William Edmund Goodenough

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Admiral Sir William E. Goodenough, 1919.
Photograph: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Admiral SIR William Edmund Goodenough, G.C.B.M.V.O. F.R.G.S., R.N. (2 June, 1867 – 30 January, 1945) was an officer in the Royal Navy. He is chiefly remembered for his service in command of light cruisers during the First World War.

Early Life & Career

William Edmund Goodenough was born in Portsmouth on 2 June, 1867, the son of Captain James G. Goodenough, R.N. and Victoria Henrietta Hamilton. While serving as Commodore on the Australian Station his father died on 20 August, 1875, after being wounded by natives on the island of Santa Cruz in the Solomon Islands. On 15 January, 1880, he joined the training ship Britannia at Dartmouth. He left on 23 December, 1881, with two months' time out of a possible twelve towards being rated as a Midshipman. He was appointed to the cruiser Northampton on the North America and West Indies Station on 10 January, 1882.

Goodenough was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 23 August, 1889.[1]

He was promoted to the rank of Commander with seniority of 30 June, 1900.[2]

Goodenough was promoted to the rank of Captain on 1 January, 1905, upon the retirement of Lord Walter Kerr as First Sea Lord.[3]

He was appointed in command of the battleship Albemarle on 25 August, 1907.[4]

Goodenough was appointed in command of the battleship Vengeance on 12 September, 1908.[5]

He served as captain of Duncan from December 1908 until August of 1910.[6]

He was appointed in command of the armoured cruiser Cochrane on 3 January, 1911.[7]

On 5 July 1913, Goodenough was appointed in command of the light cruiser Southampton as she was transferring to the First Light Cruiser Squadron,[8] a command he'd retain until the end of 1916.

Great War

He commanded the Second Light Cruiser Squadron at the Battle of Jutland from the bridge of his flagship, the light cruiser Southampton.[9]

In the King's Birthday Honours of 3 June, 1916, Goodenough was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.).[10] He was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 10 June, 1916.[11]

Goodenough was appointed an Additional Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 1 January, 1919.[12] He struck his flag as Rear-Admiral in the Second Battle Squadron on 31 March, and on 1 May he was appointed Admiral Superintendent of Chatham Dockyard. On 26 May, 1920, he ceased duty at Chatham and on the same day was appointed Commander-in-Chief on the Africa Station.[13] He was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 31 July.[14]

Goodenough struck his flag as Command in Chief, Africa Station on 2 August, 1922 and embarked on S.S. Windsor Castle to return to England two days later.[15] On 3 October, 1923, he was appointed Vice-Admiral Commanding the Reserve Fleet, which command he held until 4 March, 1924. The following day he was appointed Commander-in-Chief at the Nore. He was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 8 May, 1925, vice Gough-Calthorpe.[16] Following the death of the Second Sea Lord, Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, on 2 April, he was apparently offered the position but declined it according to Sir Vincent W. Baddeley, at the time First Principal Assistant Secretary to the Board of Admiralty.[17] Goodenough handed over command at the Nore on 16 May, 1927.[18]

On 23 May, 1930, he was placed on the Retired List.[19]

He died on 30 January, 1945.

See Also

Bibliography

  • "Admiral Sir William Goodenough" (Obituaries). The Times. Wednesday, 31 January, 1945. Issue 50055, col C, p. 7.
  • Goodenough, Admiral Sir William (1943). A Rough Record. London: Hutchinson & Co..

Papers

  • Papers in the possession of the Imperial War Museum.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Lawrence de W. Satow
Captain of H.M.S. Espiegle
1 May, 1905[20]
Succeeded by
Trevylyan Dacres Willes Napier
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
1 May, 1905[21] – 20 Aug, 1907[22]
Succeeded by
Trevylyan D. W. Napier
Preceded by
Charles H. Cross
Captain of Training Ship H.M.S. Britannia
1 May, 1905[23] – 20 Aug, 1907[24]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Robert F. Scott
Captain of H.M.S. Albemarle
25 Aug, 1907[25][26] – 25 Aug, 1908[27]
Succeeded by
Henry W. Grant
Preceded by
Charles E. Anson
Captain of H.M.S. Vengeance
12 Sep, 1908[28][29] – 27 Nov, 1908[30]
Succeeded by
Bentinck J. D. Yelverton
Preceded by
Arthur W. Ewart
Captain of H.M.S. Duncan
27 Nov, 1908[31] – 9 Aug, 1910[32]
Succeeded by
Frederick L. Field
Preceded by
Cecil S. Hickley
Captain of H.M.S. Cochrane
3 Jan, 1911[33][34] – 10 Aug, 1912[35]
Succeeded by
William G. E. Ruck-Keene
Preceded by
Dudley R. S. de Chair
Captain of H.M.S. Colossus
10 Aug, 1912[36] – 5 Jul, 1913[37]
Succeeded by
George W. Smith
Preceded by
Arthur A. M. Duff
Captain of H.M.S. Southampton
5 Jul, 1913[38][39]c. 6 Jun, 1916[40]
Succeeded by
Edward A. Rushton
Preceded by
New Command
Commodore 2nd Class Commanding, First Light Cruiser Squadron
5 Jul, 1913[41] – Feb, 1915[42]
Succeeded by
Edwyn S. Alexander-Sinclair
as Rear-Admiral Commanding, First Light Cruiser Squadron
Preceded by
Trevylyan D. W. Napier
Commodore Second Class Commanding, Second Light Cruiser Squadron
8 Feb, 1915[43] – 5 Dec, 1916[44]
Succeeded by
Cecil F. Lambert
as Commodore First Class Commanding, Second Light Cruiser Squadron
Preceded by
Edward A. Rushton
Captain of H.M.S. Southampton
21 Jun, 1916[45]c. 5 Nov, 1916[46]
Succeeded by
William E. Goodenough
Preceded by
Mortimer L'E. Silver
Captain of H.M.A.S. Melbourne
5 Nov, 1916[47]c. 17 Nov, 1916[48]
Succeeded by
Edward A. Rushton
Preceded by
William E. Goodenough
Captain of H.M.S. Southampton
18 Nov, 1916[49] – 5 Dec, 1916[50]
Succeeded by
Halton S. Lecky
Preceded by
Arthur C. Leveson
Rear-Admiral, Second-in-Command, Second Battle Squadron
5 Dec, 1916[51] – 31 Mar, 1919[52]
Succeeded by
Sir Douglas R. L. Nicholson
Preceded by
Arthur D. Ricardo
Admiral Superintendent, Chatham Dockyard
1 May, 1919[53][54] – 26 May, 1920[55]
Succeeded by
Lewis Clinton-Baker
Preceded by
The Hon. Edward S. Fitzherbert
as Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station and West Africa Station
Commander-in-Chief, Africa Station
18 Jun, 1920[56] – 2 Aug, 1922[57]
Succeeded by
Sir Rudolf W. Bentinck
Preceded by
Sir Douglas R. L. Nicholson
Vice-Admiral Commanding, Reserve Fleet
? – 4 Mar, 1924[58]
Succeeded by
The Hon. Sir Victor A. Stanley
Preceded by
Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas
Commander-in-Chief at the Nore
5 Mar, 1924[59][60]
Succeeded by
Sir Edwyn S. Alexander-Sinclair
Court Appointments
Preceded by
Sir Richard F. Phillimore
First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp
6 Oct, 1929[61] – 23 May, 1930[62]
Succeeded by
Sir Edwyn S. Alexander-Sinclair

Footnotes

  1. The London Gazette: no. 25969. p. 4738. 30 August, 1889.
  2. The London Gazette: no. 27211. p. 4433. 17 July, 1900.
  3. The London Gazette: no. 27750. p. 25. 3 January, 1905.
  4. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  5. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 389.
  6. Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
  7. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  8. The Navy List. (April, 1914). p. 375.
  9. Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. p. 46.
  10. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29608. p. 5553. 2 June, 1916.
  11. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29629. p. 6066. 20 June, 1916.
  12. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31099. p. 106. 1 January, 1919.
  13. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/428.
  14. The London Gazette: no. 32017. p. 8408. 13 August, 1920.
  15. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/428.
  16. The London Gazette: no. 33049. p. 3445. 22 May, 1925.
  17. Baddeley. "Goodenough, Sir William Edmund." Dictionary of National Biography.
  18. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/428.
  19. The London Gazette: no. 33608. p. 3233. 23 May, 1930.
  20. The Navy List. (March, 1907). p. 309.
  21. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  22. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  23. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  24. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  25. The Navy List. (January, 1908). p. 274.
  26. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  27. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  28. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 389.
  29. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  30. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  31. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  32. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  33. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  34. The Navy List. (April, 1911). p. 293.
  35. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  36. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  37. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  38. The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 398c.
  39. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  40. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  41. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1914). p. 5.
  42. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  43. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1915). p. 6.
  44. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  45. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  46. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  47. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  48. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  49. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  50. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 433.
  51. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 433.
  52. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 433.
  53. "Naval Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 1 May, 1919. Issue 42088, col B, p. 19.
  54. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 433.
  55. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 206.
  56. The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 699-700.
  57. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 206.
  58. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 206.
  59. The Navy List. (April, 1925). p. 257.
  60. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. p. 206.
  61. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 206.
  62. Goodenough Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 206.