Horace William Madden,
GC (14 February 1924 – 6 November 1951), also known as Bill Madden, was a soldier in the
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
who was a
posthumous recipient of the
George Cross
The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...
for his conduct while a
prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...
during the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
.
Early life
Horace William Madden was born in
Cronulla, a suburb of Sydney, on 14 February 1924 to Australian-born parents. He was working as a fruiterer's assistant when he was called up for the
Australian Citizens Military Forces (CMF), the militia, in May 1942.
[Greville, 2000]
Military career
Madden was initially posted to the 114th Australian General Hospital in
Goulburn, New South Wales.
As part of the CMF, he was not required to serve outside of Australia or its territories, but despite this he transferred to the
Australian Imperial Force in August 1943. Nicknamed 'Slim' due to his lean build, Madden saw service with the
8th Field Ambulance in
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
, during which he contracted
malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
.
[Ashcroft, 2010, pp.249251] He later served with the 5th Motor Ambulance Convoy Platoon on
Bougainville and was part of the
British Commonwealth Occupation Force
The British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) was the British Commonwealth taskforce consisting of Australian, British, Indian and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952.
At its peak, t ...
in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
after the war. He was eventually discharged from the army in June 1947.
After leaving the army, Madden took up work at a mental hospital. Two months after the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
broke out, he reenlisted with the
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
for service as a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
in
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
. Initially assigned to
3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
The 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) is a mechanised infantry battalion of the Australian Army, based in Kapyong Lines, Townsville as part of the 3rd Brigade. 3 RAR traces its lineage to 1945 and has seen operational serv ...
(3 RAR) for duty as a driver, he later volunteered for signalling duties.
In April 1951, the
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
attacked the regiment's positions near
Kapyong in what would be known as the
Battle of Kapyong
The Battle of Kapyong (or Gapyeong) ( ko, 가평전투, 22–25 April 1951), also known as the Battle of Jiaping (), was fought during the Korean War between United Nations Command (UN) forces—primarily Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand ...
. Madden was among three Australian soldiers captured during the battle. During captivity, he demonstrated strong defiance to his captors. His defiant conduct, observed by many of the other prisoners and which would eventually see him nominated for the
George Cross
The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...
, was maintained despite beatings and other punishments such as extreme rationing of his food. His ill treatment eventually resulted in his death from
malnutrition
Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients, resulting in health problems. Specifically, it is "a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients" which adversely affects the body's tissues a ...
sometime in late November or December 1951 at age 27.
Madden was posthumously awarded the George Cross for his conduct as a prisoner of war, which set an example for his fellow captives.
George Cross Citation
The George Cross was presented to his sister on 9 May 1956 by the
Governor of New South Wales
The governor of New South Wales is the viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governors of the ...
,
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Sir John Northcott. Madden's body was recovered following the armistice that saw an end to the war and was subsequently buried in the
United Nations Memorial Cemetery
The United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea (UNMCK; ), located at Tanggok in the Nam District,; also seeKorea 1:50,000 Pusan Sheet 7019 III (1947) an City of Busan,As a transliteration from Korean, the city name 부산 () was typically spel ...
at
Busan
Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
.
3 RAR's Other Rank's (OR's) canteen, located within their barracks, is officially named the "Madden Club" after Bill Madden.
Notes
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Madden, Horace William
1924 births
1951 deaths
Military personnel from New South Wales
Australian Army personnel of World War II
Australian Army soldiers
Australian military personnel killed in the Korean War
Australian prisoners of war
Australian recipients of the George Cross
Korean War prisoners of war
People from Sydney