Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Thomas Britten GOODE (1923-2023)

Tom was born in Port Pirie in October 1923.  He was working as a Bank Clerk with the Bank of Adelaide living in North Norwood in 1941.

Enlisted in the RAAF on 6 December 1941 aged only 18. He completed 4 Initial Training School at Victor Harbour in December 1941 before proceeding to Parafield, Adelaide, where he completed basic flying training at No 1 Elementary Flying Training School from April to July 1942 learning to fly on DH82 TIGER MOTHs.  He then sailed to Canada where he completed flying training at No 3 Service Flying Training School at Calgary from September to December 1942 obtaining his Wings on 30 December 1942.

Tom completed reconnaissance training at No 1 General Reconnaissance School, Summerside, Prince Edward Island flying Avro ANSONs from January to March 1943 where he said he never saw the ground due to all the snow.

Arriving in England, he was briefly attached to 461 SQN at Pembroke Dock before proceeding onto No 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit where he completed SUNDERLAND conversion training from September to December 1943. Finally, after two years of training he was posted to No 461 Squadron in mid-December 1943 as a junior pilot ready to commence operations flying the SUNDERLAND on maritime patrol and anti-submarine operations in the Battle of the Atlantic.

For the next two years, Tom completed two tours of 461SQN and 10 SQN flying 68 missions and accumulating over 1350hrs on SUNDERLANDs. He recalled the missions as long tiring sorties over 13 hours mostly at night where he rarely got to see the enemy. He remembered one sortie where he attacked a German submarine in the Bay of Biscay but could not verify the damage at the time. Later, intelligence reporting indicated the submarine had been severely damaged.

On the 4 March 1945, he was captain of NJ255/G on convoy escort duties in the English Channel when the crew sighted a snorkel. They were unable to attack with depth charges but Goode was able to mark the position allowing escort vessels near the position and keep the U-boat pinned down thus protecting the convoy from attack.

Goode discharged from the RAAF at the rank of FLTLT in February 1946 having completed 5 years’ service in the RAAF including two years serving operationally with 10SQN/461SQN.

His World War 2 service awards included the 1939-1945 Star, Aircrew Europe Star, Atlantic Star, Defence Medal, British War Medal 1939-1945 and the Australian Service Medal 1939-45.

In 2017, he was awarded the Légion d' Honneur by France in recognition for his war time service in support of France along with fellow World War 2 South Australian veterans Howard Hendrick and Kevin Dennis at a ceremony at the Adelaide Town Hall.

Fair skies and light winds Tom.  Thank you for your service.

Lest we forget.

Contribted by David Lascelles - formerly RAAF Historical Unit