The Goon show didn't really hit its stride until the fifth series, and apart from one fourth series show no official recordings exist from the earlier series. This is the third of the second series, broadcast Tuesday February 5 1952, recorded the previous Sunday: and I should warn you that it's poor quality, evidently recorded by an amateur by placing a microphone in front of the radio (including some background chatter from another station). The beginning is missing, and because of the quality I've removed the musical items.
The recording is particularly interesting for the presence of Michael Bentine, who left after the second series because of 'creative differences'. Don't expect it to sound like a later Goon Show: it's episodic, with several short sketches, and most of the familiar characters have not yet emerged.
Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers & Michael Bentine: announcer Andrew Timothy. Script by Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton. Produced by Dennis Main Wilson.
