STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
CHARLES HENRY GODDEN
Mr Godden has had an unusual career having started life as a boy messenger in the GPO in 1937. Since leaving the armed forces at the end of the last war he served in the Colonial Office, the Commonwealth Relations Office and thence into the Diplomatic Service in 1966.
Mr Godden has had a long series of excellent reports. He did very well in the Colonial Office and was highly praised for the work he did during a secondment to the Government of British Honduras (1961-64). He spent five years (1966-71) as a Private Secretary, first to the Colonial Secretary (Mr Lee) and then to Ministers of State in the CRO and FCO, successively Mrs Hart, Lord Shepherd and Lord Lothian, earning a succession of outstanding reports. He was reported to be a man of energy, resilience and adaptability, he was said to have worked well under crisis conditions, to be thorough and to have a capacity
His success to master the essentials of a new subject quickly.
in such a long period as Private Secretary suggests that he has a good deal of political flair.
A period of four years in the Commercial Section in Helsinki followed after which he was seconded on temporary duty to the Government of Belize as Permanent Secretary for External Affairs. Mr R N Posnett, who was Governor there at the time, had the highest regard for his work in Belize. He wrote in February 1976:
"I am writing to place on record my warm appreciation of Mr Godden's services. Making full use of his previous experience in Belize and in the colonial field he got immediately to grips with the work and demonstrated a
He made a high degree of diligence and competence. positive contribution on a number of difficult and sensitive issues. His wide experience and sound judge- ment were invaluable to me in forming my own political assessments. He brought about a noticeable improvement in the work and "product" of the Governor's office and it was a pleasure to have the support of such a skilful and reliable draftsman. I also quickly came to place great trust in Mr Godden's handling of Ministers and senior civil servants.
Since 1976 Mr Godden has been Head of Chancery in Kingston. When he was left in charge of the Mission in Kingston for three months he did very well. Both his High Commissioner,
Mr Drinkall, and Hr Posnett think that Mr Godden would do the job in Anguilla very well indeed.
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE