Agnes Isobel Rose (1905-1995) married Hedley Albert Dadd (1902-1965)

On 29 March 1905, Agnes Isobel Rose was born in Glen Innes, NSW.

Marriage to Hedley Albert Allan Dadd (1902-1965)

On 19 May 1925, Agnes married Hedley Albert Allan Dadd in Paddington, NSW.

Children

Births of Agnes and Hedley’s 5 Children

Child No.	First Name(s)	Year	Registration Number	Father’s Stated Given Name(s)	Mother’s Stated Given Name(s)	District
1	Ronald Eric James Dadd	1925
2	Joyce Alwyn Dadd	1928
3	Gloria Elizabeth Majorie Dadd	1932
4	Allan George Dadd	1934
5	Cheryl Dadd	1946

Marriages of Agnes and Hedley’s 5 Children

Child No.	First Name(s)	Year	Registration Number	Father’s Stated Given Name(s)	Mother’s Stated Given Name(s)	District	Spouse’s Name
1	Ronald Eric James	1953	8122/1953			Burwood, NSW	Carmel Anne Cole
2	Joyce Alwyn	1954	8937/1954			Campsie, NSW	John Brien Baker
3	Gloria Elizabeth Majorie Dadd						Max Schnebli
3	Gloria Elizabeth Majorie Dadd						Hampson
4	Allan George Joseph Dadd	1957	17079/1957			Burwood, NSW	Valerie Grace Giles
5	Cheryl Rose Anne Dadd	1967	8575/1967			Sydney, NSW	Richard Martin Roskam

Deaths of Agnes and Hedley’s 5 Children

Child No.	First Name(s)	Year	Reg. Number	Father’s Stated Given Name(s)	Mother’s Stated Given Name(s)	District
1	Ronald Eric James Dadd	1953 (aged 28, died on his honeymoon)	23886/1953	Hedley Albert Allan	Agnes Isabel	Inverell, NSW
2	Joyce Alwyn Baker
3	Gloria Hampson
4	Allan George Dadd
5	Cheryl Roskam

On 22 January 1902, Hedley was born in Balmain South.
-Hedley was the son of George Henry Dadd (1860-1921) and Elizabeth Fanny Fearnside (1859-1925). George was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire England and served in the Royal Navy. He came to Australia and served in the NSW Fire Brigade for over 30 years. He became inspector of country fire brigades. Elizabeth was born in Parramatta, NSW.

Youth

Hedley was a bugler and boy scout.

Adulthood

Hedley worked as an iron worker, but at the time World War 2 commenced, he was unemployed.

1939 – Enlistment in the Australian Military 2/1st Australian Infantry Battalion

On 8 November 1939, Hedley enlisted in the Australian Military. Hedley was assigned to the 2/1st Australian Infantry Battalion.

1940 – Australian Military War Service

On 26 February 1940, Hedley embarked for overseas at Pyrmont onboard Troopship U5.

On 26 May 1940, Hedley disembarked in Kantara, Palestine.

In 25 October 1940, Hedley was stationed in Egypt.

“The brigade trained in Palestine until the end of August, when it moved to Egypt to carry out its final preparations for active service with the 6th Division.”

Postcards Hedley sent to the family from Egypt in December 1940.

1941 – The 2/1st Battalion – January 1941

“The 2/1st Battalion’s first campaign of the Second World War was the advance from Egypt into eastern Libya in January and February 1941. The battalion was involved in the attacks to capture Bardia (3-5 January) and Tobruk (21-22 January), and was left to garrison Tobruk as the advance continued. It left Tobruk on 7 March, ultimately bound for Greece with the rest of the 6th Division.”

“The 2/1st Battalion arrived in Greece on 22 March and was soon deployed north to resist the anticipated German invasion. The battalion occupied positions at Veria on 7 April but, in the face of superior German force, it began a long withdrawal south on 12 April and was evacuated by sea from Megara on 25 April. The battalion landed on Crete the next day and was subsequently deployed with the 2/11th Battalion to defend the critical airfield at Retimo.”

In May 1941, Hedley was involved in the battles for the island of Crete.

The German airborne invasion of Crete began on 20 May but a tenacious defence denied them Retimo airfield until 30 May. German victories elsewhere on Crete, however, allowed them to concentrate overwhelming force against Retimo and, short of rations and ammunition, the 2/1st surrendered and became prisoners of war.”

The Australian War Memorial describes these battles in more detail as follows:

“The battles for the island of Crete were fought from the second week of May 1941 when the island’s British, Commonwealth, and Greek garrison was attacked by German airbourne troops. The defender’s numerical superiority was eventually overwhelmed by the attacker’s massive advantage in logistic and air support. By the end May, organised resistance had broken down… four Australian battalions and a field regiment (artillery) held the area from Georgiopolis to Retimo (Rethymnon), supported by three battalion-strength Greek regiments and local police… The German parachute assault groups… began landing at the airfield at Maleme at dawn. By mid-afternoon both the airfield at Heraklion and the airstrip at Retimo were under attack. In the countryside and villages of the Heraklion and Retimo sectors, the Germans were driven from their objectives. The Allies denied the airfields to the enemy but were cut off from each other as they fought bitter battles on their flanks… by 26 May… at Retimo… the New South Welshmen of the 2/1st Battalions, still fighting to deny the airstrip to the Germans, were cut off… By 30 May Lieutenant Colonel Ian Campbell, commanding officer of the 2/1st Battalion and Retimo Force commander, decided further resistance at Retimo was pointless and ordered his men to surrender.”

On 30 May 1941, the Australian 2/1st Infantry Battalion surrendered and Hedley and the remaining troops were captured by the Germans.

From 1 June to July 1941, Hedley was interned on Crete.

On 12 June 1941, Hedley was listed as Missing In Action on Crete.

From July to 1 October 1941, Hedley was interned in Salonica, Greece. Hedley wrote “Salonica everything bad. No bedding, lighting or heating.” Behaviour of internment camp staff “At Salonica very bad and cruel”. “At Salonica suffered with malaria & dysentery but received very poor treatment & was forced out to work while still ill.”

On 1 October 1941, Hedley was transported to Germany.

On 9 October 1941, Hedley arrived in Stalag VIII-B (later renamed Stalag-344).

On 5 January 1942, Hedley was official reported as a Prisoner Of War.

Stalag VIII-B (Stalag-344)

“during the Second World War, one of the largest POW camp complexes in Europe – the Lamsdorf Stalags – operated near the village. Its construction began as a POW transit camp called Dulag B (Durchgangslager), organized before the outbreak of the war in August 1939. In October 1939, this facility was transformed into a permanent camp for private soldiers and non-commissioned officers – Stalag VIII B Lamsdorf (Mannschaftsstammlager).”

“in 1940, it was one of the most distant POW camps from the front and Great Britain. It also had a convenient location: away from larger cities, accessible by railway and near an industrial district that needed cheap labour.”

“Stalag VIII B was expanded into an extensive complex with sectors for soldiers of individual armies, additionally divided by service and rank. The Britenlager consisted of two clearly separate parts: the administrative and storage pre-camp and the main camp itself with sectors between which it was possible to move only during the day. The camp was built-up with brick or wooden barracks consisting of two rooms, each designed for about 130 men, with two- or three-story bunks, some tables and benches. One sector included four barracks and common latrines. Other elements of the camp infrastructure included the kitchen, the dining room, the barrack used as a chapel, school or theatre and pitches which served as roll-call squares and fields for holding numerous sports activities. The camp was surrounded by a barbed wire fence, typical of this type of place, with external posts and guard towers (Sawczuk and Senft Citation2006).”

“The living conditions were bad and became worse with every year. This was due to the increasing overcrowding of the camp, insufficient heating of the barracks in winter and their increasingly poor technical condition (including missing window panes). In addition, moisture, insects and plagues of aggressive rats were among the everyday problems faced by the POWs. Meals, their preparation, and especially efforts to ensure the most equitable distribution of food were an important aspect of the camp life.”

Hedley wrote “Stalag 344, bedding poor, lighting poor. Heating bad & in cases overcrowded. Rations quantity fair, quality very poor. No clothing issued outside British Red Cross supplies. Only wooden clogs. Bath 1 per week, 1 small cake of soap issued once per month. Water for washing very scarce. All recreational facilities only what were made by British Red Cross & YMCA.” Employment “For 3.5 years at sugar factory 12 hours per day. Sundays during off season free.” Renumeration “Offseason 10 pfennings per day, in season 1 mk 20 phennings”. Behaviour of internment camp staff “At Lamsdorf strict but on the whole, fair”.

Hedley wrote about requiring medical treatment: “Camp Hospital 26.3.42-22.4.42, 13.5.42-16.7.42.” Treated for “Malaria B.T. & Operational for removal of gall bladder. All treatment & operation by British medical staff”. “Treatment was good, as everything was being supplied by British Red Cross. Also had bout of malaria while on working party at Sandurvitz & although very sick received no treatment whatever excuse given was no quinine.”

Prisoner of War Documentation

On 22 January 1945, the Germans evacuated the Stalag VIII-B camp as the Soviet armies were approaching. The Prisoners Of War were sent on forced marches westward, with many dying en route.

“At the end of 1944, in view of the approaching eastern front, the German authorities prepared plans to evacuate the camp to the west and deep into the territory of the Third Reich. At the beginning of January 1945 they repatriated 700 sick British POWs, and on 22 January 1945, they started a general evacuation which continued in the following days. It covered almost 22,000 British POWs from the camp and working units. Leaving Lamsdorf in columns of about 1,000 people each, they set out on an exhausting march which lasted even several weeks, under strict guard, with small food rations and in severe frost. Hence, in the POWs’ accounts, the term ‘death march’ is often used.”

1945 – Hedley Survives WW2

On 25 May 1945, London reported that Hedley had been recovered as a Prisoner Of War.

On 4 July 1945, Hedley departed London.

On 8 August 1945, Hedley arrived in Sydney.

On 13 September 1945, Hedley was discharged from the military at his own request on compassionate grounds.

1945 – Australian Military Forces – Statement by Repatriated Prisoner of War

1945 – Discharge Paperwork

The Australian War Memorial Records

Casualty Section / 2nd Echelon / Army No. NX7831
Christian Names: Hedley Albert
Surname: Dadd
22.1.1902
22.1.1905
Balmain NSW 8103
Rank: Private 7939
Unit: 2/1 Inf Bn
30.5.1941 Crete
Particulars of Casualty
Missing 9.6.1941
POW int Staag VIII B 2.1.1942
At 8B now Stalag 344 15.1.44
Recovered POW Arrived UK 24.5.45

Next of Kin: Mrs Agnes I Dadd
Address of Next of Kin: 22 Hubert St, Leichhardt
Relationship: Wife
Address: 273 Canterbury Road, Canterbury
Religion: (Blank)

1948 – Military Awards

On 4 November 1948, Hedley was awarded the 1939/45 Star, the Africa Star, the Defence Medal, War Medal, and the Australian Service Medal.

1952 Prisoners of War Trust Fund Application

In 1952, Hedley submitted a Prisoners of War Trust Fund Application.

1965 – Death of Hedley Albert Dadd

On 16 February 1965, Hedley Albert Dadd died at Concord Repatriation General Hospital.

On 18 February 1965, Hedley was buried at the Methodist Cemetery, Rookwood, NSW.

Registration Number: 830/1965
Surname: Dadd
Christan name: Hedley Albert
Usual residence: 114 Glenmore Road, Paddington
Place of birth: Balmain, NSW
Father: George Albert Dadd, Fire Inspector
Mother: Elizabeth Furnside
Place of Marriage: Paddington, NSW
At what age: 23 years
To whom: Agnes Rose.
Conjugal status of deceased: Married
Issue in order of birth: Ronald deceased, Joyce 37 years, Gloria E 34, Alan G 29, Cheryl R 18.
Cause of death and duration of last illness: Pulmonary embolus minutes, Deep vein thrombosis approximately 6 months.

In March 1965, Sydney Legacy wrote the following letters.

1982 – Family Photographs

1995 – Death of Agnes

On 22 May 1995, Agnes died at the age of 90 at Frank Whiddon Nursing Home, Glenfield, NSW.