Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery | ||
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.123 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 32A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of John James and Mary Elizabeth Goodwill, of 33, Boynton St., Boulevard, Hull, England.Education & Career :
Joiner, Suva (1913).
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 49/Australian Infantry, A.I.F. |
Mike: BEAN 13th Brigade-Q?land, S ?Airst, U? .gust Tns , 49th, SOfk, 51st, 152iid disbanded), Bus -1q3, 353n, 486, < I I , 6oin, 717n. 888. 1067n. reduced to three bns, 68n; nr. Sailly- Laurette, IO-11 lunr. 227n, 231. 235. cas, zjon: |
| Action : The Battles of the Somme 1916 |
The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.
Detail :
Private - Service No. 1657 - 49th Australian Infantry.
Kingston upon Hull War Memorial. Born hull 1880. Son of John James & Mary Elizabeth Goodwill at this address. A carpenter. Emigrated to Australia. Arrived in Sydney, New South Wales, on 12/11/1912. He lived with a Miss M.E. dodds. Enlisted at Brisbane, Queensland, on 21/12/1915, giving the age of 32. Described as 5 foot 3 inches tall, 108 lbs weight, 32 inch chest, grey eyes and dark hair. Embarked for Alexandria, on 06/06/1916. Arrived in Plymouth, and then in Etaples, on 25/07/1916. He arrived at the front on 20/08/1916. He was killed in action, on 16/09/1916, aged 35. Commemorated on the Villers Bretonneux memorial. His army pension was left to his father, john, at this hull address. He also left brother Alfred and sister Grace.
He is commemorated on the Australian War Memorial and the Virtual Australian War Memorial.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Fiji No. 1931 E.C. | South West Pacific |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
16th May 1913 | 13th June 1913 | 15th July 1913 |
A letter written by Robi Wilcock from Suva, Fiji to Mr Gadie of Hull, 1st April 1996 shows research regarding Walter had taken place and stating date of death was 3rd September 1916. The full letter is stored as part of the First World War Poetry Archive at Oxford University. See NSMS for further detail.
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley