Ralph Honner

Who was Ralph Honner?

Lieutenant Colonel Hyacinth Ralph Honner DSO, MC, known as Ralph Honner, was a distinguished Australian soldier during the Second World War. He is considered particularly notable for his leadership during the Kokoda Track Campaign, during which he commanded the 39th Battalion, which fought a series of delaying actions as the Japanese advanced towards Port Moresby. In 1943 Honner was wounded during the fighting in the Ramu and Markham Valleys and, as a result, was discharged from the Army in early 1945. In his later life, he worked as an administrator on the War Pensions Assessment Appeal Tribunal. He was also active in the Liberal Party of New South Wales and served as the Australian ambassador to Ireland between 1968 and 1972. He died in 1994, aged 89.