Pte
Walter Tom Gooding

Information about birth

Year of birth:
1895
Place of birth:
Gherang, Victoria, Australia

General information

Last known residence:
Dimboola, Victoria, Australia
Profession:
Labourer
Religion:
Methodist

Army information

Country:
Australia
Force:
Australian Imperial Force
Rank:
Private
Service number:
4198
Enlistment date:
06/09/1916
Enlistment place:
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Information about death

Date of death:
26/09/1917
Place of death:
Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, Belgium
Cause of death:
Killed in action (K.I.A.)
Age:
22

Memorial

Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial
Panel: Bay 23 stone T

Distinctions and medals 2

Points of interest 4

#1 Place of birth
#2 Last known residence
#3 Enlistment place
#4 Place of death (approximate)

My story

Private Gooding Walter Tom, was a single man and worked as labourer in his hometown Dimboola, Victoria, when he enlisted, aged 21, on 6th September 1916, the 29th Battalion of the Australian Infantery, part of the 8th Brigade, 5th Division.
He was the son of Edwin and Polly Gooding and had a brother Harold.

At 05.50 a.m. on the 26th September 1917, the Division was launched into the Battle of Polygon Wood, part of the Battle of Passchendaele.
The 59th Battalion was to take the first objective, but the 29th and 31st Battalions of the 8th Brigade pushed on and became mixed up with them. The attacking troops paused when the Germans showed some resistance at two pillboxes on the south-west corner of Polygon Wood and came to a halt on the so-called race course, 150 yards short of the first objective.
Although no fewer than six counter-attacks were directed against the 29th Battalion front during the afternoon of the 26th, they were all stopped, in most cases before they developed very far.
This was largely due to fine artillery co-operation. Altogether about 120 prisoners and 80 machineguns were captured by the 29th Battalion.

His friend W. Thomson wrote to Mr. and Mrs Gooding that Walter was killed by machine-gun fire on Wednesday, 26th September 1917 during an attack of the Battalion at daylight that morning. The mates buried him on the battlefield and put a cross over his grave.
Although his remains were never recovered and private Walter Tom Gooding, 22 years of age, is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, bay 23 stone T.

His older brother, Harold Gooding was killed four days later, aged 24.

Connection to other soldiers 1

Files 2

Newspaper Article View
Newspaper Article View

Sources 10

"Passchendaele, The Day-by-Day Account",McCarthy C., Arms&ArmourPress, London, 1995, page 94-95"
Sources used
"The Story of the Fifth Australian Division", Capt. Ellis A.D., Hodder and Stoughton, London, page 232, 248-251"
Sources used
AIF Project
https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=113930
Sources used
CWGC
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/923781/walter-tom-gooding/
Sources used
Newspaper Article
https://trove.nla.gov.au/search/category/newspapers?keyword=gooding%204198&l-artType=newspapers&l-state=Victoria&l-decade=191&l-title=787
Sources used
NewspaperArticle
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/152590394?searchTerm=gooding
Sources used
Service Record
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4818632
Sources used
The Australian War Memorial
https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search/people?people_preferred_name=Gooding&people_service_number=4198&people_unit=
Sources used
The Long Long Trail
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/5th-australian-division/
Sources used
War Diary
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1342989
Sources used