Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Name: Frederick Taylor Goodes
Service Number: 3326
Place of Birth: North Rhine
Date of Birth: 9 June 1885
Place of Enlistment: Keswick
Date of Enlistment: 12 July 1915
Age at Enlistment: 29 years 1 month (according to attestation
paper)
Next of Kin: Father – George Goodes
Occupation: Bank Officer
Religion: Roman Catholic
Rank: Lieutenant
The Goodes family lived on the “Monkswood” property at North
Rhine. Fred was educated at Keyneton Primary School and after
working on the property, gained employment with the Savings Bank
of South Australia.
Frederick left Australia on 27 October 1915 on board HMAT A24
Benalla, transferring from the 10th to the 50th Battalion on 28
February 1916, serving at Tel-el-Kebir from March until June, when
his unit was sent to France. He was attached to the Officers Training
Battalion at Pembroke College, Cambridge on 5 May 1917 and was
promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on 1 September.
Lieutenant Goodes was wounded in action at Villers - Bretonneux in
France on 24 April 1918. Injuries to his left arm and leg were
attended to by 25th Field Ambulance, then 47th Casualty Clearing
Station, prior to being dispatched to 8th General Hospital at Rouen.
Frederick was promoted to Lieutenant on 14 May. In July he was
sent to England for medical treatment, rejoining his unit in France
on 6 October. The leg injury (synovitis), inflicted in April continued
to trouble Frederick, resulting in his readmission to the 2nd Red
Cross Hospital, Rouen on 27 November. Further treatment
necessitated being sent to St.Patrick’s Hospital in England. Frederick
returned to Australia on Czarinta on 16 March 1919 and was
discharged on 12 July. Frederick Taylor Goodes died on 24 May
1935.
Fred loved cricket and captained the Keyneton Cricket Club after the
war. He was an accomplished golfer and won the Port Lincoln
championship whilst working there with the bank. His banking
career also led to working at Port Broughton and Wudinna. Fred
lived at Bridgewater in his latter years.
Denis Goodes, Fred’s son, vividly recalls the war neurosis his father
suffered, which was a significant factor in his death in 1935.
Understandably, his father, like the vast majority of service
personnel, rarely spoke of his World War One experience, but he did
mention his fear of moving over open battle ground, waiting for the
bursts of German machine-gun firing. Post-war neurosis led to Fred
regularly experiencing nightmares during which he would scream
out, “Get down, take cover.” Such occurrences resulted in Fred
being admitted to Daws Road Repatriation Hospital where shock
treatment was administered. Fred was also admitted to hospital at
Keswick Barracks on several occasions.1
Fred’s neurosis continued even in later years while working for the
Motor Vehicles Department in Adelaide. On one occasion Fred
failed to return home from work. He was eventually found
wandering around the city in a confused state. This led to him being
admitted to Repat again. The shrapnel remaining in his knee caused
Fred considerable pain, resulting in him walking with a limp and
having to use a walking stick at all times.2
The impact war has upon families is clearly demonstrated in Fred’s
case. His wife Jane died when Denis was 9 years old. Fred’s health
declined significantly after the death of his beloved wife. He later
remarried Dorothy Coombes, a Red Cross volunteer, who drove him
during an Anzac Day parade. Fred’s deteriorating health meant he
could no longer adequately look after his son. Consequently, Denis
was sent to live with Fred’s sister Winifred and her husband at
Springton. Denis found this severely dislocating as he grew up,
feeling torn between his ailing father and living at Springton, despite
being quite happy there.3
Source: NAA; B2455; GoodesFT; Barcode 4818558
Footnotes 1
,
2 & 3
: Interview with Denis Goodes, November 9, 2016.