Trafford

Born during the December quarter 1923 in the Wandsworth R.D. - ref: 1d/847,
the son of Richard A. & Bessie Gertrude H. Godsell (nee Gooding).

Attended Altrincham Grammar School.   Employed by an Altrincham firm of
Surveyors.   No. 1 member of the Altrincham ATC.

1939 National Registration - 25 Meadow Bank, Altrincham.    Son - born on
the 7th October 1923 - At School.   Head of household - Alfred R. Godsell -
born on the 20th March 1894 - Married - occ: Furnishing Fabrics
Representative (Travelling) Manager.  Also - Bessie G.E. Godsell - born on
the 16th July 1892 - occ: Unpaid Domestic Duties.

Volunteered for the RAFVR when just 18 years of age.

624 Sqn were flying Halifax Mk V Bombers from February 1943.   Based at
Tocra, Libyan coast from the 2nd December 1943, transferred to Brindisi, on
the east coast of the heel of Italy on the 23rd December 1944.  
Transferred to Blida, south-west of Algiers, Algeria on the 15th February
1944 and detached to Bone, on the coast 200 miles east of Algiers.    These
operations included supply dropping and the insertion of agents to the
resistance

Peter was the pilot of Halifax JP 206 that crashed near Lamastre, Arderche,
France.

The 25/06/1943 edition of the Sale & Stretford Guardian reports that he was
a Sergeant.

Commemorated on the 145 Sqn Memorial - Altrincham Grammar School.

From 624 Sqn's web-site - From May 1943 (1575 Flight - soon to become
624Squadron) night after night, flew over occupied Europe at less that 500
feet delivering supplies and agents to the resistance groups in France &
Poland until September 1944.  It's missions where top secret and each
aircraft operated completely on it own for the entire duration of a
mission.   The low level night flying in Specially Adapted Four Engined
Heavy Bomber aircraft took a large toll in crews, however their missions
where vitally important in order to keep supplies flowing to the resistance
workers on the ground so that they could carry out their vital job during
the liberation of Europe of causing as much disruption as possible behind
the German line.   These activities caused vital troops to be kept away
from the front line, helped to destroy vital communication and
infrastructure, as well as disrupting the flow of enemy troops and
equipment around Europe.   As a member of the Maquis said during a 2005
reunion in France.  “It was only the sound of the Halifax aircraft coming
over at night that kept their spirits up when they were being hunted down
and tortured.  For they knew then that each aircraft would bring them more
guns and ammunition with which they could fight to liberate their country
and free their families”.

For details of the Memorial at the Crash Site - see Web-site:
http://royalairforce.netau.net/raf4.pdf

During the night of the 25th/26th June 1944 Halifax Mk II, Serial No.
JP-206, Code F, of 624 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, crashed to the
ground during a mission of parachute supplies to the French Resistance, to
a place called "Tachay" on the town of Gilhoc on Ormèze (Ardèche).  The
seven members of crew that died were:  W/O Leslie John ANSTEE 1289182
navigators, Sgt Ernest Henry William COLES 1810734 mechanics, W/O Peter
Edward GODSELL 1623200 pilot, F/O Frederick Nelson HACK J/29229 RCAF, F/O
Walter st-xavier JAMIESON J/24521 bombers RCAF, Sgt James MERCER 1824990
machine gunner, Sgt Douglas Hugh ROBINSON 1313017 radios, are buried in a
collective vault to the Protestant cemetery of Lamastre (Ardèche).  
Lamastre is a town and commune in the Department of the Ardeche, 28
kilometres north of Privas, the chief town in the department, and 22
kilometres south-west of Tournon. The cemetery is south-west of the town
and south of the road to Le Cheylard. It contains the graves of five airmen
of the Royal Air Force and two airmen of the Royal Canadian Air Force,
which is marked by a single private collective memorial. The graves lie
south-west of the entrance.

There is a photograph of the local memorial to this flight - see web-site:

http://www.aerosteles.net/fiche.php?code=gilhoc-halifax&lang=fr

See also page 250 of the list of all WW2 Special Forces Duties Operations
on web-site:

http://harringtonmuseum.org.uk/Aircraft%20lost%20on%20Allied%20Forces%20Special%20Duty%20Operations.pdf

See 624 Sqn website:- www.624squadron.org.    Webmaster - Ron McKeon -
eMail:- ronsquad@624squadron.org

For conntemporary photographs of the crash site and the funeral, etc.,
see:- http://www.lamastre.net/histoire/halifax/halifax2.htm

For a family story about another of the crew and the crash, see:-

http://www.624squadron.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=98&Itemid=224