Noted as a colourful character, he was commonly referred to by parliamentary colleagues as "the pirate" as he wore a black patch over a missing eye.

He received his education in France (at the insistence of his Alsatian father) and at King's College, Wanganui Collegiate School, and Otago University.

He served in World War I in the Malayan States Rifles and in the RAF, and lost his right arm and eye in an explosives accident.

[1] He had ministerial responsibility for acclimatisation (as the New Zealand Wildlife Service was a division of the Department of Internal Affairs) and was caught returning from a duck shooting trip by a local ranger carrying more than the legal limit allowed, causing significant embarrassment for the government.

[12] In March 1964, Götz was granted the right to retain the title of The Honourable in recognition of his term as a member of the Executive Council of New Zealand.