In
1911, Godfrey was in the north-west of the continent of North America, almost
in the Arctic Circle. This was perhaps part of an exploring expedition. One can
only imagine that The Belvederian delighted
in telling stories of peril and adventure, and in 1911 they published a near-death
story involving Godfrey:
At
one time he was very nearly dying of typhus, contracted while on an errand of
mercy. The dread fever had broken out in a neighbouring camp, and when the
volunteers were sought to bring back the sick men to the nearest hospital, some
hundred miles or so distant, Godfrey was among the first to offer his services.
Six were chosen for the dangerous work, and of the six but two survived to tell
the tale of the long journey across the wilds of Sasskatoon. On arriving at
Alberta, Godfrey was so ill of typhus that his life was almost despaired of. We
are glad to say, however, that he has survived, and we hope that the future has
better things in store for him.
The
near-fatal danger on exploring, not to mention barely surviving typhus, did not
stop Godfrey for long. The Belvederian
of 1913 could report the next step of Godfrey’s ‘most exciting career in
America’—he had left on another exploring expedition ‘into almost unknown
regions some months ago’. The editors hoped to hear about his ‘great
adventures’ when he returned.
The
next news that Belvedere had of Godfrey was reported in 1915—he was still in
Canada, but was then with the ‘Canadian troops’, as an infantry soldier in the
Canadian armed forces. He was engaged in patrol duties and ‘plenty of hard and
useful work,’ but he wished to be back in Europe directly engaged in the Great
War. In somewhat surprising fashion, he felt that he was ‘missing all the fun’
in Canada, longing to be in Flanders and making strenuous efforts to return to
Europe.
By
1916, Godfrey had not only returned to Europe, but was fighting in the front
lines of the war as a lieutenant with the Border Regiment.
In early 1916 he was badly wounded as he led a number of men in a mission
cutting through barbed wire protecting German positions. The men had just completed
the job, but they then received a blast of enemy fire. Godfrey took five
bullets which created severe wounds, including one particularly serious one on
his head and he was invalided home.
Godfrey
was in Ireland for the duration of the Easter rising, 1916. Despite his wounds,
he ‘took part in the fighting in Dublin during Easter Week,’ as The Belvederian reported in 1916. He was
called for service again very soon after the rebellion, but, as his wounds had
not sufficiently healed, his leave was extended.
By
the summer of 1917, Lieutenant Godfrey McCullagh was back in France and with
the 26th
Battalion (New Brunswick), an
infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The Belvederian team had learned that Godfrey was awarded the Military
Cross and reported it in its 1917 issue.
The news was in the Gazette on
14 November, 1916. It recorded his citation on being awarded the Military
Cross:
Lieutenant
Godfrey Alister McCullagh, Infantry.
For
conspicuous gallantry in action. Although wounded he remained on duty. Later,
being buried by a shell, he was ordered to the dressing-station, and on his way
there carried a message under very heavy fire. He displayed great courage and
devotion to duty throughout.
In
1918, Godfrey was badly wounded again. He was part of a party that rushed a
bridge of the Canal du Midi, in which sixteen enemy machine guns were captured.
Thirty-one men under the command of Lieutenant McCullagh were involved, but
only three survived the attack. While recovering from these wounds, The Belvederian of 1920 could report
that
…he
acted for a time as Judge Advocate in England, and was retained, after Peace
had been signed, to help to settle up the affairs of the Canadian forces…
Although
he was ‘offered several important posts by the Canadian Government,’ he had to
decline as he was hindered from active work by his multiple wounds. The wounds
he received in 1918 were still causing him much trouble in 1920, when he was
living in Ottawa.
Godfrey’s
brother, Maurice, was also at Belvedere. The
Belvederian of 1913 reported that Maurice was a successful architect
working in the office of Messrs. Byrne and that he had been awarded a second
prize in a competition held by the Institute of Architects. He received a
commission in the Border Regiment by the summer of 1915, but was with the
Machine Gun Corps by 1916. The
Belvederian of that year reported that Lieutenant Maurice McCullagh was
very
successful in machine-gun work, of which he has made a special study. He was
one of the six officers selected to form the nucleus of a new machine-gun
corps, and has acted for some time as instructor in this branch in England.
Maurice
was wounded at Vimy Ridge, in the north of France, on 1 July, 1916. He
continued his work and service with the Machine Gun Corps.
