HARDEN, LCpl. Henry Eric, VC

Rank: 
Lance Corporal
Unit / Base: 
45RM Commando
Regiment/Corps: 
Royal Army Medical Corps
Service: 
Army
Number: 
11006144
Honours & Awards: 
Born: 
Friday, February 23, 1912
Birthplace: 
Northfleet Kent
Died : 
Tuesday, January 23, 1945
Killed in action or died of wounds
Age: 
32
Cemetery/Memorial: 
Lance Corporal Henry Eric Harden VC
Original grave of LCpl Harden VC
Lance Corporal Henry Eric Harden died during operations in the Brachterbeek area of Holland. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Son of William Thomas Harden and Fanny Marie Harden, of Northfleet, Kent; husband of Maud Harden, of Northfleet.
Citation
London Gazette of 9th March, 1945.
In North-West Europe on 23rd January, 1945 the leading section of a Royal Marine Commando Troop having come under intense machine-gun fire was ordered to make for some houses close by. Four of the section had been wounded and were left lying in the open. Under continuous fire Lance Corporal Harden at once went forward and with great coolness and bravery attended to the four casualties. He then carried one of them back to cover. He was ordered not to go forward again and an attempt was made to bring in the remaining casualties with the aid of tanks, but this proved unsuccessful owing to the heavy and accurate fire of anti-tank guns. A second attempt under a smoke-screen also proving unsuccessful, Lance Corporal Harden insisted in going forward with a volunteer stretcher party and succeeded in bringing back another badly wounded man. He went out a third time, and whilst returning with the stretcher party, he was killed. Throughout this long period Lance-Corporal Harden displayed superb devotion to duty and personal courage of the highest order. His action was directly responsible for saving the lives of the wounded brought in, while his complete contempt for all personal danger, and the magnificent example he set of cool courage and determination to continue with his work, whatever the odds, was an inspiration to his comrades and will never be forgotten by those who saw it.
  • Amongst the wounded he went forward for were Lieutenant Cory, Marine Wales and Marine Wheeler, all from 'A' Troop.
  • View images of his grave and others here [Nederweert War Cemetery].
Sources
CWGC.
London Gazette 36972.
The Story of 45RM Commando (published 1946 for those who served).
 
Primary Roll of Honour: 
Photo of grave in Gallery: 
Yes

HARDEN, Henry Eric, VC, (45RM Cdo), London Gazette

Type: Files
Author: John Mewett
Year of Publishing: 2015
Keywords: Eric Harden VC RAMC Attached 45 RM Commando

The citation published in the London Gazette 6th March 1945 for the award of the Victoria Cross to Lance -Corporal Henry Eric Harden RAMC attached to 45RM Commando for action in NW Europe.

Lance Cpl. Henry Eric Harden V.C., R.A.M.C. The Only Medical Corps VC of WW2

Lance Corporal Henry Eric Harden V.C., R.A.M.C. attached 45 RM Commando

The Only Medical Corps VC of WW2

By Robert J Mewett

New students, like me, of the Victoria Cross could be forgiven for thinking that by the very nature of the tasks set to the skills of the R.A.M.C. and their presence in nearly all front line fighting that their numbers would be bristling with WW2 VC recipients. And in my opinion this would be right and justified. But this is not the case. Only one was awarded during the Second World War.  Henry Eric Harden was attached to No.45 RM Commando as their medical orderly during their fiercely fought action at Maasbracht in Holland.
 

Henry Harden was born on 23 February 1912 in Northfleet, Kent. In a family of eight he was the seventh son. A keen sportsman he excelled at swimming, tennis and football at school in Northfleet where he received all of his education. Also a keen musician he played the Violin.

At the age of ten he helped out in his brother in-laws' butchers shop.  He eventually became a butcher taking over the business when tragically his brother in-law died. Very early on Henry showed a keen interest in things medical and joined the St Johns Ambulance Brigade where he became a Sergeant.

As the war effort gathered pace in 1942 the 30 year old Henry Harden was conscripted into the Royal Artillery but as his medical aptitude became realized he was soon transferred to the R.A.M.C., where he served in a field ambulance unit.

Henry soon became restless with inactivity of service at home and in November 1943 he volunteered for the Commandos and was posted to the Achnacarry Commando Training Depot situated in the Highlands of Scotland. A comrade of the same intake Mne. Keith Thompson, later also of 45 RM Commando, remembers sharing billets with Harden who he says was a quiet quick witted individual with a keen sense of humour. Commando training successfully completed Harden was posted as a Medical Orderly to Able troop 45 RM Commando in January 1944.    

He and the rest of the Commando commenced training for which was to become the D-Day landings.

After their involvement in the D-Day activities 45RM Commando, who along with No.3, No.4 and No.6 Army Commando formed No.1 Special Service Brigade, returned to the UK for replacements and refitting and on 6th December 1944 and was renamed the 1st Commando Brigade.   

1st Commando Brigade was expecting to go to the Far East but on 7th January orders were given for them to return to NW Europe. The first action on arrival in NW Europe which involved the Brigade was ‘Operation Blackcock’. The objective was to clear the enemy from the Roermond Triangle.   Attached to the 7th Armoured Brigade they were given the job of crossing the Juliana Canal and driving on through Maasbracht and Brachterbeek in order to capture the town of Linne.

On the freezing night of the 23rd of January 1945 the German forces were already in full retreat out of Maasbracht and on the same night No.6 Army Commando had successfully traversed the frozen canal and occupied the town. 45 RM Commando had pushed forward to occupy the smaller village of St. Joostburg setting up HQ in a house situated behind the local church which offered protection from incoming fire.

Able Troop of 45 Commando was ordered forward along the station road to occupy the railway station at Maasbracht. All went according to plan until the troop reached the crossroads. Here they were trapped in an ambush by the enemy forces that had set their lines at Montfortebeek. Able Troop came under intense MG and Mortar fire and were split and cut off from the main force. Some men had to lie in the freezing snow covered fields while others took cover in houses and outbuildings. Able Troops' situation was made worse by a well placed German sniper who added to what seemed to be a helpless position.

Sheltering in one of the nearby houses was the R.A.M.C. contingent and among them Doctor John Tulloch. Tulloch observing the situation, with dead and heavily wounded lying in the open fields, decided to attempt to help his comrades. He arranged for jeeps which would be protected by a Red Cross ensign to drive out and to bring back as many wounded as they could manage. The Jeeps set off on their mission and were on their way back when they came under heavy enemy fire, an action which violated the Geneva Convention, one jeep was completely destroyed and all the occupants killed. John Tulloch was awarded the MC for his valiant part in this action.

The position then was this. A part of Able troop was pinned down and had taken severe casualties. The troop’s position was exposed and was being exploited by a well placed sniper. A party under the protection of a medical ensign had attempted to extract wounded and been seriously attacked. The foregoing makes the feat of Henry Harden strikingly selfless and even more remarkable. Harden had been observing the unfolding events and still insisted that he go out and try to help and recover more of the wounded armed only with a side arm for self protection.

On all fours he scurried alone a distance of 120 metres across flat open ground while the area was being swept by heavy and concentrated fire. He calmly bound up the wounds of one officer and two marines and successfully dragged one marine to safety single handed. Whilst dragging his wounded comrade eye witnesses could see the snow flying all around from bullets one of which wounded Harden in his side.

After Hardens' initial success two other attempts to rescue the wounded were made, one by tanks and the other with the aid of a smoke screen, but both failed. Harden was ordered not to expose himself any more but despite this he arranged a stretcher party, and while carrying a white flag with a red cross went out yet again to attend his comrades. Even though the second marine was hit again while being transported and died, Harden, with stretcher bearers, went out a third time. It was while assisting an officer back to safety on this third attempt the fearless Harden was mortally wounded.

The intensity of the enemy covering fire prevented anybody recovering Harden until the next day, but Hardens' valour had inspired all around and they were able to hold and secure their positions. Enemy counter attacks were beaten off and the objective of capturing the town of Linne was eventually achieved by No.3 Army Commando. With help from tanks of the Royal Hussars they stormed the town and overcame fanatical enemy resistance.

When Henry Harden performed this courageous act he was 32 yrs old and was married with two small children.  

Although Henry Harden was the only recipient of the Victoria Cross in the R.A.M.C. from the WW2 conflicts they are the third highest recipients, behind the Royal Artillery and the Royal Engineers, of the award. The R.A.M.C. are however the Regiment with the highest number of awards per capita in the British forces.

Henry Eric Harden VC is buried in the Nederweert War Cemetery Holland.

Henry Harden’s Victoria Cross is held and displayed at the Army Medical Services Museum, Aldershot.

The memorial plaque at the bridge in Montfortbeek. A slight inaccuracy on the plaque states Harden was killed on his fourth attempt.  His Gazette citation however states clearly that it was in fact on his third attempt that Harden fell.

My Thanks to:

Stan (Scotty) Scott…….No.3 Commando
Mne. Keith Thompson…., 45 RM Commando
Major Erehard Vandaele ……….Medical Corps Reserve….Belgium Armed Forces (Translation of Original documents)