Name
Albert Goddard
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/09/1918
39
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
328156
Cambridgeshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PERONNE COMMUNAL CEMETERY
III. M. 36.
France
UK & Other Memorials
Croxley Green Village Memorial, Croxley Green
All Saints' Church Shrine, Croxley Green
Rickmansworth Urban District Memorial
Pre War
Albert John Goddard’s birth is registered in Chippenham district in the second quarter of 1879 which makes him 39 when he died. His birthplace was Alton Barnes, Wiltshire.
In 1911 he lived with his wife Louisa (nee Mitchell), who came from Crewe Cheshire, and four children at 171 New Road. Their marriage was registered in the Watford District in the first quarter of 1906 and the birth of their first child was registered later that year. By then they were living in Croxley Green. In 1911, Albert gave his occupation as a labourer at the paper mill but is not listed on the Dickinson memorial. According to the Watford Observer he worked for a building firm in Watford before the war.
Recorded as enlisting in Watford.
Wartime Service
There are discrepancies in the service records for Albert Goddard. According to ‘Soldiers Died in the Great War’, his service numbers are 328150 and formerly 31812 Suffolk Regiment.
The Commonwealth War Graves has 328156 and the British Army medal rolls index gives 328156, formerly 6847, both 1st Cambridgeshires. Unfortunately, his service record has not survived.
The 1/1st Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment formed part of 35th Brigade, 12th division in 1918 and took part in the advance to victory in the Somme area.
Albert was killed in action near Sailly-Saillisel in an attack on Nurlu on 5th September. At 6.45am the 12th Division attacked with the 1st Cambridgeshires in reserve. The 7th Sussex, 7th Norfolks and 9th Essex were all held up by wire and machine-guns, high explosive and mustard gas shells and lost heavily. On the following day the 1st Cambridgeshires and 5th Berkshires reinforced the troops and broke through the line and carried the position under a renewed barrage.
According to the Watford Observer of 5 October, Albert was killed by machine gun fire when attacking with his company. The paper reported that he had been in France two years.
Additional Information
SDITGW suggests 328150 – probably a transcription error.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Tanya Britton, Brian Thomson Croxley Green in the First World War Rickmansworth Historical Society 2014
