20 Facts About Godfrey Herbert

Godfrey Herbert was born on 28 February 1884 in Coventry.

Godfrey Herbert's father was a local solicitor, John Herbert, and his mother was Lucy Mary Herbert.

Godfrey Herbert attended Stubbington House School in the village of Stubbington, Hampshire.

Godfrey Herbert's superior was Eric Nasmith, slightly older than Herbert and who had been educated at another well-known naval preparatory school, Eastman's Royal Naval Academy; Nasmith was to be awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in the Gallipoli Campaign.

Nothing but the admirable steadiness of the men and the splendid presence of mind of Lieutenant Nasmith and Sub-Lieutenant Godfrey Herbert could have saved the country from another appalling submarine disaster.

Godfrey Herbert was called to give evidence in October 1905 at the court martial of Nasmith, who was reprimanded for the events of that day.

Paul Halpern, a naval historian and biographer of Godfrey Herbert, says that this was a British mine that had come loose but The Times reported in 1929 that it was one that had been laid by German battle cruisers as they retreated from a raid on Great Yarmouth.

Gibson and Prendergast claim that SOS messages were still being sent from the Nicosian when Godfrey Herbert arrived, implying that at least some crew were still on board while U-27 commenced shelling.

Godfrey Herbert thus sent a party of Royal Marines aboard with orders to shoot the German sailors onboard.

Godfrey Herbert returned to submarine warfare briefly, taking command of HMS E22, and was then assigned to Carrigan Head, which was configured as a Q-ship.

Godfrey Herbert's crew had to endure considerable hardship in atrocious weather, baling out incoming water with a bucket brigade on the voyage to safety.

Godfrey Herbert won the hearts of the crew by assisting with the baling and by his encouraging comments.

Godfrey Herbert reached the surface alive, but Goodhart's body was later found trapped in the superstructure.

Godfrey Herbert was promoted to the rank of commander and belatedly, in 1919, he was awarded a bar to his DSO when the identity and destruction of UC-66 had been confirmed.

In November 1919, soon after the end of the war, Godfrey Herbert retired from the Navy.

Godfrey Herbert became a sales manager for the Daimler car division of the Birmingham Small Arms Company, of which he had become a director by 1931.

Godfrey Herbert commanded the armed merchant cruiser Cilicia, which was involved mostly in the escort of convoys off the coast of West Africa.

Godfrey Herbert retired from duty once more in 1943 and settled in Beira, Mozambique, where he became managing director of Allen, Wack, and Shepherd Ltd, a forwarding agency that was part of British Overseas Stores.

Godfrey Herbert had married Ethel Ellen Nelson, the widow of a Royal Marines officer, on 3 May 1916 and with her he had two daughters.

Godfrey Herbert died there, still in office at two of those companies, on 8 August 1961.