John Godwin (Royal Navy officer)

For other people with the same name, see John Godwin (disambiguation).

John Godwin
Born	(1919-12-13)13 December 1919 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died	Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Rank	Temporary Lieutenant RNVR
Unit	No. 14 (Arctic) Commando
Awards	World War II Operation Checkmate

Temporary Lieutenant John Godwin, RNVR (13 December 1919 - 2 February 1945) was a British soldier. Born and brought up in Argentina, he took part in a raid named Operation Checkmate on Axis shipping near Haugesund, north of Stavanger, Norway. His party managed to sink a minesweeper and a number of steamers using limpet mines, but he was eventually captured with the rest of his party, a commando sergeant, two Naval Petty Officers and three seamen. After spending some time in Grini concentration camp, they were sent to Sachsenhausen concentration camp, where contrary to the Geneva Convention, they were forced to march 30 miles a day on cobbles testing army boots.

On 2 February 1945 they were led to execution, in accordance with Hitler's Commando Order of 1942. Godwin managed to wrestle the pistol of the firing party commander from his belt and shot him dead before being himself shot. No superior officer witnessed this act so a decoration could not be awarded. However, his bravery was mentioned in dispatches (posthumously). The citation, in The London Gazette, 9 October 1945, read: "For great gallantry and inspiring example whilst a prisoner of war in German hands in Norway and afterwards at Sachsenhausen, near Oranienburg, Germany, 1942-1945".

Sources

• Volunteers from Argentina who gave their lives in WWII. Memorial
• CWGC entry
• Foot & Langley 1979 MI9 - Escape and Evasion 1939 - 1945, London, Book Club Associates, London, 1979 pp. 154,155 ISBN 0-316-28840-3