serviceyears laterwork branch commands death_date death_place birth_place allegiance px|caption awards battles birth_date alt rank image article_title name
1886 -- 1933 governor of gibraltar -lrb- 1928 -- 32 -rrb- 23px british army new i anzac corps ii anzac corps british xxii corps zealand expeditionary force new zealand and australian division yes 6 march 1957 -lrb- aged 90 -rrb- oxford , england chatham , kent , england united kingdom general sir alexander godley in 1920 knight knight commander of the order of st michael and st grand george mentioned in despatches -lrb- 10 -rrb- cross of the order of the bath second boer war yes 4 february 1867 head and hat and shoulders portrait of man in military uniform general alexander godley.jpg alexander godley
 sir alexander john godley
alexander godley

general sir alexander john godley gcb , kcmg -lrb- 4 february 1867 -- 6 march 1957 -rrb- was a senior officer in the british army .
he is best known for his role as commander of the new zealand expeditionary force and ii anzac corps during the first world war .
born in england in 1867 , godley joined the british army in 1886 .
he fought in the boer war and afterwards served in a number of staff positions in england .
in 1910 he went to new zealand as commandant of the new zealand military forces .
promoted to temporary major general , he reorganised the country 's military establishment .
following the outbreak of the first world war , the new zealand government appointed him as commander of the new zealand expeditionary force , which he led for the duration of the war .
during the gallipoli campaign , godley commanded the composite new zealand and australian division , before taking over command of the australian and new zealand army corps for the final stages of the campaign .
promoted to lieutenant general , he had a brief period in command of i anzac corps before being given command of the ii anzac corps .
he led the corps for most of its service on the western front .
regarded as a cold and aloof commander , his popularity was further dented in october 1917 when he insisted on continuing an offensive in the ypres salient when weather and ground conditions were not favourable .
his corps suffered heavy losses in the ensuing battle .
in 1918 , ii anzac corps was re-designated as british xxii corps and he led it for the remainder of the war .
after the war , godley spent time in occupied germany as commander of firstly the iv corps and then , from 1922 to 1924 , the british army of the rhine .
in 1924 he was promoted to general and was made general officer , commanding , of england 's southern command .
he was appointed a knight grand cross of the order of the bath in 1928 and was governor of gibraltar for five years until his retirement in 1933 .
during the second world war he commanded a platoon of the home guard .
he died in 1957 at the age of 90 .
