Harden was a 32-year-old, lance-corporal in the
Royal Army Medical Corps attached as an orderly to
No. 45 (Royal Marine) Commando. He was married and father of a son and daughter. On morning of 23 January 1945 during
Operation Blackcock, at Brachterbeek in the
Netherlands, the leading section of the Commando troop to which Lance-Corporal Harden was attached came under heavy machine-gun fire in an open field. The section made for cover of nearby houses but three men and their officer, lieutenant Corey, were seriously wounded and left in the open. Harden went out to them and treated their wounds while under intense mortar and machine-gun fire. He was wounded in his side as he carried one man back to the aid post, which had been set up in one of the houses along the Stationsweg in Brachterbeek. Attempts to recover the other men with cover provided by tanks were beaten off by enemy anti-tank guns. The use of a smoke screen for cover was also ineffective. Harden was then permitted to returned with a volunteer stretcher party for the other wounded. While bringing in the second casualty the rescue party came under enemy fire which killed the wounded Commando. Harden and stretcher party returned and while bringing back the last man ( Lieutenant Corey had demanded he be recovered last) Harden was shot through the head and killed instantly. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his fearless action. ==Memorials ==