Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Mr and Mrs JA Kaden of Wilton near Cowell. Husband of Pat. Father of Tony, Paul and Anne. 

Dudley John Kaden was born at Cowell SA on the 28th of January 1917, a son of Lillian and Johan Anthony Kaden. Dudley grew up in the Cowell area and attended the Mitchellville Public School, completing the Qualifying Certificate while studying Maths, History, Geography and Grammar. He was involved in tennis, swimming and shooting sports.  Dudley (Dud) worked as a grazier on his parents’ farm at Shoal Point (near Cowell) where he developed skills as a mechanic while working on cars, trucks, tractors, lighting plant and stationary engines.

Dudley John Kaden enlisted on 25th of June 1940 at Adelaide with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aged 23 years and 4 months old. Dud had lived through drought and the Great Depression, he later told his son (Paul) that he signed up to see the world - not for 'King and Country'.

A reference from Mr McFarlane on Dudley's enlistment pages stated that.

‘The writer has known Dudley John Kaden all his life. He is a member of an old well respected pioneer family of the Franklin Harbour District. Character and habits are good, keen on mechanics, shows natural ability, very thorough, in everything he undertakes.’

Dudley embarked Australia on the 27th of June 1941 for Egypt. He disembarked Egypt on the 31st of July 1941 and served in the Middle East (including Tobruk) for nearly 2 and half years. During Dud’s time in the Middle East, he wrote to his parents and told of how he made a motor bike from spare parts found lying around. He stated he was anxious to get nearer home with ‘the trouble’ over that way. Dud made many friends and travelled widely, taking in sights and making the most of his free time.

At one time, while he was a RAF ground crew member, Dud became very ill with amoebic dysentery and was attended to by Weary Dunlop. According to Paul (Dud’s son), Dud held Sir Weary Dunlop in high regard.  He also had great praise for the Gurkhas who ‘sorted the Nazis out in the mountains’.

Dudley began as a Trainee Tech and then achieved the following promotions: Fitter 2 (E), Flight Engineer, Flight Sergeant, and Warrant Officer.

After serving in the Middle East, Dudley then served with the RAF and the RAAF in Italy and  the UK. During part of his service he flew in the Sunderland flying boats, performing anti-submarine operations in the North Sea.  It was while flying in one of the ‘Flying Porcupines’ that Flight Engineer Dudley experienced one of the propellors coming off and dismantling another propellor while returning from a 12 hour mission. The crew were most fortunate to make it home.

Dudley Kaden embarked from the UK on the 17th of September 1945 for Melbourne. He disembarked in Melbourne on the 17th of December 1945 and was discharged in February 1946.

After the war Dudley married Patricia May Male whom he met when Pat was an active member of the ‘Cheer Up Society’. They had three children Tony, Paul and Anne. Pat had stated that the first time she met Dud, they danced, and he told her that he was going to marry her.  Dud never became a pilot as he was colour blind. He was a successful grazier at Shoal Point and even after he and Pat retired into Cowell, Dud spent a lot of his time at the farm.  Dudley was a councillor at the District Council of Franklin Harbour.

Dudley John Kaden died on the 12th of February 2003 aged 83, he is buried at the Cowell Cemetery.

Reference List

EP Tribune Letter From Abroad Dudley J. Kaden
NAA - Service Record WW2
Family members – Kaden family