223836 Pte. Thomas Goodier MM.British Army 6th Batt South Lancashire Regiment from:Warrington Sadly, my grandfather, Thomas Goodier never spoke about his experiences during WW1. All my father knew was that he had been at Gallipoli and later served in Mesopotamia where he was awarded the MM. When my father asked him about his MM he replied that he had been in a field latrine and there had been an explosion and that was why he had the award. My father said drink had been taken at the time. He never gave any account of the actual incident.
When my father died I asked my uncle if he knew any more about his father's medal. He replied that he had spoken to another old soldier many years previously and he had told him that my Grandfather had been at the Battle of Kut and had carried a wounded solder some long distance whilst under fire and it was this act of bravery that resulted in his award of the MM. I have no idea if this is correct. If it is true it is quite astonishing, he was only 5'4" tall and very slight in build.
At the end of the First World War my Grandfather signed on again. When I asked my father why he would do this the reply was that he had been an iron moulder in a Warrington factory before the war and had no wish to return to his old job in civvy street. My father felt that, despite the horrors of war, he had enjoyed travelling and had no desire for the dirt and grime of an ironworks.
He later served in Ireland, where he met my grandmother, and eventually rose to the rank of Regimental Sergeant Major. He stayed with the regiment until 1945 and later become caretaker of the Drill Hall at Warrington for many years.
I recall him quite well, I was ten years old when he died. My father was a serving soldier by then and we were in Germany so I didn't see him at the end of his life. I do recall that he had severe asthma and he said that this was due to being gassed during the war, again I have no idea if that is the case. The asthma was so severe that he would never have been allowed in the army with such a disability so whatever the cause it occurred later in life.
My father also told me that my Grandfather had scars on his leg which allegedly were the work of a dog that, terrified by the sounds of battle, had attacked him in the trenches.
I wish I had known more about him and his time as a soldier. As my father was also a career soldier we didn’t see as much of Grandad as we would have liked but he probably would not have told us very much in any case.
I have tried to search for further information but there doesn’t seem to be a great deal written about the bravery of the ordinary soldier on the battlefield and I suppose there were many acts of bravery that were never recorded or even noted other than by those directly involved.
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