was forming in Kenya. He was again mentioned in despatches in July 1940.
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Reade Godwin-Austen
General Sir Alfred Reade Godwin-Austen, KCSI, CB, OBE, MC (17 April 1889 – 20 March 1963) was a British Army officer who served during the First and the Second World Wars.
The second son of Lieutenant Colonel A. G. Godwin-Austen, late the 24th and 89th (The Princess Victoria's) Regiment of Foot, Reade Godwin-Austen was born in Frensham, Farnham in Surrey, on 17 April 1889. He was educated at St Lawrence College, Ramsgate, and later at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, to pursue a military career, following both his father and great-grandfather.
Godwin-Austen was a great-grandson of Major General Sir Henry Godwin, who commanded the British and Indian forces in the Second Anglo-Burmese War. His uncle was Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen, who gave his name to the highest mountain in the Karakoram range; this mountain is now better known as K2.
Upon passing out from Sandhurst, Godwin-Austen was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the South Wales Borderers in 1909.
During his service in the First World War, he was awarded the Military Cross and twice mentioned in despatches while serving as a staff officer with the 13th (Western) Division, a Kitchener's Army formation, at Gallipoli, in Palestine, and in Mesopotamia. In November 1915 he succeeded Douglas Brownrigg as the 13th Division's deputy assistant adjutant and quartermaster general.
Godwin-Austen attended the Staff College, Camberley, as a student from 1924 to 1925, alongside fellow students such as Ivor Thomas, Noel Beresford-Peirse, Vyvyan Pope, Douglas Graham, Michael O'Moore Creagh, Daril Watson, Archibald Nye, Humfrey Gale and Noel Irwin, all of whom rose to high command in the next war. He served in numerous staff positions at the War Office until receiving a position as an instructor at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
In February 1930 he was made a major and brevet lieutenant colonel. Due to a lack of promotion in his own regiment, Godwin-Austen transferred as a lieutenant colonel to the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and commanded the 2nd Battalion from 1936 to 1937, before being employed with the British military mission to the Egyptian Army from 1937 to 1938. His next appointment, during the Arab revolt in Palestine, was in successive command of the 13th and 14th Infantry Brigades, the latter post being held until August 1939, shortly before the Second World War began. While in Palestine, Godwin-Austen gained a reputation for being very sympathetic towards and supportive of the Zionist movement. In the conflict between Jewish and Arab residents, he believed the Arabs were "clearly the aggressors" and the Jewish residents of the territory needed to be protected. Godwin-Austen advocated that the British army provide said protection.
On the outbreak of war in September 1939, Godwin-Austen, mentioned in despatches for his services in Palestine, had just been promoted to the acting rank of major general to become General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 8th Infantry Division. Bernard Montgomery had relinquished command and returned to England to command the 3rd Infantry Division. The understrength division was responsible for internal security in the British Mandate of Palestine. After the division was disbanded in February 1940, Godwin-Austen was nominated in July to command the 2nd (African) Division, which was forming in Kenya. He was again mentioned in despatches in July 1940.