Ralph Honner, born at Fremantle, Western Australia, on 17 August 1904, became one of Australia's best-known officers of the Second World War. Honner, who preferred to be known as "Ralph", became a teacher but after two years in the profession began to study law.
Honner married Marjory Bennett in June 1934. He joined the militia in 1936 and enlisted in the AIF in October 1939. He was given command of C Company, 2/11th Battalion and sailed for the Middle East in April 1940. After a period in Palestine, Honner's company fought at Bardia, Tobruk, and Derna before being sent to Greece.
In Greece, Honner commanded his men through a series of fighting withdrawals before superior German forces. They were evacuated to Crete where the fighting at Retimo took a heavy toll on the battalion. Honner escaped to Alexandria, was promoted to major, awarded the Military Cross for his work in Greece, and began to rebuild C Company around a nucleus of veterans.
He returned to Australia, was briefly reunited with his wife, and promoted to lieutenant colonel before being sent to Papua to command the 39th Battalion, then fighting the Japanese on the Kokoda Trail. Honner was ordered to hold the Japanese at Isurava. Taking up his new command on 16 August 1942, he was confronted by a group of soldiers already exhausted from difficult fighting in the most inhospitable of conditions, many suffering tropical diseases, and facing a large enemy force while waiting for reinforcement.
Honner's experience in the Mediterranean prepared him well for the Kokoda Trail and he conducted a skilled defence and fighting withdrawal back along the trail; his troops rested only when the tide had turned against the Japanese. His next battle, at Gona, on the Papuan coast, gave Honner another opportunity to demonstrate his skills as a combat commander. He turned his battalion from a demoralised force at Isurava to an effective unit that contributed to an important victory at Gona. For his role there Honner was awarded the Distinguished Service Order before seeing his battalion disbanded in July 1943.
Honner then took command of the 2/14th Battalion, leading them early in the campaign in the Ramu-Markham Valley before being seriously wounded in the hip. His combat career over, Honner was posted as General Staff Officer Grade 1 Directorate of Military Training at Land Headquarters in Melbourne. He left the Army towards the end of 1944 to chair the War Pensions Assessment Appeal Tribunal, a position he held until 1968. Having moved to Sydney in 1949, Honner served as President of the New South Wales United Nations Association between 1955-57. He also served as President of the New South Wales Branch of the Liberal Party from 1961-63.
Having retired in 1968, Honner became ambassador to Ireland. In his later years he travelled to Europe and returned to Crete. He died in Sydney on 15 May 1994.
WW2 Honours & Gallantry
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
Military Cross,
Citation: Courage & skill KALABAKA, LARISSA, DOMOKOS & THERMOPYLAE.
Citation Details:- 'This officer is the best Company Commander I have known in this or the last war. Throughout the campaign he has led his men on all occasions with courage, cheerfulness, calmness and skill. He commanded the rear-guard from KALABAKA through LARISSA to DOMOKOS and later distinguished himself at THERMOPYLAE.' Recommended for the award by T S Louch, commanding officer of the 2/11th. Inf Bn
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
D.S.O. Citation: Distinguished service & ability GONA Dec 1942.
Citation Details;
Lt. – Col HONNER commanded 39 Aust Inf Bn which was under command 21 Aust Inf Bde in the GONA area from 2 Dec 42 till 21 Dec 42.
From 6 Dec to 9 Dec (Both inclusive) 39 Bn participated in the attacks on the Eastern enemy posn at GONA mission. These attacks culminated in the capture of GONA Mission area on 9 Dec 42.
On 10 Dec. Lt-Col HONNER was ordered to move through the jungle with his Battalion, and destroy a detachment of enemy about two miles West of GONA Mission. He made contact with the enemy in marshy country surrounding a village on the 11 Dec 42. From that day until the 18 Dec, 39 Bn slowly but surely destroyed the enemy detachment, the destruction of which was its object. Killing approximately 150 enemies and wounding a considerable number.
During all these operations Lt. Col HONNER exercised close personal control making frequent visits to forward companies in order to co-ordinate attacks.
At no time did he spare himself. He frequently exposed himself to great personal danger in order to get the best from his troops, and was at all times an inspiration to Officers and men.
It is recommended that he be awarded the DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER as a periodic award in the dispatch on the New Guinea Campaign.
Honner married Marjory Bennett in June 1934. He joined the militia in 1936 and enlisted in the AIF in October 1939. He was given command of C Company, 2/11th Battalion and sailed for the Middle East in April 1940. After a period in Palestine, Honner's company fought at Bardia, Tobruk, and Derna before being sent to Greece.
In Greece, Honner commanded his men through a series of fighting withdrawals before superior German forces. They were evacuated to Crete where the fighting at Retimo took a heavy toll on the battalion. Honner escaped to Alexandria, was promoted to major, awarded the Military Cross for his work in Greece, and began to rebuild C Company around a nucleus of veterans.
He returned to Australia, was briefly reunited with his wife, and promoted to lieutenant colonel before being sent to Papua to command the 39th Battalion, then fighting the Japanese on the Kokoda Trail. Honner was ordered to hold the Japanese at Isurava. Taking up his new command on 16 August 1942, he was confronted by a group of soldiers already exhausted from difficult fighting in the most inhospitable of conditions, many suffering tropical diseases, and facing a large enemy force while waiting for reinforcement.
Honner's experience in the Mediterranean prepared him well for the Kokoda Trail and he conducted a skilled defence and fighting withdrawal back along the trail; his troops rested only when the tide had turned against the Japanese. His next battle, at Gona, on the Papuan coast, gave Honner another opportunity to demonstrate his skills as a combat commander. He turned his battalion from a demoralised force at Isurava to an effective unit that contributed to an important victory at Gona. For his role there Honner was awarded the Distinguished Service Order before seeing his battalion disbanded in July 1943.
Honner then took command of the 2/14th Battalion, leading them early in the campaign in the Ramu-Markham Valley before being seriously wounded in the hip. His combat career over, Honner was posted as General Staff Officer Grade 1 Directorate of Military Training at Land Headquarters in Melbourne. He left the Army towards the end of 1944 to chair the War Pensions Assessment Appeal Tribunal, a position he held until 1968. Having moved to Sydney in 1949, Honner served as President of the New South Wales United Nations Association between 1955-57. He also served as President of the New South Wales Branch of the Liberal Party from 1961-63.
Having retired in 1968, Honner became ambassador to Ireland. In his later years he travelled to Europe and returned to Crete. He died in Sydney on 15 May 1994.
WW2 Honours & Gallantry
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
Military Cross,
Citation: Courage & skill KALABAKA, LARISSA, DOMOKOS & THERMOPYLAE.
Citation Details:- 'This officer is the best Company Commander I have known in this or the last war. Throughout the campaign he has led his men on all occasions with courage, cheerfulness, calmness and skill. He commanded the rear-guard from KALABAKA through LARISSA to DOMOKOS and later distinguished himself at THERMOPYLAE.' Recommended for the award by T S Louch, commanding officer of the 2/11th. Inf Bn
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
D.S.O. Citation: Distinguished service & ability GONA Dec 1942.
Citation Details;
Lt. – Col HONNER commanded 39 Aust Inf Bn which was under command 21 Aust Inf Bde in the GONA area from 2 Dec 42 till 21 Dec 42.
From 6 Dec to 9 Dec (Both inclusive) 39 Bn participated in the attacks on the Eastern enemy posn at GONA mission. These attacks culminated in the capture of GONA Mission area on 9 Dec 42.
On 10 Dec. Lt-Col HONNER was ordered to move through the jungle with his Battalion, and destroy a detachment of enemy about two miles West of GONA Mission. He made contact with the enemy in marshy country surrounding a village on the 11 Dec 42. From that day until the 18 Dec, 39 Bn slowly but surely destroyed the enemy detachment, the destruction of which was its object. Killing approximately 150 enemies and wounding a considerable number.
During all these operations Lt. Col HONNER exercised close personal control making frequent visits to forward companies in order to co-ordinate attacks.
At no time did he spare himself. He frequently exposed himself to great personal danger in order to get the best from his troops, and was at all times an inspiration to Officers and men.
It is recommended that he be awarded the DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER as a periodic award in the dispatch on the New Guinea Campaign.
Ralph Honner, born at Fremantle, Western Australia, on 17 August 1904, became one of Australia's best-known officers of the Second World War. Honner, who preferred to be known as "Ralph", became a teacher but after two years in the profession began to study law.
Honner married Marjory Bennett in June 1934. He joined the militia in 1936 and enlisted in the AIF in October 1939. He was given command of C Company, 2/11th Battalion and sailed for the Middle East in April 1940. After a period in Palestine, Honner's company fought at Bardia, Tobruk, and Derna before being sent to Greece.
In Greece, Honner commanded his men through a series of fighting withdrawals before superior German forces. They were evacuated to Crete where the fighting at Retimo took a heavy toll on the battalion. Honner escaped to Alexandria, was promoted to major, awarded the Military Cross for his work in Greece, and began to rebuild C Company around a nucleus of veterans.
He returned to Australia, was briefly reunited with his wife, and promoted to lieutenant colonel before being sent to Papua to command the 39th Battalion, then fighting the Japanese on the Kokoda Trail. Honner was ordered to hold the Japanese at Isurava. Taking up his new command on 16 August 1942, he was confronted by a group of soldiers already exhausted from difficult fighting in the most inhospitable of conditions, many suffering tropical diseases, and facing a large enemy force while waiting for reinforcement.
Honner's experience in the Mediterranean prepared him well for the Kokoda Trail and he conducted a skilled defence and fighting withdrawal back along the trail; his troops rested only when the tide had turned against the Japanese. His next battle, at Gona, on the Papuan coast, gave Honner another opportunity to demonstrate his skills as a combat commander. He turned his battalion from a demoralised force at Isurava to an effective unit that contributed to an important victory at Gona. For his role there Honner was awarded the Distinguished Service Order before seeing his battalion disbanded in July 1943.
Honner then took command of the 2/14th Battalion, leading them early in the campaign in the Ramu-Markham Valley before being seriously wounded in the hip. His combat career over, Honner was posted as General Staff Officer Grade 1 Directorate of Military Training at Land Headquarters in Melbourne. He left the Army towards the end of 1944 to chair the War Pensions Assessment Appeal Tribunal, a position he held until 1968. Having moved to Sydney in 1949, Honner served as President of the New South Wales United Nations Association between 1955-57. He also served as President of the New South Wales Branch of the Liberal Party from 1961-63.
Having retired in 1968, Honner became ambassador to Ireland. In his later years he travelled to Europe and returned to Crete. He died in Sydney on 15 May 1994.
WW2 Honours & Gallantry
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
Military Cross,
Citation: Courage & skill KALABAKA, LARISSA, DOMOKOS & THERMOPYLAE.
Citation Details:- 'This officer is the best Company Commander I have known in this or the last war. Throughout the campaign he has led his men on all occasions with courage, cheerfulness, calmness and skill. He commanded the rear-guard from KALABAKA through LARISSA to DOMOKOS and later distinguished himself at THERMOPYLAE.' Recommended for the award by T S Louch, commanding officer of the 2/11th. Inf Bn
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
D.S.O. Citation: Distinguished service & ability GONA Dec 1942.
Citation Details;
Lt. – Col HONNER commanded 39 Aust Inf Bn which was under command 21 Aust Inf Bde in the GONA area from 2 Dec 42 till 21 Dec 42.
From 6 Dec to 9 Dec (Both inclusive) 39 Bn participated in the attacks on the Eastern enemy posn at GONA mission. These attacks culminated in the capture of GONA Mission area on 9 Dec 42.
On 10 Dec. Lt-Col HONNER was ordered to move through the jungle with his Battalion, and destroy a detachment of enemy about two miles West of GONA Mission. He made contact with the enemy in marshy country surrounding a village on the 11 Dec 42. From that day until the 18 Dec, 39 Bn slowly but surely destroyed the enemy detachment, the destruction of which was its object. Killing approximately 150 enemies and wounding a considerable number.
During all these operations Lt. Col HONNER exercised close personal control making frequent visits to forward companies in order to co-ordinate attacks.
At no time did he spare himself. He frequently exposed himself to great personal danger in order to get the best from his troops, and was at all times an inspiration to Officers and men.
It is recommended that he be awarded the DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER as a periodic award in the dispatch on the New Guinea Campaign.
Honner married Marjory Bennett in June 1934. He joined the militia in 1936 and enlisted in the AIF in October 1939. He was given command of C Company, 2/11th Battalion and sailed for the Middle East in April 1940. After a period in Palestine, Honner's company fought at Bardia, Tobruk, and Derna before being sent to Greece.
In Greece, Honner commanded his men through a series of fighting withdrawals before superior German forces. They were evacuated to Crete where the fighting at Retimo took a heavy toll on the battalion. Honner escaped to Alexandria, was promoted to major, awarded the Military Cross for his work in Greece, and began to rebuild C Company around a nucleus of veterans.
He returned to Australia, was briefly reunited with his wife, and promoted to lieutenant colonel before being sent to Papua to command the 39th Battalion, then fighting the Japanese on the Kokoda Trail. Honner was ordered to hold the Japanese at Isurava. Taking up his new command on 16 August 1942, he was confronted by a group of soldiers already exhausted from difficult fighting in the most inhospitable of conditions, many suffering tropical diseases, and facing a large enemy force while waiting for reinforcement.
Honner's experience in the Mediterranean prepared him well for the Kokoda Trail and he conducted a skilled defence and fighting withdrawal back along the trail; his troops rested only when the tide had turned against the Japanese. His next battle, at Gona, on the Papuan coast, gave Honner another opportunity to demonstrate his skills as a combat commander. He turned his battalion from a demoralised force at Isurava to an effective unit that contributed to an important victory at Gona. For his role there Honner was awarded the Distinguished Service Order before seeing his battalion disbanded in July 1943.
Honner then took command of the 2/14th Battalion, leading them early in the campaign in the Ramu-Markham Valley before being seriously wounded in the hip. His combat career over, Honner was posted as General Staff Officer Grade 1 Directorate of Military Training at Land Headquarters in Melbourne. He left the Army towards the end of 1944 to chair the War Pensions Assessment Appeal Tribunal, a position he held until 1968. Having moved to Sydney in 1949, Honner served as President of the New South Wales United Nations Association between 1955-57. He also served as President of the New South Wales Branch of the Liberal Party from 1961-63.
Having retired in 1968, Honner became ambassador to Ireland. In his later years he travelled to Europe and returned to Crete. He died in Sydney on 15 May 1994.
WW2 Honours & Gallantry
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
Military Cross,
Citation: Courage & skill KALABAKA, LARISSA, DOMOKOS & THERMOPYLAE.
Citation Details:- 'This officer is the best Company Commander I have known in this or the last war. Throughout the campaign he has led his men on all occasions with courage, cheerfulness, calmness and skill. He commanded the rear-guard from KALABAKA through LARISSA to DOMOKOS and later distinguished himself at THERMOPYLAE.' Recommended for the award by T S Louch, commanding officer of the 2/11th. Inf Bn
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
D.S.O. Citation: Distinguished service & ability GONA Dec 1942.
Citation Details;
Lt. – Col HONNER commanded 39 Aust Inf Bn which was under command 21 Aust Inf Bde in the GONA area from 2 Dec 42 till 21 Dec 42.
From 6 Dec to 9 Dec (Both inclusive) 39 Bn participated in the attacks on the Eastern enemy posn at GONA mission. These attacks culminated in the capture of GONA Mission area on 9 Dec 42.
On 10 Dec. Lt-Col HONNER was ordered to move through the jungle with his Battalion, and destroy a detachment of enemy about two miles West of GONA Mission. He made contact with the enemy in marshy country surrounding a village on the 11 Dec 42. From that day until the 18 Dec, 39 Bn slowly but surely destroyed the enemy detachment, the destruction of which was its object. Killing approximately 150 enemies and wounding a considerable number.
During all these operations Lt. Col HONNER exercised close personal control making frequent visits to forward companies in order to co-ordinate attacks.
At no time did he spare himself. He frequently exposed himself to great personal danger in order to get the best from his troops, and was at all times an inspiration to Officers and men.
It is recommended that he be awarded the DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER as a periodic award in the dispatch on the New Guinea Campaign.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
