Of Wallaceburg, ON.  The son of the late Dr. Johnathan and Mrs. Goforth, the brother of Mrs. Moynan of Toronto and Capt. Paul  and Col. Wallace W. He was the assistant minister at the Knox Presbyterian Church.

Captain Rev. Goforth entered the forces in 1940 serving originally with the Dufferin & Haldimand Rifles. He serve nine months with that unit before going overseas. Once in England he served with the Army Services Corps as chaplain then transferred to the Canadian Black Watch – Royal Highlanders of Canada. It was while serving with this unit that he had the opportunity to be presented to Her Majesty the Queen during an inspection.

He was then transferred to North Africa (serving there with the Canadian Infantry in August of 1943) WN 12/08/43 from there to the 1^st Division in Italy, a posting there to the “Hasty Petees”  (Hastings and Prince Edward Regt.). He spent a lot of time with the motor transports and gained a lot of respect for the skills of the drivers at night on mountainous roads with little of no lights to see by. He served during the fighting along the Adriatic coast, Moro River Campaign, Cassino and the smashing of the “Hitler Line”.

Captain Goforth received his Military Cross (MC) in 1944 while with a stretcher bearer unit sent out to pickup the wounded. He ordered the stretcher bearers back and under heavy enemy fire he he covered a mile of open ground alone. Under heavy fire he remained there for five hours until darkness and help came. All of his “patients” lived.  

Captain Goforth was wounded in Italy by a German mortor bomb in 1945 while serving with the Prince Edward & Hastings Regt., 1^st Canadian Division of the 8^thArmy. After being wounded 13 December,1944.  Captain Goforth asked the medical officer to “Just patch me up so I can get back to the boys” which the MO. did and the padre returned to his unit. CDN 8/02/45.

The 1^st Division went from Leghorn to Marsellies, through France to re-join the Canadian break through leading to V-E Day. They returned going through Holland where they received a warm welcome.

He returned to England were he helped with the “School of Christian Citizenship”. The pre-war pastor of the Knox Presbyterian Church in Wallaceburg would become Chaplain of the Royal Military College at Kingston in August of 1946. WN 8/08/46.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Awards	M.C.
Sources	CDN (01-02-1945), WRH-MV, WN (10/01/46), CDN (4)

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