Conscripted and mobilised in May 1918

Posted to 5th Reserve Battalion at Saltfleet for training and arrived in France in late September 1918

John Henry Goodwin was part of a large Reinforcement that was sent to France and posted to the 1/5th Battalion in late September 1918.

However, his story, and that of his comrades, starts in the summer of 1918.

Between approximately 31st May and 1st June the 5th Reserve Battalion at Salfleet received  several hundred men for training and these were issued with Regimental numbers from 117829 (Jones) to 117986 (Simmons).

Note: The precise number of men is difficult to ascertain, but:-

• 117794 (Mitchell) was posted to the 3rd Reserve Battalion at Sunderland on (and attached to the 4th Reserve Gloucesters) on the 28th May 1918.
• 117829 (Jones) was posted to 5th Reserve Battalion at Saltfleet and later served with 1/5th Battn. Killed in action 17th October 1918.
• 117986 (Simmons) was posted to 5th Reserve Battalion at Saltfleet and later served with 8th Battn. Killed in action 17th October 1918.
• 118044 (Walter) was posted to the 3rd Reserve Battalion at Sunderland on the 1st June 1918.

This suggests that a maximum of 250 men were posted to the 5th Reserve Battalion at that time.