LCol Herbert Tom Goodland DSO | Soldiers | Great War

LCol Herbert Tom Goodland DSO (1874-1956) and his brother Ernest (1872-1944) founded the community of Goodlands, in the province of Manitoba, Canada. The town named after first Postmaster, Herbert Goodland. Goodland later served with the BEF in the Great War, and became the first Deputy Controller of the IWGC immediately following the war.

Another brother Roger (1880-1944), came to Canada in 1897, and also served in the B.E.F., with Somerset Light Infantry.

Roger Goodland returned to Boston after the war, but returned to England in 1924.

Abigail Goodland with Roger Goodland Appleton, WI, c1930

Roger died in 1944 and buried at St. James Cemetery, Somerset, England with his parents, Charles and Maria Goodland.

Early Life of Herbert Tom Goodland

Herbert ‘Bert’ Tom Goodland born on 6 November 1874 in Taunton, Somerset. Although his father Charles (1845-1924) born in Taunton, his mother Kate (1845-1921) born in Montreal Canada. Herb emigrated to Canada, settling in Manitoba where he took up farming. He later became a businessman in British Columbia. In 1900, he married Ethel Hail Hawkins.

Herb became the Manager of the Chilliwack Canning and Preserving Company in 1908, and held business interests with local real estate agent J. Howe Bent. As well, Goodland, a Free Mason, served as the Secretary of the Chilliwack Board of Trade and in 1912 an Alderman for the City of Chilliwack.

Officers of the 101st and 19th Battalions, Edmonton, Alberta, circa 1914.
Image courtesy of the Glenbow Archives, NC-6-1199.

In 1910 instrumental in the formation of Chilliwack’s “D” Company of the 104th Regiment (later involving into The Royal Westminster Regiment) and held a commission in the local unit until his retirement December 6, 1913 subsequently joining Alberta’s 101st Regiment Edmonton Fusiliers.

Royal Munster Fusiliers

In 1914, Goodland returned to the United Kingdom and granted a Commission in the 2nd Bn., Royal Munster Fusiliers before promoted to Temporary Captain and posted to the 6th Bn., Royal Munster Fusiliers. The following year, Goodland appointed Staff Captain and served on the Staff of the 30th Brigade, 10th Division in Gallipoli, Salonika, Serbia and Macedonia. However, in June 1916, he contracted paratyphoid and invalided to the UK. Goodland returned to France in 1917 and served as a Major and Acting Lt.-Col. with the 1st Bn. Royal Munster Fusiliers in France. He then served as a Major and Acting Lt.-Col. with the 5th Bn. Royal Berks Regiment in France and Flanders. In January 1919, he awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

In 1919, Bert appointed as the IWGC Deputy Controller. Responsible for the organisation of the Commission and its construction work in France and Flanders. He remained in this post until June 1928 when he resigned from the IWGC and returned to live in British Columbia, Canada. Also awarded the CB for the efficiency he displayed while working with the IWGC.

IWGC Deputy Controller

Goodland; Herbert Thomas (1874-1956); Col.; soldier; Deputy Controller

Note the CWGC incorrectly refers to him as Thomas. Goodland’s initial responsibilities, with the Commission, the organization of 166 military cemeteries located in France and Belgium. The work involved the relocation of remains from battlefield cemeteries, the supervision of artisans, carpenters, stone masons, memorial designers and sculptors. At the time of his retirement, in 1928, Goodland’s responsibilities rose to some 3,000 cemeteries, in charge of 1,200 employees, from it’s peak at over 2,000.

(L to r:) A Captain, Sir Fabian Ware, Col Goodland, Sir Douglas Haig, The King, & the Gardener.
The King’s Pilgrimage, Tyne Cot Cemetery, May 1922

D.G.R.&E. Exhumation Teams at Work in 1919

In the Goodland Collection, Colonel Herbert Thomas Goodland, the IWGC Deputy Controller captured eight photographs of the Exhumation Teams at work in Belgium during 1919.

“The first group of photos depicts the DGR&E (Directorate of Graves Registration and Enquiries) in 1919 searching the battlefields for isolated graves and trench burials for bodies which were moved into the nearest cemeteries.

Exhumation Teams at Work – Combing the field

About 17% of such bodies were identified by buttons, badges, tags of metal – not the composition ones – boots bearing regt’l numbers – teeth – odds & ends in pockets (letters) etc – all sent to London or the special branch to examine.

In 1920 the IWGC absorbed this Directorate with all its records and the remnants of the Army went home.”

Exhumation Teams at Work – Isolated Graves

Canadian War Graves Detachment

18 May 1919, under authority Cdn Sect GHQ 1st Echelon 173195, this HQ authorized to be formed, and also 2 War Graves Companies known as No1 1 & No 2 Coys War Graves Detachment each about 500 strong. The digitized war diaries reveal the 1st Canadian Infantry Works Company already performing the work of the CWGD.

Major William Warren Piper, 21st Cdn Res Bn, England, late 31st Cdn Inf Bn arrived as Officer Commanding War Graves Detachment. Spent little if any time with the detachment overseas, SoS of the detachment 13 May 1919. Synovitus knee issues, he returned to Canada on 21 August 1919. SoS CEF on 30 December 1919.

LCol Herbert Tom Goodland — Exhumation Teams at Work – Remains found

No. 1 Coy Canadian War Graves Detachment

No. 1 Company, Canadian War Graves Detachment formed at Etaples on 18 May 1919 with 10 Officers and 450 Other Ranks. The Company divided into one HQ platoon and four working Platoons, with each working party under command of two Officers. Captain William John Chandler, Captain Kenneth Carruthers, Lt Henry Warmington, Lt Wilfred de Sidnia Wilson, Lt William James Dougherty, Lt Peter Peterson, Lt K Boland, Lt L J Gatieux?, Lt Placide Boucher, Lt H Scott.

Captain William John Chandler transferred to the Canadian War Graves Detachment on May 18th, three days after 3rd Cdn Inf Works Coy had demobilized. After two months service with the CWGD, he returned to England on July 21, 1919 and posted to ‘R’ Wing at Witley for return to Canada, on August 2nd.

Exhumation Teams at Work – Remains arrive at concentration cemetery

No. 2 Coy Canadian War Graves Detachment

Captain Thomas Handley Kitchen, late of 2nd Brigade, CFA; Cdn Art Reg Depot; 83rd Howitzer Bty, 5th Brigade; 14th Brigade, 5th Cdn Div Artillery, CFA commanding No. 2 Coy. Wounded at Duty 15 September 1918. Wounded 23 September 1918. Kitchen reported for duty at Andenne, Belgium with 3rd Canadian Infantry Works Company from the 5th Div CFA, on 4 May 1919. They left Andenne bound for Etaples, on 7 May 1919, arriving on the 9th. On May 15th, the 3rd Cdn Inf Works Coy completely demobilized. He returned to Witley in August and treated for Myalgia. No. 2 Coy Canadian War Graves Detachment war diaries transcribed only for May 19-31 1919.

Hundreds of documents involving LCol Goodland found in the CGWC archives, including hundreds of photographs taken by him at ceremonies and cemeteries of the IWGC. His skills as a photographer developed rapidly, the opposite of his nemesis Captain Henry Howard Chanter MC.

An example of Chanter’s work where he had felt applying water to panels resulted in finer photographs.

Much of the service of LCol H T Goodland previously covered in posts regarding Chanter, Captain William Arthur Durie, and Sapper Howard George Nelson.

Captain Henry Howard Chanter MC

H T Goodland wrote to Vice Chairman Fabian Ware on 22 July 1921 expressing his concerns regarding the employment of Captain H H Chanter MC.

My dear General,

I enclose herewith a letter from the Editor of ” Canada” with the cutting that appeared in the ” Daily Express” and I will be glad if you will direct that an answer to this be given to ” Canada”, along the lines of the answer that appeared in some other paper, refuting the statement . I have replied to “Canada” that I am sending his letter on to you for reply and that he is on no account to publish anything until he hears from you.

This article in the ” Express” is of course the work of Mr. Chanter, and probably is only a little bit of what he said in this interview. It simply shows how dangerous this man is. In reading between the lines one can see the vapouring’s of a disgruntled man. I consider this man a great danger, and always have, as I have pointed out more than once.

Note Captain Chanter no longer wearing his uniform at this time.

Sir George Perley

Whether Sir George Perley can do anything to stop his activities, I do not know, but he should have been suppressed long ago, before he was demobilised and while still under some kind of Authority, although as far as I can see, he has been acting as a Free Lance for some years, from the fact that he is running a Bureau of his ore and has retained of course copies of all the Cemetery lists that his Office turned out. Gell suggests that he is probably in possession also of a good many of our Cemetery lists, as there are some missing ones in that Area.

This man still walks about in uniform, and it is nothing short of a scandal that he should still be allowed to do so.

I think it would be well to send strong refutations of this article to “Canada” and any other Canadian Papers.
22nd July 1921.
Yours sincerely,

Extensive correspondence and files in the IWGC archives reveal a mutually-cantankerous relationship between Chanter and Goodland throughout his service with the IWGC. This aspect of Goodland’s career covered in the post about the Soldier’s Graves Scandal and Captain H H Chanter MC.

Mrs Anna Durie

Another significant post involving LCol Herbert Tom Goodland DSO also involves Captain Chanter and the repatriated remains of Captain William Arthur Durie. Captain William Arthur Durie previously buried in Corkscrew Cemetery and Loos British Cemetery (Pas-de-Calais, France).

A not so innocent-looking photo of Anna Durie.
(Image courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives. Avec la permission des Archives de Toronto. Series 833, File 2 Item 2. Torontonian Anna Durie finds the grave of her son, Cpt. William Arthur, near Lens France, 1921.)

Exhumed by his mother Anna from Loos in 1925 following a failed attempt to do so at Corkscrew in 1921. Mrs Anna Durie a strong woman, unwilling to take no or ‘non’ for an answer. Arthur one of many officer’s illegally repatriated to Canada. His remains now lie in St. James’ Cemetery, Toronto. In one of her many letters to the commission spanning two decades, she declared its British-born deputy controller, Colonel Herbert Tom Goodland, an American “by birth” and “not likely, it appears to me, to understand Canadian standards.”

Fabian Ware (on left, holding papers) with King George V at a gravesite. Photo by LCol Herbert Tom Goodland.

Sir Fabian Ware subsequently warned Goodland that the irrepressible Anna Durie on her way to Europe and told him:

“I think you had better warn people privately to be very careful how they talk to her.”

Sapper Howard George Nelson

Another attempt of re-patriation which should have been approved, but denied by LCol Herbert Tom Goodland DSO recently published. Sapper Howard George Nelson, an American-born soldier serving with the CEF had declared on his attestation papers he was born in Toronto, Ontario.

Americans understood that significant numbers of military personnel would die in Europe once their country entered the Great War. However, most expected the return of dead for burial in home soil. This was the precedent established in the Spanish-American War, the Filipino Insurrection and the Boxer Rebellion.

Such decisions at odds with IWGC policy, which appeared to be arbitrary during the 1920’s. While the IWGC enforced a strict, uniform ban on the return of bodies from the Western Front, they were forced to make exceptions that appeared inconsistent, fueling public outcry. Though thousands of American bodies eventually repatriated, the body of Sapper Howard George Nelson remains at Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery today.

Retirement

That Goodland a resourceful energetic administrator testified to in a mention in the Unending Vigil, the History of the CWGC. The CWGC expanding rapidly and it was difficult to keep pace with developments & the need for new buildings. Sheds arrived but with no roofs.

This was but one typical instance of a host of problems … due to the Army’s hasty departure and the rapid build-up of a new organisation in the field. Solutions had to be found quickly & without reference to London. … Thus, when cover was needed for the growing fleet of cars and lorries the Canadian Colonel Goodland, who was in charge of operations, discovered that the owner of the chateau had a brother-in-law who owned a garage and workshop nearby and agreed to rent it.

On his retirement in 1928, Herbert was he was made a Companion of the British Empire and the French awarded him the Medaille de Reconnaissance and the Gold Medal of the Souvenir Francais.

Return to Canada

Goodland returned to live in British Columbia, Canada in July of 1928. Two years later, his wife Ethel Goodland died 22 April 1930 in Oak Bay, BC. He served in the legislature as the Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms.

Herbert later married 24-year-old Marjorie Kathleen Ryall on 16 June 1931, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Herbert was 57 years of age at this time. The couple had one daughter, Katherine.

1936

Goodland a member of Pro Patria Branch of the Canadian Legion. In 1936 he attended the unveiling of the Vimy Memorial as part of the large pilgrimage to France by many Canadian Great War veterans.