Evening Telegraph, 5th May 1944
Rushden Soldier Killed in Road Accident
A Rushden Soldier Pte Robert John Gooding Pioneer Corps, met his death on Saturday evening at Wareham near King's Lynn where while riding a bicycle he collided with an Army lorry.
He was the second son of Mrs A Gooding and the late Mr Gooding of 54 Higham Road, Rushden and was 27 years of age. Before joining the Army three years ago he was employed at Messrs C W Horrell's boot factory. The family came to Rushden at the outbreak of War, formerly living at Bozeat.
The deceased soldier's brothers & sisters are AC1 Frederick Gooding RAF who is in Canada, Sergt William Gooding RAMC, Mrs Underwood of Talbot Road, Mrs Richardson of Higham Ferrers, Mrs Krause and Miss M Gooding. The funeral took place at Rushden yesterday afternoon, the Rev E E Bromage conducting the service at the home.
At the inquest at Wereham on Monday conducted by the Coroner for the Lynn Division (Mr. Donald F Jackson), it was disclosed that Pte. Gooding had with him a companion, Corpl. G Bond, who is in Lynn Hospital with severe injuries.
Evidence was given that after the occurrence only one bicycle, without lamps, was found and the lorry driver expressed the opinion that both men were riding one bicycle.
A small broken hand-torch, said to have been picked up near the scene of the accident, was produced, and a test carried out in court by Mr. W J Hyner (Messrs. Reed, Wyman and Hyner, Downham Market), who represented the widow, proved that its No. 8 battery was in working order.
Major Victor Henry Sarland R.A.M.C., said that his unit received a call to attend to two soldiers injured in a road accident at about 11.30pm on Saturday. With ambulance and stretcher parties, they arrived on the scene at 12.10, and he attended to the injured corporal. He then saw Gooding, who had been put in the ambulance, and found that he was dead. Both men were taken to Lynn Hospital. He later made a further examination, and reached the conclusion that the cause of death was intracranial haemorrhage, due to a fractured skull.
One Bicycle Near
The driver of the lorry, Tpr. Ronald George Waugh, who wore the ribbon of the Africa Star, was formally cautioned by the Coroner before giving evidence. He said that he drove a 3-ton Army lorry to Wisbech on Saturday evening conveying men for recreational purposes, and they left Wisbech on the return journey at about 11 o’clock.
While driving through Wereham, at about 11.45, he saw two cyclists approaching from the opposite direction. They carried lights and were on their proper side. The lorry was travelling in third gear at about 15m.p.h. going up a slight incline.
“The two cyclists had met and passed the lorry when I suddenly saw a cyclist enter the beam of my headlight. He had no lights and appeared to be well in the centre of the road. I applied my breaks immediately I saw him, but he collided with my offside mudguard”, he said. He was two or three feet from the left-hand kerb.
He immediately stopped, and he and Sgt. Millet, who was sitting beside him, got out and found two soldiers lying in the centre of the road behind the vehicle, with a bicycle lying near them. Both men appeared to be unconscious. Men from the vehicle lifted them to the side of the road and witness telephoned for assistance. He examined the bicycle and found there was no lamp on it, and he could not see one lying about in the road. “I feel certain that prior to the accident the two soldiers were riding one bicycle,” he concluded.
Replying to Mr. Hyner, Waugh said that when he first saw the cyclist he was about a yard from the front of the lorry. He was travelling towards witness.
No Lamp Found
Sgt. Douglas Millet said he was in charge of the lorry and rode in the seat beside the driver. His driver immediately attempted to stop, but the cyclist hit the offside front bumper before he could do so. He and the driver got out and found a corporal lying in the centre of the road about 12 feet behind the vehicle. The other man was lying nearer the edge of the road, witness said he tried to catch up to the other two cyclists but could not find them.
He searched the road for any signs of a lamp, but could not find one, and there was no lamp on the bicycle.
P.C. Sidey Hindes, Stoke Ferry, said he received a call to the accident at 12.30 on Sunday morning. There were no lamps on the bicycle. He produced a rear lamp without a battery, and a hand-torch which he was told, were picked up at the scene of the accident. Witness said the frame of the bicycle was driven in, front wheel buckled, handlebars and front forks bent, and the front mudguard broken off.
Replying to Mr. Hyner, witness said the torch was not in working order, as the bulb was broken. He agreed it might have been broken in the collision.
Commenting that it was no part of his duty to setermine liability, but only to determine the cause of death, the Coroner said his task was perfectly simple. The doctor had stated the cause of death, and his verdict would be that deceased died on April 29th, the cause of death being intracranial haemorrhage due to a fractured skull, caused by deceased colliding withan Army vehicle whilst riding a bicycle.
Note: His brother William travelled to the camp for the inquest. The train was delayed and the inquest over when he arrived.
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