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Lieutenant Erdington Goodwin
Description
TitleLieutenant Erdington GoodwinSummaryA soldier in World War One. DescriptionErdington was born at Christchurch on 23 May 1880 son of William Goodwin and his second wife Angelina Elizabeth nee Fearson. His father had owned 'The Poplars'. It was described as being formerly the property of the late Mr. Goodwin, and now of Mrs Goodwin, of Auckland. This estate, which consists of 500 acres, has long been known as one of the finest in the prosperous district of Greenpark. His father had died in 1890 and he had spent his youth in Auckland. He attended Devonport Primary School and Auckland Grammar School and then Lincoln College, Canterbury.
He was working for a chemist and living in Epson, Auckland when he enlisted with 4th Contingent to serve in the Anglo-Boer War, serving as a sergeant in the New Zealand Mounted Rifles, known as the Rough Riders. He earned the Queen's South Africa Medal with Cape Colony, Rhodesia, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902 Clasps. He seems to have stayed in Africa for around 1906 he was living at Victoria Falls, Southern Rhodesia. His obituary notes that he spent seven years in Rhodesia, where he won some renown as a big game hunter.
He had married Alice Vera nee Lattimer on 10th February 1910 in Remuera, Auckland. They had three children; Lila (b 18 September 1910), Ethel Crawford Kathleen (b 3 April 1912), and Margaret (b 26 January 1915) last lived at Claudelands, Hamilton. He was 6ft ¼in tall with a dark complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.
Erdington enlisted on 12 July 1915 at Palmerston North and reported to Featherston Camp on 11 June 1916. He was originally assigned to A Company 8th Reinforcements. He began active service with 3rd Maori reinforcements as 2nd Lieutenant in A company. Amongst other duties he was in Narrow Neck Camp training with the Niue Islanders. He embarked on board the Navua on 5 February 1916, and landed in Suez on 1 March 1916. He was attached to Infantry Base Depot at Ismalia on 24 March. After reorganisation of NZ Expeditionary force into a Division in Egypt and the formation of the Pioneer Maori Battalion he was one of those sent back to NZ to assist in the training of future reinforcements. He left on 11 April travelling on board the Willochra and arrived on 14 May 1916. However it was thought that he would make a good Machine Gun Corps officer so he was transferred to the 18th Reinforcements, Specialist Machine-Gun Section. He left for Europe with them on board the Willochra. He disembarked at Devonport on 29 December 1916 and was taken on the strength at Sling, where he was posted to 1st Auckland Company. He marched out for duty with Machine Gun section and left for France on 14 March 1917. He was promoted to Lieutenant to complete the establishment at Depot on 15 March 1917 then to No.1 Machine Gun Corps and left to join them in the field, arriving on 13 February 1918 when he was then transferred to No 2 Company. He fought at Ypres, Alessines, Passchendaele Ridge, and Hebuterne. He died of wounds (penetrating gun-shot wound to back) received on 28 August 1918 during the battle for Bapaume. He was initially buried at Achiet-le-Petit, west of Bapaume, but after war he was gathered and reburied in Gommecourt British Cemetery No.2, Hebuterne. In New Zealand Erdington is remembered on the Greenpark War Memorial, Devonport Primary School and Morrinsville War Memorial.
CWGC Cemetery locale history: Hebuterne village remained in Allied hands from March 1915 to the Armistice, although during the German advances of the summer of 1918, it was practically on the front line. Gommecourt and Gommecourt Wood were attacked by the 56th (London) and 46th (North Midland) Divisions on 1 July 1916 with only temporary success, but the village was occupied by the 31st and 46th Divisions on the night of 27-28 February 1917, remaining in Allied hands until the Armistice. Gommecourt was later "adopted" by the County Borough of Wolverhampton. Gommecourt British Cemeteries No.1, No.2, No.3 and No.4 were made in 1917 when the battlefields were cleared. No.2 originally contained 101 graves of 1 July 1916, almost all of the 56th Division, which form Plot I of the cemetery as it is today. After the Armistice, graves from the neighbouring battlefields were added, plus the following: Gommecourt British Cemetery No.1 was 100m North-West of No.2. It contained the graves of 107 soldiers from the United Kingdom, mainly of the 56th Division, who fell on the 1st July, 1916. Gommecourt British Cemetery No.3 was at the South-West corner of the village. It contained the graves of 117 soldiers from the United Kingdom, mainly of the 56th Division, who fell on the 1 July, and the 12 November, 1916. Gommecourt British Cemetery No.4 was 50 metres South of No.1. It contained the graves of 70 soldiers from the United Kingdom, largely of the 56th Division, who fell on the 1 July and the 12 November, 1916, and at the end of February, 1917. Gommecourt British Cemetery No.2 now contains 1,357 First World War burials and commemorations. 682 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 33 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.First NameErdingtonLast NameGoodwinFamilyMarried to Alice Vera (nee Latimer) Goodwin, of Green Lane, AucklandSon of William and Angelina Elizabeth GoodwinDate of Birth23 May 1880Place of BirthChristchurchDate of Death28 August 1918Place of DeathAchiet-le-PetitCause of DeathDied of woundsAge at Death38Other Biographical InformationHad served in Boer War, 4th Contingent
He was working for a chemist and living in Epson, Auckland when he enlisted with 4th Contingent to serve in the Anglo-Boer War, serving as a sergeant in the New Zealand Mounted Rifles, known as the Rough Riders. He earned the Queen's South Africa Medal with Cape Colony, Rhodesia, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902 Clasps. He seems to have stayed in Africa for around 1906 he was living at Victoria Falls, Southern Rhodesia. His obituary notes that he spent seven years in Rhodesia, where he won some renown as a big game hunter.
He had married Alice Vera nee Lattimer on 10th February 1910 in Remuera, Auckland. They had three children; Lila (b 18 September 1910), Ethel Crawford Kathleen (b 3 April 1912), and Margaret (b 26 January 1915) last lived at Claudelands, Hamilton. He was 6ft ¼in tall with a dark complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.
Erdington enlisted on 12 July 1915 at Palmerston North and reported to Featherston Camp on 11 June 1916. He was originally assigned to A Company 8th Reinforcements. He began active service with 3rd Maori reinforcements as 2nd Lieutenant in A company. Amongst other duties he was in Narrow Neck Camp training with the Niue Islanders. He embarked on board the Navua on 5 February 1916, and landed in Suez on 1 March 1916. He was attached to Infantry Base Depot at Ismalia on 24 March. After reorganisation of NZ Expeditionary force into a Division in Egypt and the formation of the Pioneer Maori Battalion he was one of those sent back to NZ to assist in the training of future reinforcements. He left on 11 April travelling on board the Willochra and arrived on 14 May 1916. However it was thought that he would make a good Machine Gun Corps officer so he was transferred to the 18th Reinforcements, Specialist Machine-Gun Section. He left for Europe with them on board the Willochra. He disembarked at Devonport on 29 December 1916 and was taken on the strength at Sling, where he was posted to 1st Auckland Company. He marched out for duty with Machine Gun section and left for France on 14 March 1917. He was promoted to Lieutenant to complete the establishment at Depot on 15 March 1917 then to No.1 Machine Gun Corps and left to join them in the field, arriving on 13 February 1918 when he was then transferred to No 2 Company. He fought at Ypres, Alessines, Passchendaele Ridge, and Hebuterne. He died of wounds (penetrating gun-shot wound to back) received on 28 August 1918 during the battle for Bapaume. He was initially buried at Achiet-le-Petit, west of Bapaume, but after war he was gathered and reburied in Gommecourt British Cemetery No.2, Hebuterne. In New Zealand Erdington is remembered on the Greenpark War Memorial, Devonport Primary School and Morrinsville War Memorial.
CWGC Cemetery locale history: Hebuterne village remained in Allied hands from March 1915 to the Armistice, although during the German advances of the summer of 1918, it was practically on the front line. Gommecourt and Gommecourt Wood were attacked by the 56th (London) and 46th (North Midland) Divisions on 1 July 1916 with only temporary success, but the village was occupied by the 31st and 46th Divisions on the night of 27-28 February 1917, remaining in Allied hands until the Armistice. Gommecourt was later "adopted" by the County Borough of Wolverhampton. Gommecourt British Cemeteries No.1, No.2, No.3 and No.4 were made in 1917 when the battlefields were cleared. No.2 originally contained 101 graves of 1 July 1916, almost all of the 56th Division, which form Plot I of the cemetery as it is today. After the Armistice, graves from the neighbouring battlefields were added, plus the following: Gommecourt British Cemetery No.1 was 100m North-West of No.2. It contained the graves of 107 soldiers from the United Kingdom, mainly of the 56th Division, who fell on the 1st July, 1916. Gommecourt British Cemetery No.3 was at the South-West corner of the village. It contained the graves of 117 soldiers from the United Kingdom, mainly of the 56th Division, who fell on the 1 July, and the 12 November, 1916. Gommecourt British Cemetery No.4 was 50 metres South of No.1. It contained the graves of 70 soldiers from the United Kingdom, largely of the 56th Division, who fell on the 1 July and the 12 November, 1916, and at the end of February, 1917. Gommecourt British Cemetery No.2 now contains 1,357 First World War burials and commemorations. 682 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 33 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.First NameErdingtonLast NameGoodwinFamilyMarried to Alice Vera (nee Latimer) Goodwin, of Green Lane, AucklandSon of William and Angelina Elizabeth GoodwinDate of Birth23 May 1880Place of BirthChristchurchDate of Death28 August 1918Place of DeathAchiet-le-PetitCause of DeathDied of woundsAge at Death38Other Biographical InformationHad served in Boer War, 4th Contingent
Connections
CollectionSoldiers of Selwyn World War OneImageGreenpark War MemorialMore InformationAuckland War Memorial Cenotaph
Military Service
Memorial or CemeteryGommecourt British Cemetery No. 2, HebuterneGreenpark War MemorialMorrinsville War MemorialDevonport Primary SchoolOccupation before EnlistingFarmerRegiment or ServiceNew Zealand Machine Gun BattalionEnlistment DetailsEx 3rd Maori ContingentService Number16/1326Rank Last HeldLieutenantEmbarkation5th February 1916Place of EmbarkationWellingtonTransportNavuaTheatre of WarEgyptWestern FrontCountryNew Zealand
Attribution
Taken FromPhoto taken from Auckland War Memorial Cenotaph. Please refer to this site for the photo’s copyright license.
Lieutenant Erdington Goodwin. Selwyn Stories, accessed 16/01/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/487
