Godfrey's Ghost
By Nicolas Ridley
Published by Mogzilla Life, £9.99
Published: 7 October 2009
To the nation, Arnold Ridley will always be remembered as Pte Godfrey, the mild mannered former conscientious objector in Capt Mainwaring’s Home Guard platoon, yet Dad’s Army is a mere chapter in the life of a man who survived two world wars, and wrote a highly acclaimed play in between.
Yet, despite the fact he lived to the age of 88, Arnold Ridley never lived to see his life story published. Now, his story has finally been printed thanks to his son Nicolas.
Godfrey’s Ghost is part commentary from Nicolas, who recalls his own childhood memories to paint a picture of his father’s character. However, he has also incorporated the unpublished memoirs that Arnold himself had begun to compose under the working title The Train and Other Ghosts.
The title refers to his most famous play, the The Ghost Train, which has been adapted several times for film and television. Although the ‘other ghosts’ the title refers to could easily be his way of describing the horrors he encountered in the two world wars.
As Nicolas writes: “Although he had fought in both wars, ‘the War’ for my father was the First World War. The Great War, the ‘war to end war’. Except that it didn’t. Twenty-two years after being discharged wounded, Lance-Corporal Ridley, Prince Albert’s Somerset Light Infantry (13th Foot) Number 20481, was back in France with the British Expeditionary Force and the rank of major. Fresh horrors to feed his nightmares of trenches; sucking suffocating mud, rats the size of cats, repulsive, disgusting, inglorious death.”
There is very little recorded by Arnold about his service days, but they are every bit as important to the story as his writing and acting experiences. They help Nicolas, and the reader, understand his true character.
Not only is this book an insight for Dad’s Army fans into one of the shows best-loved characters, the way this book is written also provides an interesting perspective on relationships between father and son.
