Godfrey Goldin Explained

Godfrey Goldin
Fullname:	Godfrey Robert Goldin
Birth Date:	10 June 1919
Birth Place:	Abbotsford, Victoria
Death Place:	Territory of New Guinea
Originalteam:	Coburg Amateurs
Position:	Rover
Statsend:	1939
Years1:	1939
Games Goals1:	8 (6)

Godfrey Robert Goldin (10 June 1919 – 7 February 1943) was a champion schoolboy Australian rules footballer who also played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL).^[1]

He died of wounds sustained in action while serving with the Second AIF in New Guinea during World War II.

Family

The son of Robert Vane Goldin (1886-1969),^{[2] [3]} and Ellen Christina Goldin (1890-1973), née Graham, Godfrey Robert Goldin was born on 10 June 1919.

He was engaged to Grace Lillian Osborne in September 1942.^[4] They never married.^[5]

His younger brother, Allan "Dick" Goldin, played 104 games in six seasons (1947 to 1952) for the Preston Football Club in the Victorian Football Association (VFA).^{[6] [7]} He later coached Preston Seconds.^[8]

Football

East Coburg State School

He was a champion schoolboy footballer, he played for the East Coburg State School team (coached by Jack Baggott,^[9] and represented Victoria in the 1933 Inter-State Schoolboys' Australian Rules Carnival in Brisbane.^[10]

Coburg Amateurs

He played for the Coburg Amateurs team that won the D Grade premiership in 1936.^[11]

Essendon (VFL)

Recruited by Essendon in 1937, he played a season with Essendon's Second XVIII before making his debut against North Melbourne on 27 May 1939.^[12]

With his early preseason training restricted by illness and injury,^[13] Goldin played several games with the Second XVIII in 1940.

Cricket

He played for Preston Cricket Club in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association.^[14]

Military service

He enlisted in the Second AIF on 11 March 1941.

Death

Having served in the North Africa, he died in New Guinea on 7 February 1943 of wounds he had sustained fighting against the Japanese in the Battle of Wau.^{[15] [16]}

He was buried at the Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery.

See also

• List of Victorian Football League players who died on active service

References

• Book: Holmesby, Russell. Main. Jim. The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. 2007. 9781920910785.
• Main, J. & Allen, D., "Goldin, Godfrey", pp. 254–257 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002.
• Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996.
• World War Two Nominal Roll: Private Godfrey Robert Goldin (VX51038), Department of Veterans' Affairs.
• Roll of Honour: Private Godfrey Robert Goldin (VX51038), Australian War Memorial.
• Roll of Honour Circular: Private Godfrey Robert Goldin (VX51038), collection of the Australian War Memorial.
• Victorians in Casualty List: Australia and The Islands: Wounded in Action and Placed on the Dangerously Ill List, The Argus, (Friday, 19 February 1943), p.4.
• Victorians in Army Casualty List: Australia and The Islands: Previously Reported Wounded in Action, Now Reported Died of Wounds, The Argus, (Thursday, 4 March 1943), p.5.

External links

• • • Private Godfrey Robert Goldin (VX51038), Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Notes and References

1. Holmesby & Main (2007).
2. https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ViewPDF.aspx?B=4770614&D=D World War One Service Record: Driver Robert Vain (sic) Goldin (1245)
3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23057663 He put Army on sound footing, The Argus, (Saturday, 16 June 1951), p.5
4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article254755795 Personal, The Melton Express, (Saturday, 5 September 1942), p.2.
5. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245941488 In Memoriam: On Active Service: Goldin, The Herald, (Thursday, 7 February 1946), p.4.
6. http://www.thevfaproject.org/pages/Players/Goldin,_Richard.php Richard Goldin
7. http://www.boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Dick+Goldin Dick Goldin
8. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245166411 Priestley, John, "Players benefit from VFA fund, The Herald (Wednesday, 20 May 1953), p.24.
9. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205104251 State Schools' Association, The Age, (Wednesday, 13 September 1933), p.12.
10. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22201563 Schoolboys' Carnival, The Brisbane Courier, (Wednesday, 2 August 1933) p.5
11. Web site: Almanac Footy (History) – Jack Mueller: The Power of One . The Footy Almanac . 20 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240720031754/https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/almanac-footy-jack-mueller-the-power-of-one/ . 20 July 2024 . 4 December 2023 . Godfrey (ex-Coburg Amateurs VAFA) played just eight games for Essendon before enlisting in the Second AIF..
12. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243366557 Dons' New Man, The Herald, (Friday, 26 May 1939), p.19
13. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204412941 Essendon's Newcomers, The Age, (Wednesday 27 March 1940), p.8
14. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article188809164 Blake, Jim, "Who's Who of Football: No.12. Essendon", The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 6 July 1940), p.5.
15. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11335782 Deaths: On Active Service: Goldin, The Argus, (Wednesday, 17 February 1943), p.2.
16. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11807612 In Memoriam: Roll of Honour—On Active Service: Goldin, The Argus, (Monday, 7 February 1944), p.2.