Ralph Honner

Ralph Honner
Captain Ralph Honner in Libya, 1941.
Nickname(s)"Jump"
Born(1904-08-17)17 August 1904
Fremantle, Western Australia
Died14 May 1994(1994-05-14) (aged 89)[Note 1]
Sydney, New South Wales
AllegianceAustralia
Service / branchAustralian Army
Years of service1924–1927
1936–1945
RankLieutenant Colonel
Commands2/14th Battalion (1943)
39th Battalion (1942–43)
Battles / wars
AwardsDistinguished Service Order
Military Cross
Other workAmbassador to Ireland (1968–72)

Lieutenant Colonel Hyacinth Ralph Honner DSO, MC (17 August 1904 – 14 May 1994), 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 President of the Liberal Party of Australia (New South Wales Division) from 1961 to 1963, and served as the Australian ambassador to Ireland between 1969 and 1972. He died in 1994, aged 89.

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