GOODSIR, James Roy
| Service Number: | 505 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 13th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Toronto Red Cross Honour Roll, Toronto War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Dec 1914: | Involvement Sergeant, 505, 13th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ulysses embarkation_ship_number: A38 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked Sergeant, 505, 13th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ulysses, Melbourne |
Remembering James "Roy" Goodsir
Born in Newcastle, NSW, in 1895, James “Roy” Goodsir was one of four children of Rueben and Eliza Goodsir, and the brother of Harry Cleveland Goodsir (36th Infantry Battalion). As a young man he spent five years in the Junior and Senior Cadets, an experience that shaped his early sense of duty and service.
Roy was among the first to volunteer for service, enlisting on 9 September 1914. He was assigned to the 13th Infantry Battalion, part of the 4th Brigade under the command of Colonel John Monash. Departing Australia in late December 1914, he travelled to Egypt before taking part in the earliest days of the Gallipoli campaign, landing on the morning of 26 April 1915. He was promoted to Sergeant just two days later, on 28 April 1915.
The harsh conditions at Gallipoli took a toll on his health. Roy suffered from pneumonia and myocarditis during May and June 1915, and he was eventually returned to Australia aboard the Hororata on 29 July 1915. His health never fully recovered, and he lived with ongoing illness for the remainder of his short life. Roy passed away in 1926.
We honour his memory.
Submitted 1 February 2026 by Alexandra Busselmaier