HONEYBONE, Charles

Charles Honeybone enlisted on 16 July,1915, and was accepted into the army on 3 August, 1915. There were probably two reasons for this slight delay:  he was under age,18 and 10 months old, and his father, William Honeybone, had to write a letter to the army authorities giving permission for him to join the armed forces and Charles Honeybone was, at the stage, in the fourth year of an apprenticeship with the Bedggood Shoe Factory in Jolimont, and living with his father at 60 Jolimont St, Jolimont. He also had to get permission from Bedgoods to go to war. He was probably in training already. A letter in his file from C. G. Salta at the East Melbourne Drill Hall in Powlett St., noted that 'Cadet C. W. Honeybone has returned all equipment on issue to him from the area.'

Charles Honeybone was the son of William Honeybone, probably the William Honeybone of Bendigo, who had served 32 years as Town Clerk of Bendigo. His mother was probably Louisa Honeybone, whose death notice on page 1 of the Argus newspaper on 15 May, 1908, read 'Death in Bendigo of Louisa, mother of George and Charles'. A further notice in ther Argus of 9 September, 1938, read 'William Honeybone, 30 years town clerk of Bendigo, Sleights Chapel, St Kilda Rd for Springvale Cemetery' noted two sons, George and Charles as pallbearers. In 1915, however, William Honeybone was living at 60 Jolimont St., Jolimont, with Charles, just a very short walk to the Bedgood factory. 

Private Honeybone enlisted on 16 July, 1916, was placed in the 8th Battalion, 10 Reinforcements. After training, probably at Royal Park, Parkville, he embarked from Melbourne on 15 September 1915 on board HMAT Osterley. On 8 January, 1916, he was taken on strength at Tel-el-Kebir, 110 km north-east of Cairo, the training centre for the First Australian Imperial Force Reinforcements. It also housed the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital and was also the site of a large prisoner of war camp. On 23 March, with the other recruits, he proceeded to join the British Expeditionary Force at Alexandria, disembarking there on 31 March. From Alexandria, the 8th Battalion embarked for France to take up a position on the Somme battlefields. 

Their first major action in France was at Pozieres (23rd July-3rd September 1916). Pozieres Ridge is the field of war which war historian Charles Bean wrote 'is more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth'. On 19 August,  Charles Honeybone was made Corporal, promoted in the field after Cpl. Walmsley was wounded. On 8 September, he was promoted to Temporary Sergeant - the note on his file simply says 'Brown killed'.

Charles Honeybone was wounded in action on 11 October 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres, probably at Passchendaele. He received gunshot wounds in his neck and left leg and was transferred to England, to the 1st Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield House, then to the Northampton War Hospital. During this time, he reverted to Corporal. He never returned to the war, but was returned to Australia on 15 February, 1918.

His post-war experience is difficult to find. It seems likely that he was the Charles Honeybone who lived at 8 Cremorne St., Richmond, and worked as a porter. This Charles Honeybone was married to Matilda. In 1949, they also lived in Bendigo, at 68 Garsted St. However, there is another Charles Honeybone who married Gladys Dulcie Oleary (O'Leary?), who had a child, Matilda. It is possible that they were one and the same - the wife, Matilda, may have died and, in his second marriage, the daughter was called Matilda.