Australian Groups - Other Properties

Lot 4668    Session 15 ( 7.30pm Thursday 20th November)    Australian Groups - Other Properties

Estimate $250,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $220,000

GC GROUP OF SEVEN: George Cross (GVIR); 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45; Australia Service Medal 1939-45; Korea Medal 1950-53; United Nations Korea Medal 1939-45. 2/400186 Horace W. Madden R. Aust. Inf. On first medal, NX173860 H.W.Madden on second to fifth medals, 2/400186 H.W.Madden on last two medals. The first medal engraved, all other medals impressed. Display court mounted, extremely fine.

Ex J. and J. Edwards Collection.

GC: LG 30/12/1955, p7299, posn 1; CAG 12/1/1956, p75, posn 1; For gallantry in captivity in Korea in 1951 (Prime Minister's letter of 31st Oct 1955).

Horace William (Slim) (so nicknamed due to his slender build, made even more exaggerated by his height of 184cm) Madden, fruiterer's assistant, age 18, born at Cronulla, Sydney, NSW; mobilized in the Militia 26May1942 and posted to the 114th Australian General Hospital, Goulburn, NSW; Trf to AIF Aug1943; served in New Guinea with 8th Field Ambulance and on Bougainville with 5th Motor Ambulance Convoy Platoon; he then served with 253rd Supply Depot Platoon stationed on Morotai before being sent to Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force; RTA and Disch.02Jun1947 in Sydney; worked as a male nurse at Morisset Mental Hospital for about two years and then as a moulder; Enl.19Aug1950 for service in Korea with 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment; joined 3RAR as a driver in November 1950, then volunteered to become a linesman in the Signals Platoon which worked in below-freezing temperatures to maintain communications with forward elements of the battalion; on the evening of 23Apr1951 the Chinese attacked 3RAR's positions near Kapyong and concussed by enemy fire, Madden was surrounded on the following day and captured as were Cpl Bob Parker and Pte Keith Gwyther, then for the next few days the three of them were forced to recover wounded Chinese soldiers and were exposed to attacks by United Nations Command aircraft.

Although suffering the effects of concussion, Slim Madden recovered quickly and helped Australian and other U.N. POWs on their arduous march to the notorious 'Bean Camp'. He showed defiance and refused to co-operate with the Chinese.

They beat him repeatedly and subjected him to other forms of maltreatment, but he remained cheerful and optimistic. His health deteriorated, and his condition was exacerbated by his willingness to share the little food he had with men in a worse state than him.

Madden was among the sick and wounded prisoners moved to 'the Caves' at Kangdong. In late October the Chinese forced them to march to Pingchong-Ni, a distance of about 225 km. Madden collapsed and had to be transported by cart. Although he survived the journey, he died of malnutrition on 6 November 1951

After the war had ended, his remains were recovered in 1955 (Operation Glory) and reburied in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery at Pusan, Pusan Metropolitan City, South Korea, Plot: Location : 35-9-2 Grave No : 2978.

Pte Keith Gwyther said of him: 'Slim was a real hero-and didn't know it. He became a sort of legend. He didn't try to be like that-it was just the way he was made. Nothing could make him co-operate with the enemy'.

In 1955 Madden was posthumously awarded the George Cross. He was also entitled to the USA Presidential Unit Citation.

Pte Madden is commemorated at George Cross Park, Moten St, Campbell, Canberra along with other George Cross recipients. He is one of only 14 direct GC recipients, 9 only of these being for Defence Force service, five of which were posthumous awards. Two of the awards were for the Cowra POW Camp break out, four for mine diffusion, one for the Voyager collision and one other during WWII for fortitude while a POW and then Madden's for fortitude while a POW in the Korean War. There are two other 'Service' recipents but they were exchange recipients for the Albert Medal, one of these a peace-time award.

Pte Horace William (Slim) Madden, the only Australian awarded the George Cross for the Korean War.

Together with original form that accompanied Korea service medals.