Norman Farquhar Bruce HUON

Norman Farquhar Bruce HUON Update Details

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HUON, Norman Farquhar Bruce

Service Number:	2592
Enlisted:	17 November 1915, Melbourne, Victoria
Last Rank:	Lance Corporal
Last Unit:	3 Battalion Imperial Camel Corps
Born:	Wodonga, Victoria, Australia , 1890
Home Town:	Wodonga, Wodonga, Victoria
Schooling:	Albury Grammar School, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation:	Bank clerk
Died:	Killed in Action, Magdhaba, Egypt, Palestine, 23 December 1916
Cemetery:	No known grave - "Known Unto God" Initially buried 1400 yards N.N.E. of the well at El Magdhaba. A cross placed in February 1917, but grave lost to war and time, Jerusalem Memorial, Jerusalem War Cemetery, Israel
Memorials:	Albury Botanical Gardens HUON Memorial Tree, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Jerusalem Memorial, Kew War Memorial, Wodonga War Memorial

World War 1 Service

17 Nov 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2592, Melbourne, Victoria
11 Jul 1916:	Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2592, 8th Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: RMS Mongolia embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: ''
11 Jul 1916:	Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2592, 8th Light Horse Regiment, RMS Mongolia, Melbourne
9 Sep 1916:	Transferred AIF WW1, Trooper, 3 Battalion Imperial Camel Corps, 14 Company ICC 11-09-16
1 Oct 1916:	Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 3 Battalion Imperial Camel Corps
23 Dec 1916:	Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2592, 3 Battalion Imperial Camel Corps, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2592 awm_unit: 3 Battalion Imperial Camel Corps awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1916-12-23

Help us honour Norman Farquhar Bruce Huon's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Karen Standen

"HOW SERGEANT HUON DIED.
Mrs Florence Huon, of Melbourne, is in receipt of the following letter, in connection with her son Norman Farquhar Bruce Huon, who was First-sergeant in the Light Horse, and transferred to Imperial Camel Corps. Sergeant Huon was killed in action at El Arish on the 23rd December last. He was a native of Wodonga and was the son of the late Mr William Huon, one of the pioneers of Victoria. His mother is a niece of Hamilton Hume, the explorer:-

Egypt, Dec. 25, 1916
Dear Mrs Huon, - Allow me, on behalf of the officers and men of this company, to convey to you our sympathy in the loss of your son. We have not only lost a good soldier and valuable member of this unit, but those of us who were intimately acquainted with your son feel that we have lost a personal friend, and one whose place is very hard to fill. He was a most capable and conscientious worker, particularly had I noticed his devotion to duty and the fine example he set his comrades. Personally, I feel his death very keenly, no words of eulogy would express my admiration for such a noble character as that of your son. It was at about 3.30 in the afternoon of the 23rd inst., while we were attacking a strong enemy position, that he was struck down, a bullet piercing his head, causing practically instantaneous death. He was then in the advanced firing line with his fellows, and fighting well. Shortly afterwards the enemy surrendered. We had gained a victory. More than one heart, though, lamented the death of two noble comrades who had fallen from the ranks of this little company in the achievement of our success. I trust that you will he comforted in the knowledge that your son did his duty nobly and died for a noble cause. - LIEUT. HALL. Adjutant." from the Wodonga and Towong Sentinel 02 March 1917. (nla.gov.au)

While references to Norman being a Sergeant are accurate, his time in this rank was brief due to circumstance, as each unit transfer resulted in him being reverted to Private or Trooper. Norman's competence as a soldier however, was always recognised and he quickly returned to the rank of Corporal.

The article, A story of coincidence: Norman Huon, Imperial Camel Corps, AIF written by Trevor Turner and published in the Military Historical Society of Australia journal, Sabretache, v.40, no.2, June 1999, p.26-29 (ISSN: 0048-8933), is an informative read and provides further sources. National Library of Australia (NLA) bookmark: http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/173234417 .

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