No.39454, Private, Edward GOODCHILD
Aged 35
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Edward Goodchild was born in Isleham in 1881 (Newmarket Q1-1881 3B:538), son of James and Alice GOODCHILD (née FLETCHER).
1891 census...Aged 9, he was at Pound Lane, Isleham with his father James GOODCHILD [42], a blacksmith; his mother Alice [34]; half brother Thomas C. [12] assisting his father, sister Ann E.[7] and brothers Arthur [4] and George W. [3]. They were all born in Isleham. His father was previously married to Ann CLARKE ( died 1880) and had 5 children by her, Thomas Clarke GOODCHILD being the last of them. 1901 census...Aged 19, a blacksmith, still single and at Pound Lane, Isleham with his widowed mother and brothers Arthur (agricultural labourer) and George (general labourer), and Ernest J [6] born in Isleham. His father had died in 1897. He married Mary Ann COLLEN (b. 6-10-18884)in 1906. 1911 census...Aged 29, a blacksmith/beer retailer, he was at the Queen's Head, East End, Isleham with his wife Mary Ann [26] born Isleham) and their children, James Bertie [3] and Elsie May [1], born in Isleham. His mother and brothers Arthur and Ernest James were at West Street, Isleham The pension card has Mary at The White Lion, Isleham with three children, James Bertie (b. 1-2-1908), Elsie May (b. 18-5-1909) and Harold George (b.16-6-1911) |
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Enlisted in Newmarket. He was not awarded the Victory Medal as that entailed 28 days service in a theatre of war and he was only in transit to Egypt. On 4 May 1917, the Hired Transport "Transylvania", proceeding from Marseilles via Alexandria to Salonika with reinforcements, was sunk by a torpedo from U-63 off Cape Vado, a few kilometres south of Savona, with the loss of 412 lives. Carrying nearly her full complement of troops (3,000), she was escorted by 2 Japanese ships, 'Matsu' and 'Sakaki'. When a torpedo hit, the Matsu pulled alongside to take on board the troops. A second torpedo, fired at the Matsu, missed her and hit the Transylvania which sunk immediately. A memorial in Savona commemorates 275 casualties whose graves are unknown, others are buried in scattered cemeteries in Italy, Monaco France and Spain. |
photo; Commonwealth War Graves Commission
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details