Lord Kilbracken
JOHN GODLEY, the 3rd Lord Kilbracken, who died aged 85, made headlines in 1957 by successfully infiltrating Moscow’s Great Red Square Parade on the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution. Wearing a pink Leander tie and trousers turned inside out, he witnessed the event amidst the Russian crowds.
During World War II, Lord Kilbracken served in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, commanding a Wildcat squadron and earning a DSC in 1945. In 1972, he renounced his British citizenship and returned his medals in protest against the Bloody Sunday massacre in Northern Ireland.
Born in Belgravia, London, on October 17, 1920, John Raymond Godley was the son of Hugh Godley, the 2nd Lord Kilbracken. His grandfather, Arthur Godley, was private secretary to Gladstone and an Under-Secretary of State for India. The Godley family originated in Yorkshire but moved to County Leitrim, Ireland, where Killegar House was built in the 18th century.
Educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, John excelled in rowing and developed a passion for flying, despite his parents’ disapproval. During the war, he survived several close calls, including ditching in the Atlantic and narrowly landing after a hydraulic failure. He chronicled his wartime experiences in Bring Back My Stringbag (1979).
After the war, Kilbracken worked as a journalist, authored several books, and pursued a life of adventure and mischief. His exploits ranged from investigating Rommel’s treasure in Corsica to ghostwriting for Hollywood stars. In Ireland, he struggled to maintain Killegar House, embarking on various eccentric enterprises.
In his later years, Kilbracken championed social justice causes, including Irish reunification and Kurdish rights. He became a vocal member of the House of Lords, even after renouncing British citizenship. Lord Kilbracken continued writing into his 80s, penning guides on wildlife and plants, winning acclaim for his accessible approach to natural history.
He is survived by his eldest son, Christopher John Godley, who succeeds to the peerage.