Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Samuel Goodyear was the youngest surviving son of Thomas and Mary (Davis) Goodyear.

He was born on 29 Apr 1899 at Wilsons Downfall, an area of Northern New South Wales, not far from Stanthorpe in Queensland.

Sam attended the Amosfield School and appears to have left school while still quite young to start work with his two older brothers.

When WW1 broke out, his older brother’s David enlisted and went overseas, so Sam, with his other brother William, went to Warwick to enlist also.

When Sam joined up he was not even 17 years of age (he stated he was 18 yrs and 8 mths). He embarked with the 26th Battalion on the 4th May 1916 aboard HMAT Seang Choon.

During the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge on 04 Oct 1917, for acts of courgae, Samuel was recommended for the Italian Bronze Star, when single-handedly, he took out a German machine gun, bayoneted the crew, and took the gun back to use against the enemy.

The Battle of Broodseinde Ridge was an operation launched by British general Herbert Plummer as part of the Ypres offensive of 1917. It was a very large operation, involving a number of divisions including those of both I and II ANZAC. They planned the attack on the same basis as its predecessors - the attacking troops' objectives were approximately 1,500 metres deep, the advance would be preceded by a massive artillery bombardment; and a creeping barrage would lead the troops on to their objectives and then protect them while they consolidated their positions.

The attack began before dawn on 4 October 1917. The Australian troops involved were shelled heavily on their start line and a seventh of their number became casualties even before the attack began. When it did, the attacking troops were confronted by a line of troops advancing towards them; the Germans had chosen the same morning to launch an attack of their own. The Australians forged on through the German assault waves and gained all their objectives along the ridge. It was not without cost, however. German pillboxes were characteristically difficult to subdue, and the Australian divisions suffered 6,500 casualties.

Samuel was wounded on 15 Apr 1918 in France by a GSW to his left shoulder. He was evacuated to England and then sent back to Australia.

Upon his return to Australia his family found he was not the same carefree young man that left these shores and he could not settle back in his old life. Sam moved away, and he never really settled in one place for long. He became a heavy drinker which he needed to help him sleep. Sam also suffered nightmares which also made it hard to successfully settle back with his family, so he just drifted around Queensland.

According to Samuel’s death certificate, he died on 29 Jan 1950 in Andersons Paddock, Biloela, Queensland, but his body wasn't discovered until 26 Feb 1950 (aged 50).

Sam was buried in the Biloela Cemetery once a post mortem had been conducted.

An inquest into his death was held in Biloela on 10 Mar 1950, and the cause of death was found to be exposure and chronic alcoholism.

In 2014 a memorial headstone was placed on Sam's grave in the biloela Cemetery.

R.I.P.