A VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY

Celebrating Captain Walter Godsal RN

We wanted to take a moment to share a rather special piece of news relating to someone dear to our hearts here at Iscoyd Park. Next week, on December 3rd, Captain Walter Godsal RN will turn 100 years old. Walter is Philip Godsal Senior’s uncle and also his godfather, and the great uncle of current Iscoyd owner Phil, not to mention a much loved member of the family.

As you can probably tell from the picture below, Walter is a Second World War veteran, more specifically a Burma Star veteran who spent 37 years in the Royal Navy. The family describe him as incredibly modest despite his remarkable service. For those who are not au fait with the Burma Star Association, Captain Godsal is one of the few surviving members of the Burma Star Association, which supported British and Commonwealth forces who served during the Burma campaign between 1941 to 1945.

In 1945 he was a midshipman on board the destroyer HMS Verulam, featured above, which was a part of the 26th Destroyer Flotilla of the East Indies Fleet. Eight days after everyone back home was celebrating Victory in Europe Day, the Flotilla took part in the Battle of the Malacca Strait in which the Haguro, the flagship of the Japanese Indian Ocean Fleet, was sunk. At that point the end of the war was still three months away.

In celebration of his 100th birthday, the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, Ted Allen DL, will present him with a centenary birthday card on behalf of the King and Queen at Dunkirk Memorial House near Taunton on his birthday. First Sea Lord by Rear Admiral Ian Moncrieff DL will also present Captain Godsal with a letter of congratulations.

We are sure you will join us in wishing Walter a hearty happy birthday and our thanks for his wonderful years of service! Happy Birthday Walter!

All our Iscoyd love

xxx