Last edited December 20, 2022
Captain Godfrey Alexander French
Born(1900-07-01)1 July 1900
Died10 April 1988(1988-04-10) (aged 87)[1]
Allegiance United Kingdom
 India
Service/branchFile:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy
Indian Navy
Years of service1913–1949
1952–1954
RankCaptain
Commodore
Commands heldHMS Hawkins
HMS Norfolk
Battles/warsFirst World War
Second World War
AwardsCommander of the Order of the British Empire

Captain Godfrey Alexander French CBE (1 July 1900 – 10 April 1988) was a Royal Navy officer and the last British officer to serve as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy.[2]

Career[edit | edit source]

Following his cadetship from 1913–16, French was appointed midshipman in HMS Emperor of India and served in the Grand Fleet.[2] Promoted sub-lieutenant, he served as First Lieutenant of HMS Nith, and was an undergraduate at Selwyn College, Cambridge in 1920.[2] He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Military Division (CBE) in the 1954 Birthday Honours.[3]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Births, Marriages, Deaths". The Times. No. 63053. London, England: Times Newspapers Limited. 12 April 1988. p. 19.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "The Papers of Captain Godfrey Alexander French". Churchill Archives Centre. University of Cambridge. 2005. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  3. ↑ "No. 40188". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 1954. p. 3257.
Military offices
Preceded by
Harold Drew
Deputy Commander-in-Chief
1954–1955
Succeeded by
Ram Dass Katari