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George Noakes Macaulay Goode - Information

The Goode family had lived in the Camden area, where George was born c1885. The family then moved to Orange, where George was joined by more siblings, including younger brother, William. In Orange, George served in the Cadets as a young boy, and later attended Kings College in Goulburn, where he studied to be an electrical engineer. When war with Germany was declared on the 5th of August 1914, George was supporting himself as a farmer. He was living with his sister, Barbara, in Sydney, listing the Women’s Patriotic Club as his address. He had watched his brother, William, enlist on the 18th of August 1914. At the age of 29, George then travelled to Brighton in Tasmania to sign up on the 23rd of August 1914. Due to his previous engineering training, George was assigned to the 3rd Field Company Engineers as a Sapper. He was shipped out on the HMAT Geelong, which left Melbourne on the 22nd of September 1914.

George disembarked in Egypt for further training. On the 1st of March 1915, he was appointed Driver. The following month, he departed Alexandria for future operations on the Gallipoli Peninsula. However, on the 8th of April, he was admitted to hospital with influenza, and was transferred to Maadi. Sadly, at this time, George’s brother, William, was killed in action at Gallipoli. By the end of the year, George joined Details at Tel-el-Kebir Camp. He was then transferred to the 3rd Light Horse Regiment Headquarters at Serapeum in late March 1916. George proved to be an effective soldier, and started rising through the ranks. At the end of May, he attended a School of Instruction, during which he was appointed 2nd Lieutenant and taken on strength to the 47th Infantry Battalion. Three days later, he was completing duty as an Orderly Officer with the 12th Brigade Headquarters. On the 2nd of June, George left Alexandria for the port of Marseilles in France. Here, George remained with Brigade Headquarters. He was then promoted Lieutenant on the 5th of November. In late March 1917, George returned to the 47th Battalion. At the time, the Allies were chasing the Germans following their withdrawal to a new defence system, known as the Hindenburg Line. High Command naturally ordered an attack on the fortified structure. On the 11th of April, they launched an assault on the village of Bullecourt. Mid year, the unit shifted north for upcoming operations in the Ypres Sector. In June, they were to participate in the Battle of Messines. During these attacks, George was badly wounded in action on the 7th of June. He and his men were going over the top during the first wave around 3pm, when he was hit in the head by machine gun fire. He amazingly survived the gunshot, although blinded by the bullet. He was rushed to the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station the next day, and then to the 10th Stationary Hospital in St Omer. However by the 11th of June, he was in critical condition. He then died of his wounds at 10:15am on the 12th of June. He was buried at Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, Longuenesse in France. Sadly, his mother, Harriet, was to loose two sons to the war.