Michael Harold Goodall (1941-1945)
Died 3rd April 2022, aged 94
Michael Harold Goodall was born in London on 27th May 1927. The family subsequently moved to Sale in Cheshire where Michael attended the prestigious Manchester Grammar School. Due to various circumstances occurring in World War II, including his father's company being literally blown up by a German bomb, they eventually moved back South, settling in Bushey, Hertfordshire. Michael started at Merchant Taylors' School as a day boy in 1941.
On leaving school in 1945, Michael did his National Service with the RAF, serving in Egypt, Austria and Italy. When he left the RAF after the 3 years were up, he joined the Wool Exchange in the City of London where he met his wife-to-be Shirley and they married in 1956. He then went to work for the British Sugar Corporation based near the Tower of London and moved house again to Woking in Surrey. As a couple, they travelled widely in Britain and Europe. Another of Michael's interests was rifle shooting and he was a member of the Old Merchant Taylors' Rifle Association and he regularly attended Bisley for shoots. This was only a mile or two from his home.
After nearly 30 years of commuting from Surrey to London, he was lucky enough to be given a chance of a second career at the age of 60 with the newly-established Brooklands Museum as a fund-raising manager. The connection to both aspects of its collection was strong. Michael was one of the UK's leading aeronautical historians specialising in pre-World War I aircraft and was also a second cousin of Mortimer Morris-Goodall who was a famous Brooklands driver in the 1930s...and the father of Jane Goodall the primatologist.
Another great interest with a family connection was researching and collecting playing cards made by the family firm from the 1800s to the 1930s - Charles Goodall & Sons. He was also a member of a City Livery Company - The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards. He served as Master from 1986-1987.
Emma Goodall