Henry Percy Goodwin was the son of Warren Herbert Goodwin. His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1886 in the Chelsea registration district which means he could have been born in late 1885 or early 1886.
He married Mary Rose Trimmer (1891-1973) on 28 June 1914 in St Mary's Church, Battersea, where the marriage register shows him to have been aged 28 years, a bachelor whose occupation was an attendant and who was living at 58 Bridge Road West, Battersea. His wife was recorded as aged 23 years, a spinster living at 15 Bridge Road West, Battersea. His father was recorded as a deceased coachman, whilst his wife's father was a horse-keeper called Alfred Trimmer. (Bridge Road West is now called Westbridge Road).
Postal Appointment Books show that he was employed as a postman in London's Western District Office in August 1915.
In November 1915 he enlisted as a Private in the 13th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Kensington). In 1917 his service number became 491717 and he gained promotion to the rank of Corporal. He was posted to the 1st Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps and entered France on 17 April 1917. According to his medal records he was an Acting Serjeant when he was killed in action on 24 August 1918 in France.
By 24 March 1919 his widow had been sent his army effects totalling £10-10s-0d and on 28 November 1919 she was sent his £14-0s-0d war gratuity. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
His body was buried near where he fell but on 7 January 1920 it was exhumed and identified by his personal discs and numerals. He was reburied in Plot 4, Row E, Grave 10, in the Mory Abbey Military Cemetery, Rue de l'Abbaye, 62159 Mory, France.
He is also commemorated in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on Page 146 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920 and in The Imperial War Museum' Lives of the First World War website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
