The Tank Museum is launching an appeal to find a photograph of Major The Rev. Edgar Theodore Harold Godwin, who was awarded the Military Cross at Fosse 8 during the Battle of Loos.
Edgar’s medals were donated to the Museum in 1981. We would like to source a photograph of Edgar to add a face to his story, enabling our visitors to better connect with the person behind the medal set.
When the First World War broke out, Edgar enlisted in the Public Schools and Universities Corps. He soon obtained a commission with the 9th Royal Sussex Regiment and crossed to France.
Edgar had already been recognised for his machine gunnery skills at the Hythe Musketry School when he was awarded the Military Cross – with his citation appearing in The Edinburgh Gazette on 23 November 1915.
He joined the Machine Gun Corps in January the next year and remained with them until the completion of his service in 1921. Upon leaving the Army, Edgar continued his pre-war studies for the Church and was ordained in 1922, becoming a priest and holding various appointments across the country. He was noted for his ‘untiring work’ when Petworth Boys’ School was bombed in 1942, where he was working as the Rector. 28 students, the headteacher, and a teacher were killed in the explosion. Edgar was one of the first to the scene and worked to retrieve and care for the wounded from the ruined buildings.
If you can help us tell Edgar’s story, please contact archive@tankmuseum.org
