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DSO, DFC (with bar), Croix de Guerre (with gold star). Born of Canadian mother and Dutch father in Java. 401 Squadron 1941, 403 Squadron March1943, Squadron Leader June 1943, No 17 Wing Aug 1943, Wing Commander Sept 1943 taking over from Johnny Johnson. RCAF Overseas HQ May 1944. At D-Day He was based at Tangmere as Wing Commander 127 Wing (403 and 421 Squadrons). About a fortnight after D-Day flying back to Normandy from Northolt after an Air Ministry meeting, he had engine failure and had to ditch in the English Channel. Quickly rescued and brought back to Portsmouth. He returned to Canada with his Scottish wife Connie Helm, whom he had met at Biggin Hill where she worked in cypher ops and had married in 1942, and his daughter Isabel. Although he had studied Engineering at university for a year before signing up, after the War he studied Medicine. He practised first in Canada (Montreal and Grand'Mere, Quebec), then from 1962 in Conway, South Carolina, returning to Hudson, Quebec and latterly back in South Carolina. He died at Myrtle Beach, SC on 3 April 2002. His autobiography, Lucky Thirteen, was published in 1983.
More information on Hugh can be found at http://acesofww2.com/can/aces/godefroy.htm.
The image shown is of a portrait by Olivia Snell
