b. 10/07/1884 Sheffield, Yorkshire. d. 31/01/1917 Gareloch, Scotland.
DATE OF AM ACTION: 31/01/1917 Gareloch, Scotland.
Francis H H Goodhart DSO AM
Francis was born on 10th July 1884 in Ecclesall Bierclow, Sheffield, the son of Reverend Charles Alfred Goodhart and Elizabeth Anne Warner. His father was Vicar of St Barnabas’ Church in Sheffield. He had two brothers and a sister. He was educated at Chigwell Grammar School and HMS Britannia. He became a Midshipman in 1900, and was promoted to Sub Lieutenant on 15th July 1903. A further promotion to Lieutenant came the following year. Having served on HMS Ramilles and HMS Magnificent he transferred to Submarines. In 1912 he married Isabella Turner and they had two daughters, Barbara and Isabel. In August 1914, he reported to HMS Maidstone where he was given command of E8. Prior to his posthumous award of the Albert Medal in Gold, he was awarded the DSO (LG 31st May 1916), the Order of St Vladimir 4th Class (Russia), the Order of St George 4th Class (Russia) and a Legion d’Honneur. His medals are now held by the Imperial War Museum, London.
AM CITATION:
Owing to an accident, one of H.M. submarines sank and became fast on the bottom in 38 feet of water, parts of the vessel becoming flooded. After several hours the only prospect of saving those remaining on board appeared to be for someone to escape from the submarine in order to concert measures with the rescuers, who were by this time present on the surface. Commander Goodhart, after consultation with the “Commanding Officer, volunteered to make the attempt. Accordingly,-after placing in his belt a small tin cylinder with instructions for the rescuers, Commander Goodhart went into the conning tower with the Commanding Officer. The conning tower was flooded up to their waists, and the high-pressure air was turned on; the clips of the conning tower were knocked off and the conning tower lid was soon wide open..
Commander Goodhart then stood up in the dome, took a deep breath, and made his escape, but, unfortunately, was blown by the pressure of air against part of the superstructure, and was killed by the force of the blow. The Commanding Officer, whose intention it had been to return inside the submarine after Commander Goodhart’s escape, was involuntarily forced to the surface by the air pressure, and it was thus rendered possible for the plans for rescuing those still inside the submarine to be carried out. Commander Goodhart displayed extreme and heroic daring in attempting -to escape from the submarine in order to save the lives of those remaining on board, and thoroughly realised the forlorn nature of his act. His last remark to the Commanding Officer was: ” If I don’t get up, the tin cylinder will.”
BURIAL LOCATION: FASLANE CEMETERY, SCOTLAND.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, LONDON.
