Henry Arthur Goddard CMG DSO VD (1869 - 1955)

Ancestors

Biography

Brigadier General Henry Goddard CMG DSO VD was a senior Australian Army officer in the First World War.

He was born Henry Arthur Goddard on 13th December 1869 in West Hackney, Middlesex, England.

Goddard migrated to Australia in 1890. He settled in Brisbane where he worked as a clerk. With 'restless legs', he experimented with growing barley on the Darling Downs. On 30th November 1899 he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Moreton Regiment of the Queensland Defence Force. Goddard had been a sergeant in the Essex Rifle Volunteers in England. On his many business trips overseas he observed military manoeuvres in Europe. It paid off as, in 1913, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and given command of the regiment.

Goddard was placed in charge of the Brisbane defences when the First World War was declared. Looking for something more 'challenging, he joined the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in March 1915^[1] and was given command of the 25th Australian Infantry Battalion. Several weeks later he was transferred to command of the 17th Australian Infantry Battalion, and was despatched to Egypt and to Gallipoli by August. He took over command of Quinn's Post, the most exposed and one of the most dangerous position on the line. The 17th remained there until Gallipoli was evacuated in December. He was admitted to hospital in January 1916 with dysentery, and evacuated to Australia. Cleared by the medical board, Goddard reported to AIF Headquarters in London and given command of 35th Australian Infantry Battalion, raised as part of the new 3rd Division. In the thick of the Western Front action, Goddard was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in the 1918 New Year Honours. He spent short periods as acting commander of 9th Brigade before finally taking permanent command of the brigade in May 1918. He was again Mentioned in Despatches, and appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1919 New Year Honours.

Goddard moved to Sydney after the war, where he pursued his business and military interests. He commanded the 14th Infantry Brigade from 1921 to 1926. He ran an importing company, H A Goddard Pty Ltd with his son Horace, who had served as a private in the 35th Infantry Battalion during the war. He passed away on 24th October 1955 in the Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, New South Wales.

Sources

1. ↑ Australian_War_Memorial_Nominal_Roll_Henry_Goddard; accessed 5 Jun 2018

• Qld marriage registration #1897/B/18722
• Wikipedia_Henry_Arthur_Goddard; accessed 5 Jun 2018.