Sunday, May 26, 2013

William Henry Goodwin 1881-1918

Its been a while since I made a post on this blog due to real life taking priority over genealogy, but today I managed to do a layout which features the elder brother of my Great Grandfather.


Journalling on this layout reads:
William Henry Goodwin, my Great Grandfathers eldest brother. Named for his grandfather, and a man I knew nothing of until recently. and how sad. How easily these lives that were given so frequently in the name of the freedom  are forgotten.
In researching his Military file I could find little information. on his death. It simply lists that he died in the field in France, ( like so many thousands of other young men) - It makes me  wonder if his family at home ever knew any more details. If this were my son and he had given his life for his country, I would want to know at least where he died and what battle was being fought. It reeks of how little the lives of these men were worth at the time.
William Henry is buried at Anneux British Cemetery, one of 37 New Zealand men buried there who died on the same day.

The photo on this layout is one from the Auckland Museum Cenotaph Database. Im not 100% convinced it is the right photo as the text under the photo says Corp. W Goodwin from Morrinsville. - 
My William was a Private and was from Ngaruawahia before his signed up , however it appears there is only one other William Goodwin who died in WW1 and he has the correct photo so Im hopeful that the photo above is in fact my William Goodwin.