The Norman Gooding Collection

Norman Gooding

Norman Gareth Gooding was born in Croydon on 14 August 1938, and spent his childhood both there and in Fowey, Cornwall. He undertook National Service in the Royal Air Force from August 1957 to September 1959, mostly in the United Kingdom - for someone so closely involved with the world of medals, his R.A.F. Form ironically states that he had ‘No Medals, Clasps, Decorations, Mentions in Despatches &c.’! After training as a schoolmaster, and gaining a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of London, and a Master’s degree in History from the University of Sussex, Norman taught for 25 years in a Secondary School in New Addington, before transferring to the Education Department of the London Borough of Croydon, finally retiring in 1999.

I first met Norman back in the late 1970’s when, as a young collector just out of school, my first job in London allowed me the chance to scout out medals and to pop into the various dealers and auctioneers in the West End. And it was Norman who, along with those other Orders and Medals Research Society (O.M.R.S.) stalwarts such as John Tamplin, Judge Henry Powell, Ronnie McDuell and Gordon Everson, was always happy to share his knowledge and general enthusiasm for all things medallic. Norman was one of the O.M.R.S.’s most loyal and ardent supporters, whose terrific innings of 21 years as General Secretary was followed by two terms as President. Indeed, as his fine obituary in the O.M.R.S. Journal states, he served on the Society’s Executive Committee in various roles for an uninterrupted 52 years, a record that is unlikely to be equalled.

Norman’s main collecting themes were the medals and awards to uniformed women’s organisations (a subject on which he wrote three books, Honours and Awards to Women to 1914; Honours and Awards to Women - the Military Medal; and Honours and Awards to Women - the Royal Navy); and the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, to which Order he was appointed a Commander. Indeed, it is these two themes that are so vividly to the fore in his collection, which must rate as one of the finest ever assembled to women.

Norman married Jean in July 1969, and she was an ever-present figure at his side at all events medallic. I especially savour the time I spent with them both on our annual visits to the United States of America for the Orders and Medals Society of America (O.M.S.A.) Convention, which, for Norman and Jean, was inevitably followed by a couple of weeks touring the vineyards of California together, thereby combining two of Norman’s great life passions.

Norman died in Croydon Hospital on 28 December 2022, after a short illness, with Jean by his side. For a generation of medal collectors, as well as many others, he will be greatly missed.
C.B.M-H.