Early life and education He was born Harry King, in
Handsworth, Staffordshire, the son of Florence Annie King, a dressmaker, but was adopted by Thomas and Margaret Goode of Ryton,
Bulkington, Warwickshire. He attended a local school, and in 1907 was offered a
scholarship from the
local education authority, on condition he serve as a student teacher for not less than a year on completion of his studies. He entered
King Edward VI Free Grammar School in
Nuneaton on 16 September 1907, and in 1912 was awarded a Cambridge local honours degree. However, having spent time as a student teacher in Nuneaton and Rugby, he decided against a teaching career, and instead took a job at
Alfred Herbert's making
machine tools.
World War I Goode joined the army soon after the outbreak of World War I, enlisting in the
Royal Engineers on 8 September 1914. In late November he was posted to No. 5 Training Squadron at
Castle Bromwich, and in January 1918 to No. 63 Training Squadron at
RAF Joyce Green, near
Dartford, Kent, for advanced flying training. just over a week after the Army's Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) had been merged to form the Royal Air Force. In early May he was sent to the No. 2 School of Aerial Fighting and Gunnery in
Marske, Yorkshire, to complete his training. On 29 October he took part in an early morning bombing raid against an artillery position, then strafed the aerodrome at Stradatta, destroying another balloon on the ground, and making further attacks on ground troops. At 10:00 he took part in an attack on a train near Pianzano. On his third patrol of the day Goode first took part in an attack on enemy troops moving east on the
Vittorio–Cordignano road, and then on the aerodrome at
San Giacomo, strafing parked aircraft and the hangars, before harassing horse transports and other targets. Goode returned to San Giacomo later in the day to make further low level attacks. For his actions on this day he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order on 5 November 1918, which was gazetted on 8 February 1919. On 30 October Goode's flight overflew San Giacomo aerodrome, which had been destroyed by the enemy and evacuated. Later in the day they bombed a group of horse transports and light guns on the
Fontanafredda–
Sacile road before landing at San Giacomo to inspect the wreckage. Goode was slightly wounded in the face on 1 November, but pressed on with his attack regardless. Over the next few days Goode flew several patrols a day as the Austrians fell back in disarray. Finally, on 4 November, the
armistice of Villa Giusti brought the war between Italy and Austria to a close. No. 66 Squadron remained in Italy for another four months, until finally returning to England in February 1919. It was initially based at
RAF Yatesbury, then at Leighterton in Gloucestershire. Goode briefly served as
Officer Commanding, but on 21 April he crashed an
Avro 504 at Leighterton. His observer was killed, but Goode escaped with a broken wrist. This would be Goode's last flight with No. 66 Squadron, with which he had made 177 flights, 134 of them operational, for a total of almost 325 flying hours. He was posted to the Aircraft Depot, India, on 29 July 1923, returning to the Home Establishment on 15 February 1924. He was posted to the
No. 1 School of Technical Training RAF, based at
RAF Halton, on 7 May 1924, transferring to No. 2 Flying Training School at
RAF Digby on 8 September. On 16 January 1925 Goode was again sent overseas, to serve at No. 4 Flying Training School in Egypt, then served in the Aden Flight from 19 November. He was promoted to
flight lieutenant on 1 July 1926. Goode was serving in
No. 45 Squadron RAF in Egypt in 1927 when he met Ena Marshall Scales, a teacher from
Bosham, Hampshire, who was on a sight-seeing trip to
the pyramids. They were married at Bosham on 2 February 1930. Their only child was born in November 1930, but died after two weeks. and on 9 July 1931 to
No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron based at
RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland. No. 502 was a "cadre squadron" which was composed of two
flights; one of regular officers, the other of part-time civilian "special reserve" personnel . The squadron operated as a night bombing unit and each flight was equipped with four
Vickers Virginia heavy bombers and one
Avro Tutor for flying training. Goode was posted to Station Headquarters,
RAF Hendon on 21 November 1934. He was promoted to squadron leader on 1 December 1935, taking command of
No. 24 (Communications) Squadron, which provided VIP air transport. Goode was promoted to wing commander on 1 November 1938, and was awarded the
Air Force Cross on 2 January 1939. In April 1939 he flew General
Viscount Gort, the
Chief of the Imperial General Staff on an inspection tour of the
Maginot Line.
World War II On 1 March 1941 Goode was promoted to group captain, and commanded
No. 60 Operational Training Unit from late April. Goode finally resigned his commission on 15 December 1941, and joined the
Air Ministry's
Accidents Investigation Branch. He is buried at Tamlaght Finlagan churchyard,
Ballykelly, County Londonderry. ==Honours and awards==