HORNHARDT, Richard Bernard
| Service Number: | SX6309 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 June 1940, Wayville, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/12th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Cowell, South Australia, 30 July 1913 |
| Home Town: | Bute, Barunga West, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Natural causes, Adelaide, South Australia, 20 March 1997, aged 83 years |
| Cemetery: |
Enfield Memorial Park, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Bute District Council WW2 Roll of Honor, Bute War Memorial Garden |
World War 2 Service
| 21 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Private, SX6309, Wayville, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, SX6309, 2nd/12th Infantry Battalion | |
| 5 Nov 1940: | Transferred Private, 2nd/10th Field Regiment, 4th Regiment 2nd/10th Bn. | |
| 10 Apr 1941: | Involvement Private, SX6309, 2nd/12th Infantry Battalion, Siege of Tobruk, Embarked Middle East on "Nieuw Amsterdam" 11/2/1942 Transhipped Bombay "Dilurra" Aust 29/3/1942 Transferred to 2/3 Machine Gun Bn.21/4/1942 | |
| 10 Sep 1942: | Promoted Lance Corporal, 2nd/3rd Machine Gun Battalion, Reduced back to Private 14/11/1942 | |
| 4 Dec 1944: | Involvement Private, SX6309, 2nd/3rd Machine Gun Battalion, Aitape - Wewak, New Guinea, Embarked WEWAK per "Bontikoe" Disembark Brisbane 28/9/1945 | |
| 7 Nov 1945: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, SX6309, 2nd/12th Infantry Battalion | |
| 7 Nov 1945: | Discharged Private, SX6309, 2nd/3rd Machine Gun Battalion | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement |
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Completed by Cowell Area School
In 1913 July 30 Richard Bernard Hornhardt was born at Cowell, the son of Henry Hornhardt. Richard grew up in the Cowell district. Before enlistment he moved to Bute where he became a labourer.
On the 21/6/1940 Richard enlisted in the army, in Bute. He was aged 26 years and 11 months. Richard Hornhardt embarked on the HMT Strathhaem for the Middle East on the 14/11/40. He joined the 2/12 Battalion in 8/1/1941. Private Richard ‘Dick’ Hornhardt was a Rat of Tobruk, serving with the 2/12th Australian Infantry Battalion. He served in the Middle East for 70 weeks. During the first week of April 1941, the brigade moved to Tobruk to reinforce the 9th Division, then falling back on the town. The 2/12th participated in the defence of Tobruk until it was withdrawn on the night of 26 and 27 August 1941. After Tobruk, the 2/12th initially trained in Palestine before joining the forces garrisoning Syria in late September. It returned to Palestine in early January 1942. Dick Horhardt was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal on 3/9/1942 and reduced back to the rank of Private on 14/11/1942 after being AWL from 0830H 23/10/1942 to 0830H 26/10/1942 ( 3 days) and losing 3 days’ pay.
In 29/3/1942 Private Richard Hornhardt returned to Australia from the Middle East, via India. He arrived in Australia on 29/3/1942 and transferred to the 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion.
While on leave, Private Hornhardt married Melvis Jean (Jean) Hoskin on 23/12/1943.
The 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion spent the rest of 1943 and almost all of 1944 on the Tableland, in Queensland. In December of 1944 the Battalion was called to fight in New Guinea. Private Dick Hornhardt departed Cairns on the USAT Evangeline on the 4/12/1944. While in New Guinea Private Hornhardt was involved in the Aitape-Wewak campaign which involved jungle warfare. He was evacuated sick to Military Hospital on 5/10/1945 because of gastro.
Private Hornhardt was discharged on 7/11/1945 and returned to Bute. Richard Bernard Hornhardt and his wife, Melvis Jean had two children, Kaye and Kingsley. Later in his life, Richard and Jean moved to Adelaide. Richard Hornhardt died on 19/3/1997 and is buried at the Enfield cemetery.
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