Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Eric was born in the Adelaide suburb of Rose Park Adelaide on the 17th August1904 to Charles Archibald and Eva Marie Gooden. His siblings included two brothers, Norman and Oswald and two sisters Eileen and Marjorie, with the family living in Seaton Estate. Post school, Eric worked as a motor transport driver until the outbreak of WWII.
Eric had initially indicated he was married at the time of enlistment on 15th July ’40, but later altered his status to being single, instead listing his mother as his next of kin. He was allocated the number SX8911. With the push for young, single men to enlist to serve, Eric’s young brother, 24-year-old Oswald (‘Os’) also enlisted just days later, on the 20th July 1940, ‘Os’ was allocated the number SX9377 and eventually posted to the 2/48th Battalion on the 14th March ’41 with the rank of Lieutenant.
Eric’s early training was at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills before heading to the Middle East in February, arriving on the 23rd March. This meant that he missed his brother’s wedding to Margaret Ruth Fisher on the 11th March ’41, just prior to Os embarking for overseas.
On his arrival in the Middle East, Eric was officially allocated to the 2/48th Battalion in November ’41.as part of their reinforcements. Inevitably, conditions were totally different to home, with Eric experienced several bouts of health issues causing him to be hospitalised in the Scottish General Hospital before finally able to rejoin the 2/48th Battalion in November.
Niggling illness followed Eric early the next year with pharyngitis in March. However, his leadership ability came to the fore in November with his promotion to A/Corporal. Eric was soon involved in strategic courses, including a Tank Destruction Course in December ’42. After many rumoured dates, the 2/48th eventually returned to Australia via Melbourne, then home for well-earned leave.
Eric’s battalion then headed to Queensland to train for the tropical conditions they would experience in New Guinea. It was to be an extremely different enemy in totally different conditions. He arrive in Milne Bay on the 6th August ’43 and continued to undertake relevant courses which contributed to his further promotion to Corporal in November ’43.
By November ‘43 Eric sustained a gunshot wound to his right arm at a time when the enemy was particularly active with shelling and also their sniper activity. It was possible they knew there was an increase of jeep traffic taking supplies to the Australians’ forward troops in the final assault on Sattelberg. He and others wounded at a similar time were evacuated to the field ambulance and thence to hospital.
Back home, the December ’43 issue of the Chronicle carried the names of those killed or wounded at a similar time. From Eric’s battalion, these included Died Of Wounds. — SX10347 Pte. Sydney C. Goodyear, Adelaide. Dangerously Wounded. — SX15714 Pte. Edward Pearson, Blinman; SX13279 Pte. John F. Bushell, Dunleath Gardens. Wounded In Action.— SX7O47 Lt. Maxwell Robinson, Glenelg, SX9103 Pte. John M. Redden, Pekina; SX7257 Cpl. Stanley J. B. Smith, Torrensville; SX9359 A/Cpl. Eric G. Westphalan, Med.. Pinnaroo.
Eric eventually returned to Australia via Townsville, continuing to undertake refresher courses, which culminated in a further promotion to Lance Sergeant towards the end of ’44. By April the following year, Eric left Morotai to then serve in Tarakan.
Sensing victory, increasingly detail of the conflict at Tarakan was shared in the Adelaide media with the May ’45 issue of the Advertiser publishing detailed accounts from front line reporter, Noel Adams. This included the taking of Tarakan “Against bitterly sustained opposition, the Australians have fought their way into the town of Tarakan, and now dominate the town and the Pamoesian oilfield round which it is built. Two small pockets on Tarakan Hill, the key to the town, remain to be cleared, and the enemy is also holding out on the western outskirts; but to all intents and purposes the town is already in our hands. The battle for the airstrip three miles north of the town is being fought relentlessly on the jungle-covered ridges which overlook it. Australians near the airstrip are under heavy fire from the Japanese, who are strongly entrenched above it on a feature known as Rippon Ridge.”
The article also described the tunnels, pillboxes and trenches created by the enemy and the heavily mined roads. Later in the article the 2/48th also featured, including the role of Sgt Eric Gooden. It read in part;
“Use Of Flamethrowers FLAME THROWERS are being used to clear the immensely strong pillboxes and tunnels from which the Japanese are fighting. One of the first to use this weapon was Lt. Harry Freame. of Crow's Nest Sydney. Lt Freame's platoon came up against a pillbox built of steel and overlaid with 15ft. of earth. From its base deep in the ground passages led up to firing slits just above the surface. The Australians surrounded the pillbox and hurled grenades into it while Lt. Freame, carrying a flamethrower, crawled on top, and, leaning over, sent a jet ot flame through one of the slits. He heard screams and flooded the pillbox with fire again. There was an explosion and the pillbox blew outwards. Another pillbox which bad held up our advance in one sector for a day and a half, was cleaned up in the same way by Pte. "Sandy" McShane. of Seaton Park, Adelaide. McShane’s section, led by Sgt. Eric Gooden. of Fullarton," Adelaide. got forward to a range at which McShane's flamethrower could be used. The noise of the flamethrower being prepared was heard by the Japanese, and one came out to investigate. Gooden shot him, and at the same time McShane turned the flamethrower on the pillbox. Three Japanese ran from the rear of the pillbox One was shot by a Bren gunner, Basil Styles. of Highbury, WA. and the other two ran into another Australian position and were also wiped out. So strong are many of the Japanese positions on Tarakan and so ingenious the arrangement of their defence, that, failing tank support because of Jungle swamp and mines, or direct hits by gunfire, or bombing, flamethrowers alone are capable of dealing with them. Their tunnels are labyrinths dug far back into the hillsides with room for, perhaps, two platoons of men. Those captured on Tarakan Hill on Friday were guarded by large steel doors.”
Of the three mentioned in the article, only Bruce McShane SX8059 survived. Despite surviving war in the Middle East, 40-year-old Eric was killed by a sniper at Tarakan on the 6th May 1945.
John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan outlined how the Japanese had perfected the art of climbing trees, just waiting for a clear shot. Lieutenant Burke, to reassure his Platoon ‘had stood up at dawn and said, “There are no sniper in this area.” Hardly had he finished speaking when he fell, mortally wounded. He had been shot by a sniper who was concealed among trees on a small hillock twenty yards from C Company.’ The previous day this jap had killed D.W. McKinnon and Captain Gooden’s brother Eric (SX8911). ‘Before he himself was shot he would add two more names to the list of our dead: Private Merv W. Arnold (SX19552) and Private W.G. (Finlay)Barnett (SX10571).’
23-year-old Henry Freame NX177991 was also killed in Action on the 8 May ’45, just two days after Eric.
The Chronicle on the 31st May ’45 reported Eric’s death and others from his battalion. They were Killed In Action. — SX10571 L/Cpl. William G. F. (Fin) Barnett, Reedy Creek; SX8911 Pte. Eric C. Gooden, Fullarton; SX3156 Pte. Donald W. McKlnnon, Mt. Gambier; and SX6865 Pte. Robert T. McLaren, Barmera.
Initially Eric was buried in the field at Tarakan, but in August ’45 Eric and others killed in action at a similar time, were re-interred in the Labuan War Cemetery in Malaysia. with Eric in Grave 15, Row C, Plot 11. He now rests with others from the 2/48th Battalion including 26 year old VX78380 Private Alick Sherrin , 20 year old NX172159 Private Sydney C. Murphy, 21 year old SX3156 Private Donald W.McKinnon, 23 year old WX26698 Keith Mort and other young men from the 2/24th Battalion. Sadly others nearby are not yet identified but are remembered as ‘A Soldier of the 1939 – 1945 War, Known Unto God.’
Eric’s parents chose the inscription ‘His Duty Nobly Done’ for his headstone.
Eric’s death was mourned by his family and close friends.
Advertiser Wednesday 16 May 1945, GOODEN.—On May 6. Eric Charles. Beloved eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. C. A. I Gooden. 62 Wattle street. Fullarton Estate (killed in action).
Advertiser Monday 6 May 1946, GOODEN, Sgt. E. C—A tribute to a memory of our pal Eric, killed, Tarakan, May 6. 1945.—Ever remembered by Helen and Keith Player.
Keith, SX8904, (and his brother Clive SX SX8903) also served in the 2/48th Battalion. Unfortunately, Clive was taken as a prisoner of war in Boneo and died whist in detention on June 7th ’45.

By 1952, Eric’s medals were posted to his family, a precious but very poignant reminder of their vibrant, talented son who was highly respected as a leader. That year also marked the death of his mother, Eva on the 27th May.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.