Whose Name We Share

20 J.J.H. Goodwin According to the Westralian Worker - a Western Australian newspaper operating out of Perth from 1900-1951 - an ex-Driver of the 103 rd Howtizer Battery J.J.H. Goodwin gained a brief moment in the spotlight for fighting against the Repatriation Department’s decision to refuse his application for benefits. Driver Goodwin was invalidated to Australia in December of 1917 following horrific injuries that sent his medical class to C3 – totally disabled. He received his discharge and was promised a full pension in February the following year. The Repatriation Act no 6. Stated that he would be entitled to a special pension of £4 per week and he of course had made a formal application to begin receiving these benefits. Four months after his application, however the Department had still been suspiciously absent in adhering to their promises. Goodwin would then write to the Federal Labor Member, Mr. McGrath, to push the Department into action. Shortly after, however, he would be told that his application was denied. Mr. Goodwin immediately appealed the decision after seeing a medical board on October 18 th 1921. The board told him that he would be receiving the correct amount as soon as October the 20 th – which is now 16 months after the date he should have received it. Goodwin argued that, because of his C3, he should be entitled to the pension over the entire period in which the Act covered it – and claimed for arrears of payment which totalled £129. Once again, the Repatriation Department turned him down, despite the fact they were clearly in the wrong with their lack of action and commitment. He sought the aid of the RSSILA in order to bring his claim before the Minister, where it would be refused – but this time by the political head. His next step would be to invoke the powers and help of the law and he would appear as a man demanding his full rights – instead of a soldier begging for a favour. Inside a week after appearing before the courts the Department wrote a cheque for the full amount of arrears and handed it off to Goodwin’s solicitor and this would be the only prompt act by the Department in the whole duration of this year and a half long campaign. The article finishes with the writer expressing their disbelief that someone like Goodwin, a man completely disabled by his service in the Great War, with a case that was so obviously just, was stopped at every step of the way and only received his benefits after fighting for it. The writer also expresses their concern for the rest of the Australian Men who have been robbed or defrauded by the “Torry -run and Tory- ridden” Repatration Department because they didn’t show the same level of commitment as Goodwin. They then conclude the article urging for action against the Department and that Goodwin’s case is all the evidence the public needed to demand a complete overhaul of the department.