Private Godfrey is revealed to have been a conscientious objector in World War I and is generally reviled as being a coward. In reality, the actor who played him, Arnold Ridley, saw active service in WWI, being discharged on medical grounds with the rank of captain after having been severely wounded at the Battle of the Somme.
The choice to make Godfrey the Platoon Medic as opposed to a soldier came from the many ghastly injuries Arnold Ridley had suffered in WWI during combat, and as such had little strength in his hand making the carrying of a rifle near impossible for him, likewise his need for constant "excusing" was also a trait shared by both character and actor although it was played up for Godfrey.
The platoon have been together for 14 months.