Early RAF Career

 

In September 1939, Goodman joined No. 5 Squadron, Air Defence Cadet Corps at Northampton, then transferred to the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve for pilot training, the first cadet from the Northampton Corps to be selected for this step. Flying training took place at Sywell, near Northampton, on De Havilland Tiger Moths. He went solo on 7 June 1939. Until the outbreak of war, Goodman continued to fly the Tiger Moth before mobilisation in September 1939 and transfer for Elementary Flying Training at Brough in Yorkshire. Advanced training followed from April to June at Hullavington in Wiltshire, then operational training on the Wellington at No.15 Operational Training Unit, Harwell, where he was to return as an instructor in December 1941 following his first tour and from which he took student crews to Cologne and Essen on the 1000 bomber raids on the nights of the 30 May and 1 June 1942.

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