Date of birth: 18/05/1891

Place of birth: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Profession: Blacksmith

Country: New Zealand

Force: New Zealand Expeditionary Force

Rank: Rifleman

Service number: 21818

Enlistment date: 29/04/1916

Enlistment place: Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

Units:  —  New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 3rd Bn.  (Last known unit)

Date of death: 12/10/1917

Place of death: Cemetery - Wolf Copse, Belgium

Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.)

Age: 26

British War Medal Medal

Victory Medal Medal

Rifleman Robert Hartley Goodall, a former blacksmith, was part of the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Battalion, 3rd New Zealand Brigade, New Zealand Division. His battalion took part in the First Battle of Passchendaele on 12 October 1917. The 3rd New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade formed up with the 2nd battalion to take the Red Line (first objective), the 3rd Battalion to take the Blue Line (second objective) and the 1st Battalion to take a third objective. The 4th Battalion was in reserve. At 5.25 a.m. the opening barrage commenced, and the 2nd battalion advanced. The attack was slow due to heavy machine gun fire from German Pillboxes, wire entanglements and muddy ground conditions. The 2nd battalion failed to capture their objective, but they captured the Cemetery on their extreme left and established posts 150 yards eastwards. In the center, parties pushed on to the edge of Wolf Copse, taking Wolf Farm on the way. At 6:30 a.m. the 3rd battalion moved up and was able to reach the line of the 2nd Battalion, however the combined force also failed to reach first objective. Soon after 8 o’clock the of the attack was halted and troops began to consolidate the line. After 3 p.m. and enemy attack developed on the left flank, but this was driven off. Rifleman Robert Hartley Goodall was most likely killed in the attack between the jump- off line (southwest from Yetta Hos. and Peter Pan) and the final position between Cemetery and Wolf Copse.

Archives New Zealand https://archway.archives.govt.nz/ Sources used

Auckland Cenotaph http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph Sources used

Chris McCarthy, Passchendaele : The Day-by-Day account, 2018, 128-131. Sources used

CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/847573/goodall,-robert-heartly/ Sources used

NZEF Project https://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=94936 Sources used

The Long, Long Trail https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/ Sources used

The Official History of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (The Earl of Liverpool's Own), Austin, W.S., East-Sussex : The Naval & Military Press Ltd., 2007, p. 235-246. Sources used