A Hero of Villers-Bretonneux

"This N.C.O. Non-Commissioned Officer] has at all times shown great devotion to duty and keenness in his work both when in the trenches and billets. When in action his coolness and cheeriness has inspired all ranks with the utmost confidence. His courage has been frequently in evidence and has been reflected in the morale of the men under his control." This Despatch of Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig was written on Sunday, 7 April 1918 for conspicuous services in the field on behalf of a soldier of the First World War named Harry Cleveland Goodsir, Company Sergeant Major of the 35th Infantry Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force. Goodsir was born in Islington, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia and later grew up in Toronto, Lake Macquarie, New South Wales where as a young man he loved to play football and was a member of the local Rifle Club of New South Wales. As a result of his association with the Rifle Club, Goodsir was recruited into the Army and enlisted with the 36th Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force during World War I and was an original member of "Carmichael's Thousand," which the Battalion became known as. It was named after the Minister of Public Information of the New South Wales Government, Ambrose Carmichael. Goodsir would see his share of battle during the war. Near a small town called Villers-Bretonneux at the Somme, in Northern France the dashing young Company Sergeant Major would witness the world's first battle between two tank forces and would meet his own fate here. The King and Queen of England would both convey their sympathy in regard to the young soldier's death. This then is the narrative of Harry Cleveland Goodsir, a hero of Villers-Bretonneux, France.