Fred Godfrey

Fred Godfrey (17 September 1880 – 22 February 1953) was the pen name of Llewellyn Williams, a World War I songwriter. He is best known for the songs "Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty" and "Bless 'Em All" (1917), which became a 1940s hit when recorded by George Formby and which can be found on many war films.

Early life Williams was born on 17 September 1880 in Swansea. He was one of the sons of Robert Williams, an auctioneer, and Maria Jane Knight, a sailor's daughter. They had married in 1864 in Caernarvon.

On 1 July 1901 he married Bertha Lloyd. One of her cousins was Collie Knox, a well-known Daily Mail journalist of the 1930s and 1940s. Her older brother, Charles Ellis Lloyd was a Welsh novelist. The wedding was in Treherbert, after which they moved to 6 Streatham Place, London. They had four children. He also wrote songs for Florrie Forde, Mark Sheridan, Dorothy Ward, Shaun Glenville, Ella Retford and Vesta Victoria. Godfrey was only paid a few guineas for each song, a common amount at the time. Godfrey was not business-minded and generally sold his songs outright, as was usual at this time, rather than receiving royalties.

After World War I popular music styles changed, and he became less successful.

In 1930 he played in a variety act featuring his hit songs with Irish tenor Tom Finglass. The act was a success, but Godfrey could not keep to the schedule, and the act soon folded. In the late 1930s, his old-fashioned comic song style appealed to movie actor George Formby and radio's "Gert and Daisy". Comedian Max Miller's 1938 film Everything Happens to Me featured two, including the title song.

In October 1939, Godfrey's wife died from cancer at the age of 59.

In November 1940, Formby's recording of "Bless 'Em All" was released. After World War I, it had become a kind of unofficial anthem of the RAF. The recording was an immediate success and Formby recorded a second version in early 1941, with new lyrics by Godfrey.

Godfrey spent his last years living with his eldest daughter in the North London suburb of Pinner. He died in a London hospital in 1953, still writing new song ideas. He is buried in Pinner New Cemetery. His will left £202.