Family Name:
Godzeni
Given Names:
William Ernest
Gender:
Male
Birth-date:
5 November, 1912
Death-date:
Unknown
Marital Status
Married.
Age/Age Range:
29
Location:
WA, Kalgoorlie
Occupation:
Minister of Religion/storeman/salesman
Primary Motivation:
Conscientious Objector – Religious Pacifism
Reason for Court Appearance:
[1] Application for exemption from military service as a conscientious objector
[2] Refusal to report for duty
[3] Refusal to take the oath of enlistment.
Court Name and Location:
[1] Court of Summary Jurisdiction, Kalgoorlie, WA
[2] Unknown
[3] Unknown
Court Hearing Date:
[1] 9 April 1942
[2] 29 June 1944
[3] 14 Sept 1944
Court Outcome:
[1]Application refused
[2] Fined £20 plus 10 shillings cost
[3] Sentenced 2 months in prison
Military Event:
World War II 1939-1945
Further Information:
William Godzeni was employed as a store man at the Kalgoorlie Foundry, and as a Minister in the Jehovah’s Witness church in Kalgoorlie, WA. His application for exemption from military service as a conscientious objector was rejected in Kalgoorlie Court of Summary Jurisdiction on 9 April 1942. He appealed but was advised in May 1942, that as the legislation instating the right for objectors to appeal had been disallowed in the Senate, his appeal would not be heard.
William was unprepared when informed on 28 August 1942 that his appeal was set for 14 September in the Perth Supreme Court. He wrote to the Registrar of the Supreme Court, advising that he could not attend and applying for an extension to prepare his case on several grounds: his wife was ill, he had devoted his time to earning enough to keep her and his three children, and he could not afford to travel to Perth. On 24 September, he withdrew his appeal and asked that his application to register as a conscientious objector be cancelled.
He then refused to obey a summons to report for duty. On 29 June 1944, he was fined £20, plus 10 shillings court costs. The fine was paid on 7 July. Godzeni then refused to take the oath of enlistment. In court on 4 September 1944, the magistrate offered him a £50 bond, but he refused and was sentenced to two months jail, served in Fremantle Prison. He did not serve the full two months, being released on 31 October 1944.
Confirmatory Sources:
Supreme Court of Western Australia Consignment No. 3620, box 1, File 1942/16; Department of Defence, NAA (VIC) MP742/1, G/3/1337, Item ID 463742. Title: Godzeni, W. – conscientious objector; Attorney-General’s Department, NAA: D1915/0, SA29378, Item ID 423791. Title: Policy – Jehovah’s Witnesses.
THE AUSTRALIAN PEACE HONOUR ROLL 