John Godley, 3rd Baron Kilbracken
Encyclopedia
John Raymond Godley, 3rd Baron Kilbracken, DSC
(October 17, 1920 – August 14, 2006) was a British
-born, later Irish-
resident peer, wartime naval pilot, journalist, author and farmer. He was the son of the 2nd Baron Kilbracken
; his grandfather, Arthur Godley, 1st Baron Kilbracken
, was William Ewart Gladstone
's private secretary. He became the third Baron Kilbracken
on his father's death in 1950, and became an active member of the House of Lords
. After many years living in the Republic of Ireland
, he renounced his British
nationality and took up Irish citizenship in the 1970s, as a protest at British actions in Northern Ireland
.
, and educated at Eton
and Balliol College, Oxford
, developing an interest in horse racing
and betting at both places, and rowing in the first VIII at Eton and the University second boat, Isis, at Oxford. After serving in the Fleet Air Arm
in the Second World War, he returned to his studies, and graduated with a MA
in 1948.
He married twice. He married Penelope Anne Reyne in 1943. They had two children, Christopher (born 1944) and another son, who died aged three days. He and Penelope divorced in 1949.
In April 1951, he moved permanently to the family's estate, Killegar House, in Carrigallen
, County Leitrim
. His father's fortunes had not flourished and he had been forced by circumstances to put Killegar on the market. The house was dilapidated, and had not been occupied for several years but he was determined to live there. He farmed the estate organically
from the 1950s.
His second marriage was to an Australia
n ex-spy and writer, Susan Lee Heazlewood, who was thirty-six years his junior, in 1981. They had one son, the Irish poet Sean Godley
(born 1981), and a daughter, Lisa, before divorcing in 1989.
He died in Cavan
in August 2006.
broke out, he joined the Fleet Air Arm
in 1940, mainly flying obsolescent Fairey Swordfish
bombers (known as "stringbags") from merchant aircraft carrier
s, merchant ships with an added flight deck used to escort merchant convoys on the Atlantic. He was commissioned in 1941, and later commanded 'P' Flight of 836 Naval Air Squadron. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander
in 1944 and took command of 835 Naval Air Squadron. He was awarded the DSC for commanding the mixed Swordfish and Grumman Wildcat
squadron from the escort carrier
HMS Nairana
in an attack on enemy shipping on 29 January 1945. He transferred to command of 714 Naval Air Squadron, ending the war flying a Fairey Barracuda
.
from 1949 to 1951, and then freelance. He was originally as a racing correspondent and later mainly as a foreign correspondent in places including Aden
, Angola
, China
, Cuba
and Yemen
. He wrote for many journals, including The New Yorker
, Punch
, Sports Illustrated
, Reader's Digest
and Good Housekeeping
.
He also wrote several books under the name "John Godley", including Tell Me the Next One (1950), 'The Master Forger (1951), Living Like a Lord (1955), A Peer Behind the Curtain (1959) and Shamrocks and Unicorns (1962), a biography of the Vermeer forger
Han van Meegeren
(1967), a war autobiography entitled Bring Back My Stringbag (1979), and The Easy Way to Bird Recognition (1982), which won an award and was followed up by The Easy Way to Tree Recognition (1983) and The Easy Way to Wild Flower Recognition (1984).
to celebrate the centenary of the foundation of Christchurch
and the province of Canterbury
by his great-great-grandfather, John Robert Godley
. He took his seat in the House of Lords
, but rarely attended until he made his maiden speech in 1961. He became an active member in later years. Originally a Liberal
, he moved to Labour
in 1966.
As a resident in the Republic of Ireland
, he returned his six military medals in 1972 as a result of British behaviour in Northern Ireland
(variously attributed to the Bloody Sunday
incident, or the British policy of internment
). He also renounced his British nationality, taking up an Irish passport, but retaining his right to sit in the House of Lords until the reforms in 1999. He also campaigned on behalf of the Kurd
s, comparing the situation in Iraq
with that in Northern Ireland.
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
(October 17, 1920 – August 14, 2006) was a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
-born, later Irish-
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
resident peer, wartime naval pilot, journalist, author and farmer. He was the son of the 2nd Baron Kilbracken
Hugh Godley, 2nd Baron Kilbracken
Hugh John Godley was an Irish nobleman.Hugh Godley succeeded his father as the 2nd Baron Kilbracken in 1932. A barrister, he became counsel to the Lord Chairman of Committees of the House of...
; his grandfather, Arthur Godley, 1st Baron Kilbracken
Arthur Godley, 1st Baron Kilbracken
John Arthur Godley, 1st Baron Kilbracken, GCB was a British civil servant and the longest serving - and probably the most influential - Permanent Under-Secretary of State for India....
, was William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
's private secretary. He became the third Baron Kilbracken
Baron Kilbracken
Baron Kilbracken, of Killegar in the County of Leitrim, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1909 for the senior civil servant Sir Arthur Godley. He was Permanent Under-Secretary of State for India between 1883 and 1909...
on his father's death in 1950, and became an active member of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. After many years living in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, he renounced his British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
nationality and took up Irish citizenship in the 1970s, as a protest at British actions in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Early and private life
Godley was born in Chester Street in BelgraviaBelgravia
Belgravia is a district of central London in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Noted for its immensely expensive residential properties, it is one of the wealthiest districts in the world...
, and educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, developing an interest in horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and betting at both places, and rowing in the first VIII at Eton and the University second boat, Isis, at Oxford. After serving in the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
in the Second World War, he returned to his studies, and graduated with a MA
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
in 1948.
He married twice. He married Penelope Anne Reyne in 1943. They had two children, Christopher (born 1944) and another son, who died aged three days. He and Penelope divorced in 1949.
In April 1951, he moved permanently to the family's estate, Killegar House, in Carrigallen
Carrigallen
Carrigallen is a small village in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is located on the R201 and R203 roads in the east of the county. The English translation of Carraig Álainn is "beautiful rock"....
, County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
. His father's fortunes had not flourished and he had been forced by circumstances to put Killegar on the market. The house was dilapidated, and had not been occupied for several years but he was determined to live there. He farmed the estate organically
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
from the 1950s.
His second marriage was to an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n ex-spy and writer, Susan Lee Heazlewood, who was thirty-six years his junior, in 1981. They had one son, the Irish poet Sean Godley
Sean Godley
Sean Godley, , is an Irish-Australian writer and poet.Born in Cavan, he is the son of John Godley, 3rd Baron Kilbracken and his second wife, Susan Heazlewood...
(born 1981), and a daughter, Lisa, before divorcing in 1989.
He died in Cavan
Cavan
Cavan is the county town of County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The town lies in the north central part of Ireland, near the border with Northern Ireland...
in August 2006.
Wartime service
Having taken flying lessons while at school, when World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out, he joined the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
in 1940, mainly flying obsolescent Fairey Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
bombers (known as "stringbags") from merchant aircraft carrier
Merchant aircraft carrier
Merchant aircraft carriers were bulk cargo ships with minimal aircraft handling facilities, used during World War II by Britain and the Netherlands as an interim measure to supplement British and United States-built escort carriers in providing an anti-submarine function for convoys...
s, merchant ships with an added flight deck used to escort merchant convoys on the Atlantic. He was commissioned in 1941, and later commanded 'P' Flight of 836 Naval Air Squadron. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
in 1944 and took command of 835 Naval Air Squadron. He was awarded the DSC for commanding the mixed Swordfish and Grumman Wildcat
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
squadron from the escort carrier
Escort aircraft carrier
The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the USN or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the British Royal Navy , the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the...
HMS Nairana
HMS Nairana (D05)
HMS Nairana was the lead ship of the Royal Navy's s that saw service in the Second World War. She was built at John Brown & Company shipyards in Clydebank, Scotland...
in an attack on enemy shipping on 29 January 1945. He transferred to command of 714 Naval Air Squadron, ending the war flying a Fairey Barracuda
Fairey Barracuda
The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo- and dive bomber used during the Second World War, the first of its type used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm to be fabricated entirely from metal. It was introduced as a replacement for the Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Albacore biplanes...
.
Post-war writing career
After finishing his studies, he considered joining the Foreign Service, but decided to become a journalist instead, working for the Daily Mirror from 1947 to 1949, the Daily ExpressDaily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
from 1949 to 1951, and then freelance. He was originally as a racing correspondent and later mainly as a foreign correspondent in places including Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. He wrote for many journals, including The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
and Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping is a women's magazine owned by the Hearst Corporation, featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, health as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good Housekeeping Seal," popularly known as the...
.
He also wrote several books under the name "John Godley", including Tell Me the Next One (1950), 'The Master Forger (1951), Living Like a Lord (1955), A Peer Behind the Curtain (1959) and Shamrocks and Unicorns (1962), a biography of the Vermeer forger
Art forgery
Art forgery is the creation of works of art which are falsely attributed to other, usually more famous, artists. Art forgery can be extremely lucrative, but modern dating and analysis techniques have made the identification of forged artwork much simpler....
Han van Meegeren
Han van Meegeren
Han van Meegeren , born Henricus Antonius van Meegeren, was a Dutch painter and portraitist, and is considered to be one of the most ingenious art forgers of the 20th century....
(1967), a war autobiography entitled Bring Back My Stringbag (1979), and The Easy Way to Bird Recognition (1982), which won an award and was followed up by The Easy Way to Tree Recognition (1983) and The Easy Way to Wild Flower Recognition (1984).
Peerage
He succeeded his father as Baron Kilbracken in 1950, while visiting New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
to celebrate the centenary of the foundation of Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
and the province of Canterbury
Province of Canterbury
The Province of Canterbury, also called the Southern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of England...
by his great-great-grandfather, John Robert Godley
John Robert Godley
John Robert Godley was an Irish statesman and bureaucrat. Godley is considered to be the founder of Canterbury, New Zealand, although he lived there for only two years.-Early life:...
. He took his seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, but rarely attended until he made his maiden speech in 1961. He became an active member in later years. Originally a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, he moved to Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in 1966.
As a resident in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, he returned his six military medals in 1972 as a result of British behaviour in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
(variously attributed to the Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday (1972)
Bloody Sunday —sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army...
incident, or the British policy of internment
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
). He also renounced his British nationality, taking up an Irish passport, but retaining his right to sit in the House of Lords until the reforms in 1999. He also campaigned on behalf of the Kurd
Kürd
Kürd or Kyurd or Kyurt may refer to:*Kürd Eldarbəyli, Azerbaijan*Kürd Mahrızlı, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Goychay, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Jalilabad, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Qabala, Azerbaijan*Qurdbayram, Azerbaijan...
s, comparing the situation in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
with that in Northern Ireland.