The AIF Project

Leslie Hart HADDEN

Regimental number6526
Place of birthWilliamstown, Victoria
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationStudgroom
Address173 Hotham Street, East St. Kilda, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation27
Height5' 6.5"
Weight122 lbs
Next of kinFather, H. Hadden, 173 Hotham Street, East St. Kilda, Victoria
Previous military serviceNil (previously rejected for AIF enlistment on account of chest measurement)
Enlistment date11 August 1916
Place of enlistmentMelbourne, Victoria
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name8th Battalion, 21st Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/25/5
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A71 Nestor on 2 October 1916
Rank from Nominal RollLance Corporal
Unit from Nominal Roll8th Battalion
Recommendations (Medals and Awards)

Military Medal


'Valuable work as guide and stretcher-bearer showing conspicuous courage and devotion to duty. (East of Ypres)'
Recommendation date: 13 October 1917

FateReturned to Australia 4 December 1918
Medals

Military Medal

'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty near ZONNEBEKE east of YPRES on 4th October, 1917. He made repeated trips through an enemy barrage to direct platoons into their assembly positions and when this was finished took the place of a fallen stretcher bearer and carried many wounded to the rear.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 31
Date: 7 March 1918

Discharge date22 February 1919
Other details

War service: Western Front

Embarked Melbourne, 2 October 1916; disembarked Plymouth, England, 16 November 1916.

Marched into No 3 Camp, Fovant, 28 November 1916.

Found guilty, Larkhill, 14 January 1917, of being absent from Church Parade: awarded 7 days' (confined to camp? not specified).

Proceeded overseas to France, 13 March 1917; joined 8th Bn, in the field, 1 April 1917.

Admitted 3rd Australian Field Ambulance, 19 April 1917 (exhaustion); rejoined Bn, in the field, 10 May 1917.

Appointed Lance Corporal, 17 October 1917.

Awarded Military Medal.

On leave, 20 February 1918; rejoined Bn from leave, 9 March 1918.

Wounded in action, 3 April 1918 (gassed), and admitted to 28th Field Ambulance, and then transferred to 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station; to 54th General Hospital, 4 April 1918; to England, 19 April 1918, and admitted to Queen's Civil Hospital, affiliated with 1st Southern General Hospital, Birmingham, 20 April 1918; transferred to 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford (1 July 1918); discharged on furlough, 2 July 1918, to report to No 4 Command Depot, 16 July 1918.

Marched into No 2 Command Depot, Weymouth, 25 October 1918.

Commenced return to Australia on board HT 'Somerset', 4 December 1918; disembarked Melbourne, 15 January 1919; discharged (medically unfit: diabetes mellitus), Melbourne, 22 February 1919.

Medals: Military Medal, British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, HADDEN Leslie Hart

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