Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War II (1939-1945)

Date of Enlistment

14/07/1942

Date of Discharge

11/01/1946

Place of Enlistment

Port Moresby, Papua

Gender

Male

Other Name(s)

Known as 'Harry'

Date of Birth

12/01/1912

Place of Birth

Melbourne, Victoria

Address (at enlistment)

Tennyson Crescent, Forrest ACT

School(s) Attended

Canberra Grammar School, Trinity College (Melbourne)

Occupation

Radio copywriter

Next of Kin

Edna Haydon (wife), Tennyson Crescent, Forrest ACT

Service Number

NX128786 (N43505)

Final Rank

Lieutenant

Final Unit

2/4 Australian Infantry Battalion

Haydon was the son of Jeffrey Haydon, Professor of Languages at the Royal Military College, Duntroon. He was the first student on the roll at Canberra Grammar School in 1929 and won a scholarship to Trinity College in Melbourne later that year to study medicine. He returned to Canberra with his wife and son in 1938. He was president of the Canberra Grammar Old Boys' Union and played rugby locally for Easts and represented Canberra in the 1930s and played fullback for Melbourne University, alongside Edward 'Weary' Dunlop, as well as for Victoria.

Haydon enlisted with the 3rd Battalion (militia) on 3 September 1939 and belonged to HQ Company, though he did not commence full time duty until 1 October 1941. Haydon arrived in Port Moresby in May 1942 with his unit but at the end of June 1942 he was admitted to hospital with dysentery.  On 17 September 1942 he entered the Kokoda Track along with reinforcements for 3 Battalion. His Battalion was positioned at Imita Ridge when he reached them. Thereafter they fought the Japanese on the Track at Templetons Crossing and Oivi and during November 1942 at Gona on the north coast of Papua. By then he had enlisted in the AIF though still with 3 Battalion.

Haydon returned to Australia in January 1943 and after the 3rd Battalion was disbanded he joined 2/3 Battalion of the AIF in July 1943. In September 1944 he was seconded as an instructor to the Infantry Wing, 2nd Australian Army Junior Leaders' School until July 1945. In September 1945 he arrived in Wewak, New Guinea and joined the 2/6 Battalion. After the war he and his family lived in Brighton, Victoria and he died there on 6 December 1968.

Description - height 5 feet 9.75 inches, blue eyes, fair complexion, light brown hair, scars on his right hip, right calf and the palm of his right hand.

WWII Nominal Roll http://www.ww2roll.gov.au
ACT Electoral Rolls 1916 to 1967 http://canberraheritageportal.org/default.php
AWM 3rd Battalion War Diary (September 1942)<https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/records/awm52/8/3/39/awm52-8-3-39-2.pdf>
NAA RecordSearch - Series B883 (Second Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947)
http://www.melbourneunirugby.com/who-we-are/100-years/
The Canberran : Magazine of Canberra Grammar School (1929, 1932, 1933)
Adrian Keenan, 'Catching the Vision', 1997
The Canberra Times - 7 December 1929, 18 June 1938, 2 June 1939, 3 June 1939, 20 April 1940
The Argus (Melbourne) - 23 January 1936, 25 July 1936, 22 January 1937, 3 February 1938, 16 May 1938, 18 June 1938
The Age (Melbourne) - 9 December 1968