(Commander of the Order of the British Empire C.B.E.); Military Cross with bar 1944 reverse; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star clasp 8th Army; Italy Star; Defence Medal; War Medal 1939-45; Territorial Efficiency Decoration reverse dated 1951- all attributed to Major Reginald Edward Hawke Hadingham.
Hadingham was born in Scheveningen, the Netherland on 6 December 1915. His father had been interred there as a POW and, being an officer, was allowed to be joined by his wife. In February 1939 Hadingham enlisted as a Gunner in the 57th (East Surrey) Anti-Tank Regiment, R.A. at Wimbledon and was assigned to E Troop, 226 Battery R.E.H. as the layer in a 2-pounder anti-tank gun. He was Gazetted a 2nd Lieutenant in June 1939 and was transferred to 256 Battery at Streatham. His first encounter with the Germans, after war was declared, came with the bombing of Detling Airfield in which his Battery suffered 6 fatalities. He was to get his own back, nine months later, when still on English soil, he took into captivity the 5-man crew of a Heinkel bomber which made a forced landing 70 yards from the Battery HQ at Kennington, near Ashford.
In March 1942 he was appointed Adjutant and in August embarked for service overseas. On arrival of the convoy in Cape Town he was promoted Major and given command of 302 Battery, a position he was to hold for the next 3 years. Deployed to North Africa, his Division was involved in a long approach march by road from Kirkuk in Iraq to Enfidaville in Tunisia to join the 8th Army. On arrival on 26 April the Regiment was warned to be ready for action. As commander of 302 Battery Hadingham followed the leading infantry company ready to call up at least a troop of 6-pounders to form a defensive screen against a counter-attack.
Next followed the invasion of Italy and the landing at Salerno on 9 September where Hadingham was tasked with forming a screen on the right of the bridgehead. This involved the layout of 54 Anti-Tank guns. Once ashore he was frequently in the forward area moving up and siting the Battery's 6-pounders. He was awarded the Military Cross for restoring a position after an enemy counter-attack. He was to be awarded a bar to his Military Cross in a firefight with a German Mark IV tank and a dozen German soldiers in the village of San Lorenzo, having gone forward with his Battery Sergeant Major to check on a Troop of 6-pounders in position there.
After the war he was Chairman of Slazengers but is probably best remembered for his role as Chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis Club - a role which he fulfilled with aplomb for many years. He rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous of the sporting world whilst holding sway at Wimbledon and saw his OBE upgraded to a CBE in 1988.
This well-known, brave and highly decorated man passed away in London on 27 December 2004
Sold with an astonishing array of original documentation - including his OBE and CBE Warrants, a copy of the book A Black Cat Abroad produced by his daughter from his diaries and a photograph album of Hadingham and several important sporting dignitaries.
