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Australia

From Francois Berthout

2nd Lt Arthur Godfrey Goodson,
24th Australian Infantry Battalion,
6th Brigade, 2nd Australian Division, AIF
 
In the silence of the fields of the Somme, stand in the light of remembrance, solemn and immaculate, the white graves of thousands of young men who, far from home, fought with exceptional courage and made their country proud on the soils of France where they paid the supreme sacrifice while they were in the prime of their lives but despite their young age, despite their innocence, they did not hesitate to answer the call of duty and came from the other side of the world to come to the aid of our country and, shoulder to shoulder, under the bullets and the shells, stood tall and proud and charged towards their destinies bayonets forward through the fields of wheat and shed their blood on the poppies which still carry hopes , the dreams and the memory of these young men who gave their lives to give us a tomorrow and over whom I will always watch with care and respect to keep their memory alive so that today and tomorrow, through time, the names of these heroes to whom we owe so much live forever.

Today, it is with the utmost respect and with the deepest gratitude that I would like to honor the memory of one of these young men, of one of my boys of the Somme who gave his today for our tomorrow. I would like to pay a very respectful tribute to Second Lieutenant Arthur Godfrey Goodson who fought in the 24th Australian Infantry Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd Australian Division of the Australian Imperial Force, and who was killed in action 107 years ago, on August 3, 1916 at the age of 30 during the Battle of the Somme.

Arthur Godfrey Goodson was born on June 12, 1886 in Armley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, and was the son of James and Elizabeth Goodson, of 38 Chapel Lane, Armley, Leeds. He was educated at Leeds University where he took a Bachelor of Science,and where he excelled at sport, gaining a double blue for football and track sports.In 1913, he emigrated in Australia and took a position as a science tutor at Scotch College in Melbourne where he was admired by the boys and masters alike.

It seems that Arthur was a man who stood out in a crowd by standing back from it. Modest and unassuming, he shone through his deeds and not his words.If he was shocked to find an absence of soccer posts at the school, with Scotch not taking up soccer until the 1970s, he was able to satisfy his sporting desire in the bustling soccer culture of pre-War Melbourne.

Indeed, Arthur made an immediate impression. A proud Yorkshireman, he played for the Scottish-based Melbourne Thistle, suggesting the possibility of a link between the school and the Scottish faction of Melbourne soccer at the time. He also represented the local England team in its annual game against Scotland in 1914 and captained the team in 1915.In match reports, references to Goodson abound.
As a "Roy of the Rovers" type centre half he was everywhere: breaking up play; heading clear; delivering good long balls to his forwards; and scoring free kicks, penalty kicks and goals from open play,a Mile Jedinak of a different age.

Before coming to Australia, Arthur served for five years with the 8th Battalion (Leeds Rifles) of the West Yorkshire Regiment in the Territorial Force and then, at the outbreak of the war, for love of Australia, his adopted country, he answered at the call of duty and enlisted on 14 June 1915 as a Private in Melbourne, Victoria, in the 24th Australian Infantry Battalion, 9th Reinforcement, was promoted a few months later to Serjeant and after passing the relevant examination in July 1915 became a Second Lieutenant in November 1915.Shortly after he joined the ranks of his comrades in the Australian Imperial Force, he married Ada Goodson (née Baird), of "Rosevale", Learmonth, Ballarat, and played football sporadically until he sailed for the war, his every absence mentioned in the reports as a chance for the opposition to obtain a rare victory against the Mighty Thistle.

After an intense eight-month training period at Broadmeadows Camp, north of Melbourne, Arthur embarked with his unit from Melbourne, on board HMAT A69 Warilda on February 8, 1916 and sailed for Egypt from where, after a quick stop in Alexandria, he proceeded overseas for France on March 21 on board "Oriana".

On March 27, 1916, less than a week after a voyage on the Mediterranean Sea, Arthur arrived in France and was disembarked in Marseilles then marched to Etaples where he joined the 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot where he was told that he would be attached permanently to the 24th Australian Infantry Battalion which he joined on June 2 at Erquinghem (Hauts-De-France). Here, the men of the 24th underwent a period of training but were also employed in working parties aimed at improving their billets then on June 11, moved for the front line at Rue Marle, not far from La Chapelle d'Armentieres and carried out a successful raid in this sector against the German lines on the night of June 28 to 29, captured five prisoners, destroyed several machine guns but lost ten men, two of whom were wounded.

On July 5, 1916, after a first period in the trenches, Arthur and the men of the 24th Battalion were relieved by the New Zealand Rifles and moved into billets at La Creche, near Bailleul, then, on July 9, after a few days of rest , marched through Pradelle, Ebblinghem, Wardrecques, Arques and reached the small rural village of St Sauveur, in the Somme on July 12. Here they underwent a rather intense period of training including formation attacks, assaults on trenches , bayonet fights, which gave the men a feeling that a full-scale attack would soon be carried out in the Somme, a feeling which became a reality because, a few days later, on July 16, they left their billets and marched through Rainneville, reached Toutencourt on July 19 then Varennes on July 22 under intense German artillery bombardment which transformed fields of poppies into quagmires of death,but that was nothing compared to the hell they were soon after led into, a hell of fire, metal and blood which became the deadliest battle for the entire Australian Imperial Force in the Somme, the veterans of which , haunted forever by what they lived,called "the hell on earth of Pozieres", village pulverized by tons of shells that Arthur and his comrades reached on July 27.

The village of Pozieres, on the ridge of a broad plateau, occupied one of the highest points of the Somme battlefield. During 1915 and 1916 the Germans had turned Pozieres into an immensely strong position, a virtual fortress. Between 13 and 17 July, the British infantry made four vain and terribly costly attacks on Pozieres, the final one after a sustained bombardment that reduced the ruined village to rubble.

The Australian 1st Division moved to the Somme frontline on 19 July and was ordered to attack Pozieres on 23 July. At 12.30am the artillery barrage lifted and the first wave of Australians set off. They made steady progress and, despite fierce resistance, captured the lines of German trenches that were their main objectives.

Through heavy fighting, including a "Herculean bombfight" the Australians moved through the village positions on 24 July. Once the Germans became aware they were losing the village, they heavily bombarded the area to inflict damage and loss on the 1st Division. The German bombardment increased on 25 July as they prepared their final attempt to retake the village. The German counterattack, however, did not eventuate after many reports the task was hopeless.
The Australian 2nd Division then took over the frontline from the 1st Division.

Despite the 2nd Division having been at the front only since 27 July, it was ordered to undertake its first assault just after midnight on the 29 July.The attack failed because of poor planning, costing the lives of 3,500 men. The 7th Brigade was particularly hard hit as it tried to push onto the summit and the low mound of the tumbled windmill.

The next attack was planned for 2 August, but by then, more than 1.5km of new trenches had been dug, narrowing the distance across no-man’s land. Believing the Australian troops were assembling for an attack, the Germans launched a relentless artillery barrage making the trench digging.

The attack was postponed until 4 August when, under cover of the new trenches, the 2nd Division was able to overrun the enemy lines including the old windmill site. The Australians captured the ridge and was for the first time able to look down on the German Army and the unspoiled landscape towards Bapaume some eight kilometres away. In fierce fighting on 5 August, the Germans counter-attacked but the A.I.F. line held at the old windmill.

By now the 2nd Division was exhausted and had suffered heavier losses than any other Australian division in one tour of the line. During 12 deadly days on the frontline, the 2nd Division suffered 6,846 casualties. Five of its battalions had each lost between 600 and 700 men.The Australian 4th Division was instructed to replace the depleted 2nd Division.
Before this could happen, the remaining troops of the 2nd Division and the newly arrived 4th Division endured on the night of 6 August the worst German artillery shelling of the campaign. The Germans were ordered to re-take the Pozieres ridge "at any cost". At 4am on 7 August, the enemy attacked the Australian lines, capturing some of the forward trenches and dugouts. The German counterattack was turned back due to the heroic efforts of the Australians.

Following the failure of the German attack on 7 August, the 4th Division concentrated its advance northwards along the Pozieres ridge towards the high ground of Thiepval. To reach Thiepval, the Australians had to take the fortress that was Mouquet Farm, where the Germans had built strong fortifications under the ruins of the old farm buildings. The Australians pushed forward along the narrow front, openly exposed at times to direct machine gun and artillery fire. Between 8 and 21 August the 4th Division, under the most appalling conditions, launched a series of attacks against the German stronghold at Mouquet Farm.

The 4th Division, having lost 4,649 men, was by then exhausted, and was replaced by the 1st Division which was brought back to the front.

The 1st Division made some gains but was virtually destroyed with the loss of 92 officers and 2,558 men. The 2nd Division was then brought back to replace the 1st Division but in four days fighting lost 1,268 men. In an ongoing cycle of death and injury, the 4th Division took its place back in the front line.

After 27 August, heavy rain turned the Pozieres battlefield into a quagmire. The 4th Division launched a series of successful attacks against objectives including Mouquet Farm. Each time ground was taken, but a lack of troop numbers meant holding these gains was impossible against the inevitable German counter attacks. On 3 September, the Australian 13th Brigade attacked and captured most of Mouquet Farm.

In its last two terrible days at Pozieres, the 4th Division was joined in the fighting by the Canadian Corps. On 5 September, the Canadians relieved the Australian positions but by then the 4th Division had lost another 1,346 men. The surviving Australian troops left the battlefield to join their comrades now recovering at Ypres, Belgium.

In 45 days fighting on the Pozieres ridge, the three Australian divisions launched 19 separate attacks and lost more than 23,000 officers and men.

Unfortunately, it was at Pozieres on August 3, 1916 that Arthur met his fate and the 24th Battalion history says that while the unit was officially resting at Sausage Valley on this fateful day, it had to send out fatigue parties, carrying supplies and rations to front-line units and stretcher-bearing squads. It was dangerous work, and one of those killed at that duty was Arthur. He was 30 years old.

Today, Second Lieutenant Arthur Godfrey Goodson rests in peace alongside his friends, comrades and brothers in arms at Pozieres British Cemetery, Ovillers-La-Boisselle, Somme, and his grave bears the following inscription: "Peace perfect peace."

After Arthur's death, his obituary was written and published on September 1, 1916 in "The Herald" as follows:
"Science Master Killed While Serving In France. Athlete Falls In Fights.

It has been officially notified by the Defence Department that Lieutenant A. G. Goodson was killed in action on August 3. Lieutenant Goodson was the younger son of Mr James Goodson, Armley,Leeds, England, and brother of Mrs W. A. Osborne, University, Melbourne, and Mrs. Simmonds, Melbourne. He was a graduate in science of the Leeds University, and, while he was a student, won a high place in University sport, being captain of the Association football team and making his mark in track sports. He won a double blue in inter-university contests. After completing his course at the University, he joined the staff of the Central High School, Leeds, and was well known in athletics in the "West Riding of Yorkshire. For five years he served with the West Yorkshire Territorials.

Three and a half years ago he came to Melbourne to take up the position of science master at Scotch College, from which post he resigned in order to enlist in the Australian Imperial Forces. He passed through the officers' school at Broadmeadows, and left in February in charge of a company of reinforcements for the 24th Battalion.After a few days in Egypt, he was transferred to France, where he remained until his death. After enlisting, he was married to Miss Ada Baird,daughter of Mr. John Baird, of Ballarat."
His obituary in the 1916 The Scotch Collegian says that "Mr. Goodson’s quiet, unassuming manner won for him the respect of all the boys with whom he came into contact. He was extremely modest in speaking about his own achievements. His retiring disposition gained for him a quiet popularity among the boys of his classes at Scotch."

Arthur, young and already so brave in the prime of your life, it is with a heart full of courage and determination that you answered the call of duty to fight alongside your friends and comrades, who united around the same ideals, volunteered, pushed forward by a flame that guided their steps and their hearts despite the dark hours that awaited them far from home on the battlefields but these young men, proud and tall, did not want, could not not stay behind while all, in a burst of bravery and love for their country, carried high and proud the colors of the great and beautiful Australian nation and after a last look back, towards their homes, towards the coasts bathed lights, after a last farewell in the arms of their mothers, their sisters, their loved ones, they walked one behind the other and embarked on old slow steamers for what they thought would be the most beautiful and the greatest adventure of their lives and, in the ardor of their youth, in the beauty of their innocence, headed together towards the distant horizon of a country they knew little and, in the heat of the summer , arrived in France and alongside the horses, behind the drums, their heads high under their slouch hats and the rising sun sported with pride on their uniforms, marched towards the front line, towards the darkness without knowing what awaited them but ,confident and advancing with faith, they saw the fields of poppies which spread out as far as the eyes could see and in this moment of peace, the last, saw the beauty of France and were greeted, embraced with tenderness by the children of the Somme who gave the young Diggers the love, compassion and gratitude of our country for which these young men from the other side of the world fought with so much valor and ardor and in those moments wrote the first pages of the friendship between our two countries.No words would be strong enough to express the bravery of all these young men. No words would be strong enough to express our gratitude to them but, side by side, in the trenches of Pozieres, Mouquet Farm, Villers Bretonneux and Amiens, the young Diggers showed determination, courage but also good humor which was deeply admired by their French brothers in arms who said they were proud to fight with the Australian soldiers who became more than friends but brothers in the trenches who shared the same fears, the same pains but who in this world that sank into madness, watched over each other with compassion in a bond of brotherhood that nothing broke despite the fury that fell on them through tons of shells under which thousands of them were crushed or buried alive in a mud red with blood and which, under the bullets, facing the fire of the machine guns were mowed down and fell into the steel of the barbed wire in which a whole youth and innocence of these young boys was lost.In the Somme, over a hundred years after the end of the war, we remember those young men to whom we owe so much, we remember the courage and sacrifice of the entire Australian Imperial Force whose spirit still lives on the red waves of poppies between which stand in the light the white graves of the young men and women of Australia who fought and died together and who, united in the ANZAC spirit, stood shoulder to shoulder with pride in the name of peace and freedom for which they paid the supreme sacrifice on these sacred soils of France which will always watch with love over these heroes and on whom I will always watch with compassion, with gratitude, with respect, love and care so that they are never forgotten and may forever live in the light of remembrance through which their faces, deeds and names live forever.

Thank you so much Arthur, for all that you and your comrades have done for us and for my country, whose love and eternal gratitude will always be yours.At the going down of the sun and in the morning,we will remember him,we will remember them.