imported>Leosls: +Category:Military units and formations established in 1942; +Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1942 using HotCat

2017-10-27T01:31:26Z

+Category:Military units and formations established in 1942; +Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1942 using HotCat

New page

{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=Honner Force
|image=
|caption=
|dates=1942
|country= Australia
|allegiance=
|branch=[[Australian Army]]
|type=Ad hoc composite force
|role=
|size=approx 500 men
|command_structure=[[7th Division (Australia)|7th Division]]
|garrison=
|garrison_label=
|nickname=
|motto=
|colors=
|colors_label=
|march=
|mascot=
|equipment=
|equipment_label=
|battles=[[World War II]]
* [[New Guinea campaign]]
|anniversaries=
|decorations=
|battle_honours=No battle honours awarded
|disbanded=September 1942

|commander1=
|commander1_label=
|commander2=
|commander2_label=
|commander3=
|commander3_label=
|notable_commanders= [[Ralph Honner]]

|identification_symbol=
|identification_symbol_label=
}}
'''Honner Force''' was the name given to an ad hoc composite [[Australian Army]] force of approximately 500 men under the command of Lieutenant Colonel [[Ralph Honner]],<ref>Honner also served as the commanding officer of the [[39th Battalion (Australia)|39th Battalion]].</ref> which served in the [[New Guinea campaign]] in 1942 in [[World War II]].

It was formed on 11 September 1942, under 7th Australian Division Operational Instruction Number 10 and drew manpower from the [[36th Battalion (Australia)|36th]], [[55th Battalion (Australia)|55th Battalion]] and [[49th Battalion (Australia)|49th Battalions]], which each provided approximately a [[Company (military unit)|company]], plus a detachment from [[2/6th Independent Company (Australia)|2/6th Independent Company]].<ref>Trigellis-Smith 1992, p. 68.</ref> The force was sent out by the [[New Guinea Force]] via Laloki–Goldie River to cut the enemy line of communications between Menari and Nauro. Consisting mainly of eighteen- and nineteen-year-old [[Citizens Military Force|militiamen]] who were barely trained and ill-equipped, Honner Force found it difficult to traverse the muddy tracks and dense jungle, however, by 19 September they had reached the vicinity of Omaramara.<ref>Trigellis-Smith 1992, p. 71.</ref> The majority of the men were exhausted from the march, and the aerial re-supply that had been planned for them did not eventuate. As such they were unable to move beyond the limits of which ground supply could reach them. As the strategic situation around Kokoda had stabilised by then, it was decided that the force was in no condition to conduct offensive operations and they were subsequently disbanded shortly after with the men returning to their parent units without having seen action.<ref>AWM 52: 8/3/88, entry for 11 Sept 1942; Trigellis-Smith 1992, p. 72.</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
* AWM52: 8/3/75/2 - 36th Australian Infantry Battalion War Diary, May–September 1942
* AWM52: 8/3/88/6 - 49th Australian Infantry Battalion War Diary, April–September 1942
* AWM52: 8/3/91/7 - 55th Australian Infantry Battalion War Diary, September–December 1942
* Trigellis-Smith, Syd. (1992). ''The Purple Devils: A History of the 2/6th Australian Commando Squadron''. Published by the 2/6th Commando Squadron Association: Melbourne. {{ISBN|0-646-07125-4}}

[[Category:Military units and formations of Australia in World War II]]
[[Category:Ad hoc units and formations of Australia]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1942]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1942]]

Honner Force - Revision history

imported>Leosls: +Category:Military units and formations established in 1942; +Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1942 using HotCat