Hadden, John

Other Information

Husband of Mary Ann Hadden, of North Queensferry.

The 2nd Battalion was a regular army unit, based in Hong Kong before the war.

This (and his seven digit service number) may indicate that John was a regular soldier, but this is unclear.

Hong Kong was attacked by the Japanese on the same day as the attack on Pearl Harbour. The Commonwealth forces were outnumbered by four to one.

On 12 December the battalion was withdrawn to Kowloon.

The day of his death (15 December 1941) was the day when the defence of the mainland was abandoned and the survivors withdrew to the island where they surrendered less than two weeks later.

Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Scottish National War Memorial (Edinburgh Castle.)

Here dead we lie, Because we did not choose
To live and shame the land, From which we sprung.

Life, to be sure, Is nothing much to lose,
But young men think it is, And we were young.

[Here Dead We Lie, A.E. Housman]

When You Go Home,
Tell Them Of Us And Say,

For Your Tomorrow,
We gave our Today

[Kohima, attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds]

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
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