GOODCHILD, Stanley Walter


No.426906, Private, Stanley Walter GOODCHILD
Aged 23


10th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Alberta Regiment)
Killed in Action Monday, 4th October 1915


Stanley Walter Goodchild was born in Hundon on 24th November 1891 (Risbridge Q1-1892 4A:717), son of William and Sarah Elizabeth GOODCHILD (née WISEMAN).

His father William GOODCHILD was born in Hundon in 1857 and in the 1891 census was a pork butcher in Tottenham. He may be the William Goodchild who died Blything Q4-1895.

1901 census...Aged 9, he was at Clare Road, Hundon with his widowed mother Sarah [40] born Hinxton, Cambs; brothers George [18] shepherd born Withersfield and Ernest [6] born Ipswich; sisters Mabel [17] born Withersfield and Grace[12] born Colney Hatch, London.

1911 census...Aged 19, he was in Hundon with his mother and brother Ernest. The brothers both worked in the general stores (mother's business ?)

When he left for Canada has not been established.


RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 3624 - 37...He enlisted in Estevan, Saskatchewan on 12th January 1915, a farm hand, giving his date of birth as 24th November 1891, in Hundon, nr Haverhill. He was 5 feet 8 inches (172.7 cm) tall, chest 33" to 35" (83.8 to 88.9 cm), brown eyes, brown hair, Presbyterian. His next of kin was his mother at Ash Mount, Shafton, Barnsley, Yorkshire .
Initially he was in the 46th battalion and was transferred to the 32nd Reserve Battalion on 18th July at Shornecliffe and drafted to the 10th Battalion on 28th August and taken on strength by them on 29th August in France. Prior to moving to France, on 21st August he overstayed his leave and forfeited 40 days pay..
On 26th September he was missing from billets for 2 hours and sentenced to 10 days No.1 Field Punishment. This (known at times as the Crucifixion) entailed being shackled to a piece of equipment (a gun or cart usually) for no more than 2 hours each days. Designed to keep malingerers from dodging front line duties.
He was killed in action near Ploegsteert on 4th October and was buried initially in Rosenberg Chateau Cemetery (at the far end of the woods behind the Ploegsteert Memorial) and these graves were all moved in 1930 to the Berks Cemetery extension, on the opposite side of the road to the Ploegsteert memorial. His was the only death in the battalion that day.



photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission



Stanley Goodchild is buried in Berks Cemetery Extension , grave 3:B:49

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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