Godfrey Paul Darling was born in Westminster, London, in January 1913, the son of George Kenneth Darling (of the Indian Civil Service) and Mrs Mabel Eleanor Darling of 55 Green Street, Grosvenor Square, London.  On 8 May 1919, he arrived in Liverpool from Bombay (now Mumbai) in the Anchor Line Ship SS OLYMPIA with his parents and younger brother, Douglas.  At the time of the 1921 census, he was a boarder at Sunningdale Preparatory School.  He joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet and was appointed to the battleship HMS WARSPITE for sea training on 24 May 1930.

Promoted to Midshipman on 1 Jan 31, Godfrey was appointed to the cruiser HMS ENTERPRISE on 1 October. Promotion to Sub Lieutenant followed in May 1933, followed by an appointment to the Royal Naval College at Greenwich for his Lieutenants Courses on 4 May. He then joined HMS DOLPHIN ‘for the Submarine Course’ and, on 15 Dec 34, he was appointed to HMS PORPOISE as the Navigating Officer.  He made Lieutenant on 1 January 1936 and, on 22 October, joined HMS L26 as the Navigator.  A year later, on 17 October 1937, he was appointed to HMS DOLPHIN as 1st Lieutenant of HMS H49.

On 18 June 1938, Godfrey Darling was sent out to the Far East with an appointment to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MEDWAY at Hong Kong ‘for Submarines’ and, on 1 October 1938 ‘for HMS ROVER as First Lieutenant’.  Upon return to UK, he was appointed to HMS DOLPHIN for the Commanding Officers Qualifying Course (COQC) on 12 July 1940 and, thence to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS AMBROSE (9th Submarine Flotilla) at Dundee on 11 September 1940 followed by the Submarine Depot Ship HMS CYCLOPS (7th Submarine Flotilla) at Rothesay ‘for HMS H44 in Command’, and then to HMS H33 in command on 23 November.

Early 1941 saw him in the Eastern Mediterranean in the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MEDWAY at Alexandria before being appointed to HMS St. ANGELO (1st Submarine Flotilla) ‘for HMS USK in Command’ to date 2 February 1941.  HMS USK (P41) was lost in the Mediterranean off Cape Bon on or about 25 April 1941.  This is the last date on which a message was received from the submarine.  It is believed that HMS USK was lost with all hands in a minefield in that area.

Godfrey Darling is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel 45 Column 1.