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| James
and Elizabeth Good
(nee Bradfield) of Ballylangley, Bandon had
four sons, three of whom served during World War
1. Robert the eldest of the family served with the
Royal Navy whilst the two youngest James and
William served in the army with the Royal Munster
Fusiliers and The Connaught Rangers respectively.
Their father worked in the nearby Allman’s
distillery and whilst the family were quiet young
their mother died. An uncle and aunt Robert and
Sarah Bradfield were farming just outside the town
at Callatrim and it was from here that the younger
family members were to commence their schooling at
the schoolhouse situated At Kilbrogan Street.
Robert
having received a scholarship to St Canices
collage in Kilkenny following which he enlisted in
the Royal Navy as a cadet and was to serve
throughout the duration of the war. James firstly
enlisted in the Royal Irish Constabulary in August
1911 and subsequently in the Royal Munster
Fusiliers on 25th May 1916 he was
killed near Peronne on the Somme on 14th
February 1917 having attained the rank of
sergeant. |
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Robert
Good
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William
having left school at an early age to work in a
local bakery / confectionery undertaking
deliveries in the local hinterland. Bandon being a
garrison town, with constant parades and
recruiting, the lure of the cavalry was too much
of a draw, so he enlisted in the South Irish
Horse, which was an army reserve corp. in March
1911. At the outbreak of war was mobilised on 5th
August 1914 to join on permanent service at the
rank of corporal. Both the South and North Irish
Horse formed a composite regiment of the BEF.
First overseas posting was on 17th
August 1914. By
December of that year he had been promoted to the
rank of Lance Sergeant. Writing home to his
brother Jack in the autumn of 1914 did not think
that the war would last long, how wrong was he to
be. Further promotion to the rank of sergeant was
to follow in April of 1915 and in November 1916 he
was posted to No 2 Officer Cadet Battalion
Training College, Cambridge, England and
discharged in March 1917 having been appointed to
a commission as 2nd Lieut. The
Connaught Rangers and posted to the 5th
Battalion attached to the 1st Royal
Inniskilling Fusiliers, 87th Brigade,
29th Division. He was promoted to
Lieutenant in July 1917. |
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William
Good |
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When
the ‘Big Push’ came in November 1917 he saw
himself involved in the Battle of Cambrai. His
exploits on 20th November were to earn
him the Military Cross. Being a road bowler in his
youth, he used his loft and underarm style to good
effect to hurl a grenade into a German machine-gun
nest, which was slaughtering his comrades. Others
had tried the conventional way and failed. He was
wounded on this occasion and hospitalised with
shoulder and ankle injuries and was unable to give
an account of his encounter for some time
afterwards. He later set about detailing a full
report and at the end of the war relinquished his
commission in September 1919.
He
died on 11th October 1994, three months
short of his 100th birthday and is
buried in Killowen graveyard which is situated
about four miles west of Bandon on the main Bandon
to Dunmanway road. He was Bandon’s last
connection with direct involvement in the Great
War. (Click here for
printable version) |
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Sgt
James Good |
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