William Goodall was born in Eccles, Manchester in 1880, and was brought up there and in Bedford.
His performance earned him the Kings and Queens South Africa Medal.
After the war, Goodall quit the military and embarked on a civilian career.
He spent some time in Sumatra and tried his hand at tin mining and tea planting.
They found the island delightful, and thought it was an ideal place for bathing and picnic parties.
The group pooled their money together and built a small shack up the hill and used it for parties.
But as the years passed, Goodall found himself spending more and more time on the island.
When the contracts on the Singapore Reservoirs ended in 1932, he decided to live there permanently.
Goodall felt like a castaway.
William Goodalls house on Pulau Sarimbun, circa 1932.
Living on the island alone was difficult and the work exhausting.
The launch and the two dinghies needed constant attention and washing.
The mooring buoy had to be changed every six weeks.
Fruit trees needed spraying and cultivating.
Undergrowth needed cutting back, and the house needed a continual stream of small repairs.
Perhaps you will have the good fortune to observe Mr W.A.B.
While Goodall enjoyed the attention, he denied that the flag raising ritual was a daily occurrence.
He helped Goodall in clerical matters.
They exhorted me ‘to keep the flag flying’ and so on'.
Despite being geographically isolated, William Goodall actively participated in the social scene of Singapore.
He maintained regular correspondence with theStraits Times, discussing matters concerning the natural history of Serimbun.
William Arthur Bates Goodall died in 1941.
Its no longer possible to visit the island.
