Trafford

Born during the December quarter 1895 in the Salford R.D. - ref: 8d/137,
the son of Godfrey & Mary Annie Goodliffe (nee Elliott).

1901 Census - 29 Walmer Street, Salford.    Son - aged: 5 - born: Salford. 
  Head of household - Listed as George Goodliffe - Married - aged: 42 -
occ: Railway Porter - born: St. Helens, Lancashire..  Also - Mary A.
Goodliffe - Wife - aged: 40 - born: Northampton.   Plus 4 siblings, that
includes Charles Henry & John Thomas, also killed during WW1

1911 Census - Fairy Lane, Sale.   Son - aged: 15 - occ: Apprentice Armature
Winder - born: Salford.   Head of household - Godfrey Goodliffe - Married -
aged: 45 - occ: Scavenger for UDC - born: Seaton, Rutland.  Also - Mary Ann
Goodliffe - Wife - aged: 46 - born: Hold, Buckinghamshire.  Plus 2
siblings, that includes Charles Henry & John Thomas, also killed during
WW1.  Godfrey & Mary Ann had 7 children, 2 of whom had died of natural
causes.

Apprentice at the Westinghouse Works, Trafford Park.

WO 363 - Enlisted at Manchester on the 4th September 1914.  He was aged: 19
years 0 months and employed as an Electrical Wireman.   His father was
recorded as - George Godfrey Goodliffe, Sebright House, Fairy Lane, Sale.  
He was 5 feet 6 3/4 inches in height, he weighed 124 lb, his chest
measurements were 32 1/2 inches to 35 1/2 inches.   His eyes - Grey, Hair -
Brown and religion - Church of England.   Drafted to France on the 24th
July 1915, which is confirmed by his MIC.

By 1919, when Mary Goodliffe was completing Army Form 5080, listing her
son's family members.  She listed her husband - Godfrey, plus her eldest
son - William, aged: 35 - residing at 25 Walmer Street, Salford - two doors
away from where the family lived in 1900.   Also listed was her married
daughter - Mary Ann Leech, aged: 28, still residing at the family home at
Fairy Lane, Sale.

Awarded the 15 Star, the BWM & the VM.

The 28/03/1916 edition of the local newspaper reports that a letter had
been sent to his parents from his chum Private J.H. Rimmer giving details
of his last hours.    He wrote that - Private Goodliffe's leg had been
blown off below the knee at 04.52 hrs on the morning of the 29/02/1916.  
It was dark and he was returning to the 'fire trench' with another man when
a bomb hit him (trench mortar ?).   The lance corporal and I went to carry
Jim to the 'fire trench' when the lance corporal was shot through the heart
and killed.   I rushed for help and we managed to get Jim under cover
before light.   He lived for 8 hours, suffering much pain, but was quite
cheerful and never mentioned his pain.   His last words were "I am feeling
easy now; I have no pain; I think I will go to sleep; write to my mother
and father"   He fell asleep about 12.00 hrs and died about 13.00 hrs.  
The stretcher bearers did all they could for him, but it was no use.    He
was well liked and a good chum.

Commemorated on the private family gravestone in Sale Cem.

His father, Godfrey died 04/07/1931 aged 66 years and his mother, Mary Ann
died 04/02/1949 aged 87 years.  According to a member of the family, his
mother was always very bitter (not without good cause) about the loss of
her three sons.  Their eldest son - William Godfrey Goodliffe died in 1953,
aged: 69.

His mother was the first person to lay a wreath on the Sale Cenotaph when
it was unveiled.

CWGC - Son of Godfrey and Mary Ann Goodliffe of Fairy Lane, Sale,
Cheshire.

Listed in the Guardian Year Book - Roll of Honour for 1917.

His brothers, Charles Henry & John Thomas also died on active service.