The Ronian reported his departure: “P.S. Hadley, who has fulfilled satisfactorily the duties of Head Prefect, has left us and goes to Charterhouse in September, having already passed the Entrance Examination. He will be a very great loss to our Athletics in every way, and he ought eventually to be a credit to his future school; his influence here has been sound and good, and we wish him all luck in his future career.”

He went on to Charterhouse in 1909, where he was a good scholar and an outstanding sportsman.

The Ronian informs us that Peyton “made an excellent start at Charterhouse, and has evidently created a very good all-round impression” he “did capitally; though barely 15, he had to compete in the under “16½” events, and won all his heats in excellent time”. “he is also going fast up the school in work”.

The Ronian often wrote of his progress:
1911 - “that he is preparing to do the paternal honours to our future Carthusians; we rather fancy he is likely to have his hands full”.
1912 - “in spite of an attack of measles, was second in the Open Long Jump; otherwise he would no doubt have won that event and several others besides”.
1913 - he “won the quarter mile 53 4/5 secs,. A remarkable time……..Hadley is a House Prefect and will probably be in the Sixth next September, has another year at Charterhouse and will then go to Cambridge,”(Pembroke) “where no doubt he will also obtain a Blue”.
1914 - he was awarded “a Double Colour at cricket and football….he is also the best athlete in the School, and a first-rate fellow”.

Bodeites Cricket XI, Charterhouse 1912 (back row, second from left)

Bodeites Football, Charterhouse 1913-14 (front row, centre)

Bodeites Cricket XI, Charterhouse 1914 (back row, second from left)

Fire Brigade, Charterhouse 1913-14 (front row, second from left)

Bodeites Football 1st XI, Charterhouse 1913-14 (front row, fourth from left)

In 1914, he won a place at Pembroke College, Cambridge but shortly after the declaration of war he took a commission in the Northamptonshire Regiment, joining the 7th Batallion. This was a sportsman’s battalion raised by the Northampton Rugby international Edgar Mobbs, who was later himself Battalion Commander and died at Passchendaele.

During the autumn term of 1914, he revisited St. Ronan’s and again in the summer term of 1915 and again for a final visit in the autumn of 1918.

In October 1915, he wrote to Charterhouse, detailing his exploits on the front line:

In 1916 it was reported that “P. S. Hadley (Northants. Regiment) is Bombing Officer and Intelligence Officer. Not for nothing does he hold the S. Ronan’s Cricket Ball Record.”

Hadley was awarded his Military Cross for invaluable work as Bombing and Intelligence Officer.

In the Autumn of 1918 he was seriously wounded and was invalided home to the Central Military Hospital in Eastbourne. Here on 25th October 1918 he died of pandemic influenza.

His obituary in the school magazine read:
“Captain P.S. Hadley, M.C., died of pneumonia, on October 25th, 1918. He was the elder son of the Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, and was at S. Ronan’s from 1906 to 1910, when he went to Charterhouse. He was one of the very finest athletes we have turned out, and in addition to being the leading boy here, fulfilled all his early promise at Charterhouse, where he was Second School Monitor, Head of his House, in the VIth, two years in both cricket and football teams, Captain of the School Athletics, and head of the Choir. He was not only a particularly fine looking fellow, but had an equally fine character. His calm quiet manner covered a strong and vigorous intellect. His tastes were both musical and literary, and these in conjunction with his splendid athletic abilities made him an exceptional companion. He was a very faithful Old Boy at S. Ronan’s, and seldom lost an opportunity. Within a few weeks of his death he had been spending a day or two with us, and it seems hard that after four years of War, in which he was twice wounded, he should have succumbed to influenza pneumonia. One of his most attractive qualities was his independence. He was quiet imperturbable at all times, and though very sensitive and sympathetic, quietly went his own way when amongst people with whose views he did not agree. Many of us know that we have lost in him a very real and valued friend. Few who were present, or few who visited S. Ronan’s during the years 1908 -9, are likely to forget his brilliant feats in the games and sports generally, deeds which foreshadowed the day on which he broke the Quarter Mile record at Charterhouse ground a few years later.”
His grave is in the north-east part of St. Mary’s churchyard, Heacham North Norfolk. He lies under a private stone, bearing, inset in bronze, the sword of sacrifice and the military cross. His parents are buried next to him. His younger brother was the composer Patrick Hadley, who was also wounded in the closing weeks of the war, losing a leg, but survived. He died in 1974 and is buried with the family.