Year of birth: 1893

Place of birth: Gerang Gerung, Victoria, Australia

Last known residence: Dimboola, Victoria, Australia

Profession: Labourer

Religion: Methodist

Country: Australia

Force: Australian Imperial Force

Rank: Gunner

Service number: 19796

Enlistment date: 01/10/1915

Enlistment place: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Units:  —  Australian Field Artillery, 30th Bty. 8th Bde.  (Last known unit)

Date of death: 30/09/1917

Place of death: Bavaria House, Ieper, Belgium

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

Age: 24

British War Medal Medal

Victory Medal Medal

Harold Gooding was the son of Polly and Edwin Gooding. He was born around 1893 in Gherang, Victoria, Australia. He lived in Dimboola, Victoria and worked as a labourer. He enlisted in the Australian Army in October 1915. He was part of the 30th Battery of the 8th Australian Field Artillery Brigade (3rd Australian Divisional Artillery). His younger brother enlisted about a year later, in September 1916, and was part of the 29th Battalion (5th Division, 8th Brigade).

Harold Gooding was killed on 30 September 1917 at the Battle of Polygon Wood, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. On 30 September, the 3rd Australian Divisional Artillery relieved the New Zealand Divisional Brigade near Bavaria House (28.C.30.c.6.3). The relief area was between Verlorenhoek and Frezenberg.

Lieutenant Joseph Austin Sorby gave an account of how a shell hit the shell funnel where Harold and himself were. Sorby was blown away and Harold died instantly. His body was taken to the Menin Road Dressing Station. Driver F.L. Hall watched as Harold's remains were being prepared for burial. According to Hall, Harold had a wound on his forehead: shrapnel had pierced his helmet and killed him.

Harold Gooding was buried at Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery (plot V, row H, grave 11). His younger brother died 4 days earlier in the same Battle at Polygon Wood. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate (panel 23, stone T).

Walter Tom Gooding  Brother

"How Gunner Harold Gooding Died" (Victoria, Dimboola Banner and Wimmera and Mallee Advertiser, 02/08/1918). https://trove.nla.gov.au/search/category/newspapers?keyword=gooding&l-artType=newspapers&l-state=Victoria&l-title=787&l-decade=191&l-year=1918&l-month=8 Sources used

"The Late Gunner Harold Gooding" (Victoria, Dimboola Banner and Wimmera and Mallee Advertiser, 11/10/1918). https://trove.nla.gov.au/search/category/newspapers?keyword=gooding&l-artType=newspapers&l-state=Victoria&l-title=787&l-decade=191&l-year=1918&l-month=10 Sources used

8th Australian Field Artillery Brigade, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 13/36/17). https://www.awm.gov.au Sources used

Australian Red Cross Wounded and missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM),RCDIG1045439). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, GOODING H). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au Sources used

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/142395

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=9c803ec7-f731-415f-9da0-3d2481fa2b30

The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=113919

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7469977