Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Charles Thomas Goodey, a farm shepherd, born 6th October 1860 in Little Bradley, Suffolk and his wife Florence Ann Goodey (nee Horrex, married in the 2nd quarter of 1885 in the Linton, Cambridgeshire district), born 24th February 1866 in Honington, Suffolk. William was born in the 2nd quarter of 1895 in Babraham, Cambridgeshire, his siblings were, Charles Henry, born 17th June 1889, Arthur, born 2nd July 1891, Annie Jane, born 30th April 1893, Harold Victor, born 27th March 1897, the latter four siblings were all born in Babraham and Frank, born 1900 in Luton Hoo, Bedfordshire, in March 1901 the family home was in West Hyde, Bedfordshire. In April 1911 William was employed as a farm labourer and was residing in the family home in Ashwell, Rutland, together with his father, a farm shepherd, his mother and siblings, Harold, a gardener’s boy, Frank, a schoolboy, Cecil George, born 28th April 1901 and Florence Zillah, born 13th December 1904, the latter two siblings were both born in Luton Hoo and Gerald Ernest, born 1907 in Kent. William also had two older siblings, Laura Elizabeth, born 1886 and Emma Zillah, born 1888, both siblings were born in Babraham. In 1939 William’s father and mother were residing in the family home at 42, Stanhill Avenue, Barrow upon Soar district, Leicestershire. William’s mother died in March 1953, aged 87 in Leicester and his father died in December 1953, aged 93 in Leicester.
William’s Army enlistment documents do not survive, all that is known of his military service is that he enlisted into the Royal Army Medical Corps, being allotted the service number 2343, with the rank of Private. He was at some point transferred to the London Regiment (County of London) (Blackheath and Woolwich) and allotted the service number 5588 with the rank of Private and was posted to the 2/20th Battalion of this unit, later he was allotted the service number 632632 with the same Battalion and attained the rank of Lance Corporal. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
His service is unclear as in the Medal Roll indexes the following dates are shown with no explanation as to what they mean; Service number 5588, 1(a) 25/6/16 to 30/11/16. 2(b) 8/12/16 to 15/6/17. Service number, 632632, 4(b) 18/6/17 to 23/6/18. 1(a) 30/6/18 to 27/9/18.
However I can offer a brief overview of the movements of William’s Battalion for the periods mentioned in the Medal Rolls as follows. He commenced his service in France on the 25th June 1916 and served in that theatre until the 30th November 1916. The Battalion then embarked for Salonika arriving in December 1916, in June 1917 the Battalion left Salonika embarking for Alexandria, Egypt remaining in that theatre until embarking in May/June 1918 for Taranto, Italy and then entraining from Taranto in June for France, being attached to the 198th Brigade, 66th Division at Abandcourt on the on the 17th July 1918. On the 9th August 1918 the Battalion was transferred to the 185th Brigade, 62nd Division at Thievres.
The War Diary records: 27 Sep-18 – EAST OF HERMES. K.25.b. K.26.a. 2.00am. Battalion concentrated. About this time our transport on road running East through 25.a and b was shelled by enemy 5.9 guns 2 other ranks being killed and 2 horses being killed. Major W. M. CRADDOCK M.C. reported as Liaison Officer to SUFFOLK REGIMENT at slag heaps West of CANAL at K.26.a.9.2.
5.20am. Zero hour – Our barrage started.
5.50am. Battalion moved forward to CANAL in following order “D,” “C,” “B,” “A,” Headquarters. At Zero + 1 hour Battalion was crossing CANAL. Enemy’s barrage heavy but no casualties sustained. Troops proceeded along KNIGHTS BRIDGE TRENCH to LONDON TRENCH thence “A” and “B” Companies via GEORGE STREET and “D” and “C” Companies via CLARIGES AVENUE to SUNKEN Road running South West from K.24.b.8.7 to K.24.d.5.8.
9.30am. Companies were in their jumping off places as follows:-
“D” Company in SCULL SUPPORT.
“A” and “C” Companies in RAVINE AVENUE.
“B” Company in SUNKEN ROAD East of FLESQUIERES.
Battalion Headquarters in DUGOUT K.17.d.2.0.
9.50am. Battalion advanced.
11.30am. 520 prisoners captured also 6 Field Guns and about 30 Machine Guns. 8th WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT passed through Battalion and enemy threatened a counter attack. No.2 Company 1st Battalion GRENADIER GUARDS joined “A” Company. 2 platoons of “C” Company under Lieutenant SLAUGHTER actually reached their objective on the BLUE LINE, but became heavily engaged and few survivors got back. Lieutenant SLAUGHTER being among the killed.
11.00pm. A line was finally established along KAISER TRENCH in conjunction with 8th WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT and No.1 Company GRENADIER GUARDS and supported by the DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT. During a fairly quiet night Companies were able to re-organise. Night wet and cold. Battalion Headquarters remained at K.24.b.4.6. Casualties during day. Officers killed, Lieutenant V. SLAUGHTER. 2nd Lieutenant F. JACKSON. Wounded, 2nd Lieutenant S. HERBERT. Other Ranks killed, 18. Wounded, 58. Missing, 7.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
William Goodey was born in 1895 in Babraham, Cambridgeshire, his father, Charles Thomas (who worked as a shepherd), was 35 and his mother, Florence Ann (previously Horrex), was 29.
He was the sixth child of eleven - four sisters, and six brothers. Growing up they moved several times to wherever is father was hired to work including Babraham, Cambridgeshire, Hyde, Bedfordshire, Luton, Bedfordshire, Belchamp St Paul, Essex, Whymonds Would, Kent, Ashwell and Burley, Rutland. His second eldest sister died in 1901 while they lived in Luton, Bedfordshire, at the age of 14.
At the time William enlisted, the family was living in Oakham; his parents were living in Wanlip, Leicestershire, at the time of his death.
After enlisting he spent much of his time serving in Egypt. Once that fighting front started to subside, he was transferred to the front in France, where he died a few weeks later, only a few weeks before the end of the war on 27 September 1918. He was the only son to die in the conflict, though a couple of his brothers did sustain injuries that put them out of the war.
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Submitted by D. Goodey, 2018