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War Memorial
Australia

Lindsay was born on the 10th August, 1913 in Port Pirie on the coast of Spencer Gulf in SA. Pirie was one of the earliest ports established in the state, being known for its smelting, railway and port systems used to transport sheep from neighbouring farms. Lindsay’s parents were Samuel Mortimer James and Mary Jean Goode who lived to the south of Pirie in the agricultural town of Wandearah West. He had three siblings, Dorothy, Gordon and Charles.
He attended the local Whyalla High School. Post school Lindsay became a clerk and was also a member of the militia, where he rose to the rank of Corporal. At the same time, Lindsay was also studying Mercantile Law through the School of Mines and Industry. With war looming, in March, 1940, Lance and Marjorie Ernestine Arnold became engaged.
Two months later and just prior to his 27th birthday, Lindsay enlisted on the 18th June 1940. He was allocated the number SX8651 and initially assigned to the 2/3 Battalion before being allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. Initial days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds before he and other new enlistees headed to Woodside for their preliminary training and his first promotion to A/Corporal. Pre-embarkation leave gave precious time to arrange his marriage to Marjorie in August ’40 At St. Matthew's Church, Marryatville. Lindsay chose his brother, Gordon as his best man.
Returning to the 2/48th the Battalion contingent then embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940, arriving on the 19th December 1940 where his Battalion completed a few months training in Cyrenaica and his rank of Acting Corporal being officially confirmed. From there, Lance was soon on his way to serve in Tobruk, Syria and Egypt. By the start of April 1941, the 2/48th were in Tobruk where the dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment were quite a challenge to new enlistees. They were to become the famed Rats of Tobruk.
In the fierce fighting of April ’41 for Hill 209, a number of men were killed or wounded. In Tobruk to Tarakan written by John Glenn, that time is starkly recorded: ‘at the height of this engagement all communication between battalion headquarters and B Company ceased, the signal wire having been cut in a number of places by shell fire. When volunteers were called for from the signallers to go out and repair the damage Corporal Lindsay Goode and Private Peter Anderson volunteered to go forward. Noel Wall of the carrier platoon then drove them forward in a carrier for a part of the way, after which they were forced to crawl out and lay new wire with heavy shell fire and mortar fire exploding about them. Goode and Anderson were each awarded the Military Medal. These were the first awards to the battalion for gallantry, and with them the 2/48th had opened the account that was to make it the most decorated battalion in the Second A.I.F.’
Lindsay’s actions resulted in him being awarded the Military Medal for bravery. The Chronicle proudly reported that ‘Seven South Australian A.I.F. Men Eighteen men of the A.I.F. have been cited for bravery in action near Tobruk. Seven come from South Australia, six from Victoria, and five from New. South Wales. Stories of their gallantry are told in a list of citations issued by the Minister for the Army (Mr. Spender).‘ Others from his Battalion who were also named including Sgt Robert Prendergast McGhee SX7038; Sgt William Charles Batty SX7605; Private Peter Anderson SX7067; Sgt Ronald Daniels SX7863 and John Spavins SX7272 (who would later share Lindsay’s fate to be killed on the same day.)
Wonderful news back home soon heralded the arrival of Marjory and Lindsay’s precious son, also named Lindsay, on the 3rd August ’41 at Sister Bray’s Private hospital. Lindsay was never to meet his precious son. For him, conditions were ever-changing and the fighting relentless. The environment in which the soldiers lived contributed to Lindsay becoming ill with a severe fever, requiring hospitalisation but on his eventual return to the Battalion he was immediately promoted to Sergeant. By May ’42 Lindsay became qualified as a Signals Officer.
Aged 29, Lindsay was killed in action on the 31st October, 1942. In his book ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ John Glenn describes that time “which was to be the most bitter and bloody fighting of the war. When next the sun drove away those shadows from the desert, death would have reaped a rich harvest of gallant men. And of the 2/48th Battalion only forty-one weary troops would remain in the field.” He continued: “At zero hour, 1 a.m. 31st October, the artillery opened up with a receding barrage – one that creeps back on itself. The attack was towards the guns themselves, the enemy being between the troops and the guns… Added to this, the troops came under heavy shell fire as they were forming up, and suffered casualties before they commenced their attack… One gun was landing shells right amongst the men. As soon as the main road was reached the two leading companies came under murderous fire, and from then until they reached their objective, 2,250 yards from the start line, the whole advance was fought in fierce hand-to-hand fighting.” Battalion headquarters moved forward between B and C Companies but in advance, and ‘meeting heavy enemy resistance close to the final objective. Casualties were mounting among headquarters personnel. Corporal Bill Cashen and Private Murray Nicholson of the orderly room staff, Sergeant Lindsay Goode and Corporal Tas Scutt of the signals, and Private Vin McGahan had all been killed.’
His final summing up was ‘Truly it can be said of these men, “They fought themselves and their enemy to a standstill until flesh and blood could stand no more, then they went on fighting.” In added high praise about those who tended the wounded and collected those killed in action “It says much for them that not one man was missing in their search over the four thousand yards from Trig 29 to the Blockhouse, or in the attack of 3,600 yards to Ring Contour 25.” An horrific battle for the proud and very brave 2/48th Battalion.
Lindsay was initially buried in the field on the 4th November. Almost a month later back home, his death was officially reported in the Chronicle in December included a list of the other men, predominantly from the 2/48th Battalion, killed in action with him. They included SX7832 Pte. Max C. Boase, 2/48th Millicent; SX6896 Pte. Lance Chapman, 2/48th North Moonta; SX5226 Pte. Charlie L. K. Cock, 2/43rd Solomontown; SX7260 Sgt. Charles Fraser, 2/48th Norwood; SX10466 Pte. E. L Freeman, 2/43rd, Calca; SX8651 Sgt. Lindsay R. Goode, 2/48th Malvern; SX13580 Pte. Ronald A. Grist. Inf., Port Noarlunga; SX8587 Pte. George W. Haywood, 2/48th Mount Compass: SX7249 Cpl. J. Hinson, 2/43rd, Plympton: SX310 Sgt. Alfred W G. Miller, 2/48th Ponde; SX9488 Pte. Eric L. Montgomerie, 2/48th, Edwardstown; SX7375 Sgt Charles E. Plummer, 2/48th College Park; SX7176 A-Cpl. William C. Quinn, 2/48th Bordertown; SX8113 Pte. Michael N. Riley, 2/48th Burnside; SX7298 Cpl. Harold Sandercock, 2/48th Maitland; SX7732 Ste. Clem H. Schulz, 2/48th Yorketown; SX12924 Pte. Richard Speck, 48th Blanchetown; SX849J Pte. Arthur G. Wilson, 2/48th Glanville. These were some of South Australia’s finest young men, all sadly grieved, so many families’ lives changed forever.
The Advertiser on the 23rd November ’42 carried the personal tribute ‘Mrs. L. R. Goode, of Alfred Street, Port Pirie, has received advice that her husband, Sgt. Lindsay Rufus Goode, 29, was killed in action in Egypt on October 31. Sgt. Goode was awarded the Military Medal and a Commander-in-Chiefs card for gallantry in the field at Tobruk in May, 1941. He leaves a son born after his departure.’ The local Pirie Recorder also paid tribute to Lindsay ‘On Wednesday afternoon Mrs. L. R. Goode and Cr. J. S. M. and Mrs. Goode, of Wandearah West, received official news that their gallant husband and son, Sgt. L. R. (Rufus) Goode, M.M., had been killed in action overseas. Sgt. Goode, who was about 30 years of age, gained the Military Medal last year for bravery in the field. He had been abroad on service more than two years, and only a few days ago his wife and parents received a cheery cablegram from him. He was a Wandearah-born boy, and spent the greater part of his life in Whyalla, where he was educated. He married Miss Marjorie Arnold, of Pirie, and there is a tiny son, born after the father had sailed for overseas.’
In December ’44 his wife, Marjory and three-year-old Lindsay were invited to attend Government House to receive the Military Medal awarded to their husband and father. The citation read: ‘His bravery and devotion to duty in repairing a signal line under heavy shell fire during the early afternoon of 17 April 41 the enemy suddenly attacked the forward posts of the Tobruk defences held by B Coy 2/48th. Several tanks penetrated the perimeter before being repulsed and the area was subjected to very heavy shell fire and mortar fire which forced the members of B company to keep under cover. The signals line to B Company was broken in several places by shell fire and the communications between that Company and Bn headquarters was thus cut off. Cpl Goode, accompanied by Pte P Anderson then went forward in a carrier to repair the line. On the way up the carrier was hit in several places by fragments from shells. Cpl Goode with his companion then left the Carrier and proceeded on foot to mend the line under heavy shell fire. They thus restored communication at a critical time in the engagement.’
Initially Lindsay was reburied in January ’44, then in March ’45 moved to his final resting place at the El Alamein War Cemetery, Plot A2 Row C, Grave 26. His family chose the inscription ‘He died for God and Country’. He is surrounded by others from his 2/48th Battalion, Privates M Riley SX8113 Ronald Grist SX13580, Andrew Warner WX14061, William Ridley WX9913, Frank Cornelius WX9930, Lance Chapman SX6896; L/Cpl Ronald Templeton WX9832, Cpl Paul Cashen SX7000, Privates Vincent McGahan SX6775, Edward Edwards SX12876, John Cox SX10362 and Thomas Holmes SX9330, all of whom were killed on the 31st October ’42.
Family, friends and fellow soldiers continued to remember Lindsay in the ensuing years. His hometown of Wandearah also constructed a cenotaph on which his name was engraved.
Recorder Wednesday 25 November 1942, KILLED IN ACTION GOODE--Killed in action in Egypt on October 31, LINDSAY RUFUS, dearly beloved HUSBAND of Marjory Goode and loving father of Lindsay. GOODE.-Killed in action in Egypt on October 31, LINDSAY RUFUS, dearly loved eldest SON of Mr. and Mrs. S. J. M. Goode, of Wandearah, loved brother of Dorothy, Gordon, and Charles. Advertiser Monday 23 November 1942, GOODE, Lindsay Rufus—Killed in action in Egypt on October 31. beloved husband of Marjory, and loving father of Lindsay. GOODE, Lindsay Rufus. —Killed in action in Egypt on October 31, dearly loved eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. S. J. M. Goode of Wandearah.
Advertiser Friday 29 October 1943, In loving memory of my pals who paid the supreme sacrifice. El Alamein. Oct. 1942. Les King, Bill Jarmyn, Lindsay Goode, Tas Scutt, Jack Curtis, Arthur Noack, Lionel Schubert, Harold Pearce. Remembered by Cyril. A tribute to the memory of the boys who fought and died at El Alamein. October 23-31.—0. Phillips. A token of remembrance To my pals - and comrades of the 2/48 th Battn.. who fell at El Alamein In October, 1942. — Inserted by Bill Fletcher.
Advertiser Tuesday 31 October 1944, GOODE. —Lindsay Rufus. M.M. beloved husband of Marjory and loving father of < Tim. Killed in action at El Alameln on < October 31. 1942.—Lovingly remembered, GOODE and SCUTT. —In memory of my two pals. Cpt. Tas. Scutt and Sgt. Lindsay Goode. killed in action at El Alamein; Oct. 31. 1942.—Inserted by Pte. P. M. Anderson, ex 2/48th Btn.

Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.