Sailor returning home, good sailor (6)
I believe the answer is:
rating
'sailor' is the definition.
(British term for a naval enlisted man)
'sailor returning home good' is the wordplay.
'sailor' becomes 'tar' (tar is a kind of sailor**).
'returning' shows that the letters should be reversed in order.
'home' becomes 'in' ('he's home' can mean 'he's in').
'good' becomes 'g' (abbreviation).
'tar' in reverse letter order is 'rat'.
'rat'+'in'+'g'='RATING'
(Other definitions for rating that I've seen before include "Classification - or a non-com sailor" , "Lowly naval rank" , "rebuke?" , "Grading or ranking" , "Classification; seaman" .)