Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Bill was born at Port Lincoln on 19 Nov 1883 to Charles Goode and Mary Goode (nee Laidler) of Whites River (SA). There were 2 children in the family, both boys, of which Bill was the eldest. His father was a farmer at Whites River.
Bill undertook his schooling at Whites River, leaving at Grade 7, which was much the norm at the time. He then took employ as a farm labourer in the area, predominantly on the Whites River Station, an occupation that he retained until his enlistment in the Army.
He originally enlisted at Morphettville on 10 Sep 1914 and was allocated to 9th Light Horse Regiment, but then took his discharge on 19 Nov 1914 to return to assist his family after the illness and subsequent death of his father. He enlisted again on 22 Nov 1916 at Melbourne; he was sent to 2nd Depot Battalion (Bn) at Royal Park (Vic) for initial training before being allocated to 39th Bn on 12 Feb 1917.
A week later Bill embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT "Ballarat" bound for Devonport (UK), arriving some 2 months later on 25 Apr 1917. He was then sent to 10 Training Bn at Durrington (UK) for further training. This was interrupted by his admission to Fargo Military Hospital with mumps on 5 Aug 1917, where he remained for 3 weeks, being released from hospital on 25 Aug 1917. On 10 Sep 1917 he embarked for France and was finally taken on strength by his unit (39th Bn) on 22 Sep 1917.
The 39th Bn was raised at Ballarat (Vic) on 21 Feb 1916 as part of an expansion of the 1st AIF after the Gallipoli campaign; the majority of the recruits being drawn from the Western Districts of Victoria. The 39th, along with the 38th and 40th Bns formed the 10th Brigade.
The Bn went into the front line on 10 Dec 1916 around Houplines (France) on the Western Front. The first major engagement came at Messines (Belgium) in early Jun 1917 in which the Bn suffered heavy casualties as a result of a gas attack, but still managed to achieve its objective.
In Oct 1917 the 39th took part in two other major attacks in that same sector, the first at Broodseinde, a brilliant success; and the second at Passchendaele, a disastrous failure. It was just before these engagements that Bill joined his unit. As well as the fighting, he and the Bn suffered a very cold winter in Belgium.
On 5 Mar 1918 Bill was again admitted to hospital, this time the 4th Static Hospital at Arques, with Scabies. He remained in Hospital for just over a month, rejoining his unit on 10 Apr 1918, just prior to its movement to the south of France to stem the German "Spring Offensive" towards Amiens. This action was successful and the Allies then launched their own offensive on 8 Aug 1918, known as the 100 Days Offensive, in which the Bn served as the Divisional reserve.
On 10 Aug1918, the battalion was again committed to action, undertaking an attack on the village of Proyart, but this attack was ill-conceived and ultimately failed. Despite this, the battalion remained in the line throughout Aug and early Sep as the 3rd Division advanced through the Somme Valley. It was during this time that Bill was killed in action (KIA) near Peronne (France). He was buried in the Curlu French Military Cemetery, approximately 5 miles (8 Kms) west north west of Peronne. His body was later exhumed and re-interred in Hem Farm British Military Cemetery near Peronne.
His name is recorded on the Lipson Roll of Honour.