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411509 Flying Officer Clive Gaby IBBOTSON. Mother: Mrs. D.A. Ibbotson of Auckland.
Clive Ibbotson was born in Wellington on November 11th, 1922. He received his secondary education at Wellington College up to Matriculation standard. He also attended the Wellington Techincal College on evening courses in Accounting. At school he was interested in rugby, Cricket, boxing and swimming. He was 3 years in the School Cadets. At the time of making his application for enlistment in the Royal New Zealand Air Force on April 10th, 1940 he was employed as a clerk by the Union Bank of Australia Ltd.
Flying Officer Ibbotson was enlisted at the Initial Training Wing, Levin on March 2nd, 1941 as airman-pilot under training and was posted for his elementary training to Harewood on April 13th. In June he embarked for Canada under the Empire Air Training Scheme. On disembarkation he was posted to No. 10 Service Flying Training School, Dauphin, Manitoba in June 1941, proceeding on July 25th to Ground Training School, Trenton where he was remustered to air-observer. He obtained his Air-Observers Badge on August 12th, 1941. On September 28th he was posted to No. 6 Air Observers School, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Early in January, 1942 he proceeded to No. 5 Bombing and Gunnery School, Dafoe, Saskatchewan, being promoted to the rank of Sergeant on February 14th 1942 and commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer on March 19th, 1942. He was further promoted to Flying Officer on July 24th, 1942. Meantime on February 15th, 1942 Flying Officer Ibbotson had been posted to No. 1 Air Navigation School, Rivers, Manitoba. He returned to New Zealand in May, 1942 and early in June proceeded to Suva and Nandi as a member of No. 4 General Reconnaissance Squadron.
Flying Officer Ibbotson was a member of the crew of an aircraft engaged on a flight from Nausori to Tonga on July 25th, 1942 which failed to reach its destination. No further trace was ever discovered of the aircraft and crew who were subsequently presumed to have lost their lives at sea on the above date.
5/2/442 AS2 No Log Book.
Mrs. D.A. Ibbotson (M) (right aligned) Box 781, (right aligned) AUCKLAND. (right aligned & underlined)
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HW/NF (right aligned) 402189 : Flight Sergeant Jack Kendrick IBBOTSON. PARENTS : Mr. & Mrs. H. Ibbotson of New Plymouth.
Jack Ibbotson was born on May 15, 1920, at Stockport, England. He came to New Zealand at an early age with his parents, and received his secondary education at New Plymouth Boys' High School, where he gained his Senior Free Place. He furthered his education in evening classes at New Plymouth Technical College. The sports in which he was actively interested were rugby, cricket and swimming. During the period January, 1936-September, 1937, he was employed at New Plymouth in various capacities by the following firms:- The Firestone Tire Co; C.C. Ward Ltd., and Ibbotson Bros. Prior to his entry into the RNZAF he was employed as a shop assistant by Woolworths Ltd., New Plymouth. He was a pupil of the New Plymouth Aero Club and was successful in gaining his "A" Licence in May, 1940. Up to August 26, 1940, his total civil flying time was 19 hrs. 40 mins.
F/Sgt. Ibbotson made several applications for enrolment in Civil Reserve of Pilots, but without success. He was also unsuccessful in his application for a short-service commission in the RAF, owing to the outbreak of war and the subsequent cancellation of appointments under this scheme. He therefore applied for War Service training with the RNZAF, and was eventually enlisted at Levin on July 28, 1940, after attending educational classes at New Plymouth Boys' High School conducted under the auspices of the RNZAF Educational Services. On satisfactorily completing his initial training at Levin he was posted to No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School, New Plymouth, and thence - on October 26 - to No. 3 Flying Training School, Ohakea. On January 15, 1941, at the latter school, he was awarded his flying badge, and on the 8th of the following month promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He was promoted to Flight Sergeant on September 1st of the same year.
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J.K. IBBOTSON. 2. (centre aligned) F/Sgt. Ibbotson embarked for the United Kingdom, aboard the "Awatea" on February 27, 1941, arriving at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, on April 20, after a short period spent at Debert, Nova Scotia, en route. A few days later he was posted to No. 25 Operational Training Unit, Finningley, Yorkshire, where he carried out air exercises on Hampden and Anson aircraft. He also made two flights on Wellington aircraft. On August 14 he proceeded to No. 17 Operational Training Unit, Upwood, Huntingdonshire, where he continued his operational training on Blenheim aircraft. At the conclusion of the course at this unit early in November he was posted to No. 21 Squadron, Watton, Norfolk.
On December 26, 1941, F/Sgt. Ibbotson proceeded to Portreath, Cornwall, taking off from this aerodrome the following day with No. 21 Squadron, as pilot on Blenheim aircraft, for Malta, via Gibraltar. He made three successive attempts to complete the final stage of his flight - from Gibraltar to Malta - but twice had to turn back, once because of engine trouble and the activities of an enemy cruiser. On the third occasion - January 30, 1942 - he was successful in reaching his destination.
With No. 21 Squadron based at Malta, F/Sgt. Ibbotson carried out, as pilot on Blenheim aircraft, 2 operational flights to North Africa. These consisted of bombing and machine-gunning enemy transport on the Tripoli-Benghazi road, in Libya.
On February 4, 1942, F/Sgt. Ibbotson was captain and pilot of a Blenheim aircraft which took off from Malta to carry out a low-level attack on the docks at Palermo, Sicily. This was his third operational flight. The aircraft failed to return to its base and all the members of the crew, including F/Sgt. Ibbotson, were reported missing. Later, information received from Air Ministry through the International Red Cross Committee stated that
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J.K. IBBOTSON. 3. (centre aligned) F/Sgt. Ibbotson crashed a short distance from Palermo and was killed. In consequence of this he was reclassified missing, believed killed in action. Subsequently his death was officially presumed. Although previous to the making of his presumption a message received from an Italian source declared F/Sgt. Ibbotson to be buried at Palermo, information later received through the Missing Research and Enquiries Service cancelled this by proof that he was buried in the British Cemetery, Catania, Sicily.
In April, 1943, additional information received from Air Ministry stated that Sgt. Baker, an RAF member of F/Sgt. Ibbotson's crew, was safe and a prisoner of war in Italy.
5/1/222 AS2 19 hrs./40 mins. as civil pilot. 344 hrs. as Service pilot.
Mr. H. Ibbotson (F) (right aligned) "Ainsdale", (right aligned) 240 Avenue Road, (right aligned) NEW PLYMOUTH (right aligned & underlined)
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JN/NF (right aligned) 422676 : Flight Sergeant George Burns IMRIE. FATHER : Mr. D.R. Imrie of Auckland.
George Imrie was born at Auckland on the 19th August, 1921. He received his secondary education at Sacred Heart College, where he passed his Matriculation examination, passing with credit. He proceeded to the Auckland Training College and later to Auckland University College, where he passed in 3 units for the Bachelor of Arts Degree. His principal sport was rugby, but he also played tennis. His civilian occupation was that of a school teacher under the Auckland Education Board, and he was so employed when in November, 1941, he applied for War service in the R.N.Z.A.F.
Flight Sergeant Imrie was enlisted on the 18th April, 1942, at the Initial Training Wing, Rotorua, for training as aircrew, and on the 22nd June he embarked for Canada for training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.
Shortly after arrival in Canada, F/Sgt. Imrie was, on the 20th July, 1942, posted to No. 9 Air Observers' School, St. Johns, Quebec, where he was, on the 6th November, awarded his flying badge as an air navigator and promoted to the rank of Sergeant. On the 1st June, 1943, he was promoted to Flight Sergeant. Meanwhile, on the 17th November, 1942, he had proceeded to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia, to await embarkation for the United Kingdom.
F/Sgt. Imrie arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, on the 1st December, 1942, and while awaiting entry to No. 1 Advanced Flying Unit, was attached for a month to No. 26 Elementary Flying Training School, Theale, Berkshire. On the 23rd March, 1943, he proceeded to No. 1 Advanced Flying Unit, Wigtown, Scotland. He was posted on the 4th May to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, first at Oakley, and later at Westcott, both in Buckinghamshire.