Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Mr. Edward and Mrs. Frances FRIEND (nee RAWSON) of 35 Omahu Road, Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand

Ian Friend was born on the 16th August 1915, at Sydney, Australia.  He went to England at an early age and received his secondary education at the Preston College, Brighton, sussex.  The sports in which he was interested included football, cricket and swimming.  After leaving school he was employed in vaious capacities in England before coming to New Zealand in the latter part of 1938.  On arrival in New Zealand he studied at the Warwick Tutorial College, Auckland, where he gained the University Entrance Examination.   He later studied Chemistry at Auckland University College.

Sergeant Friend made application for aircrw training on the 27 September, 1939, and was enlisted at the Initial Training Wing, Levin on the 14th November 1940, and on completion of his initial training he proceeded on the 19th January, 1941 to No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School, Whenuapai, where his flying training was terminated and he was remustered to an air bomber and reposted on teh 15th March to the I.T.W., Levin.  On the completion of his training he embarked on the 26th May, 1941, for Canada to continue his training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Shortly after arrival in Canada, Sgt. Friend was posted on the 15th June, to No.7 Air Observers' School, Portage la Prairie, Saskatchewan, and thence, proceeded on the 15th September to No. 5 Bombing and Gunnery School, Dafoe, Saskatchewan, where on the 25th October 1941, we was awarded his air observer's badge and promoted to the rank of Sergeant.  On the 26th October 1941, he proceeded to No. 1 Advanced Navigation School, Rivers, Manitoba, and on completion of the course he was awarded his air navigator's badge and posted on the 9th November, 1941, to No 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia, for embarkation to the United Kingdom.

Sgt. Friend arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, on the 26th December 1941, and was posted on the 16th January 1942, to No. 1 Air Observers' School, Wigtown, Scotland.  On the 3rd March, 1942, he was posted to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, Bassinbourn, Hertfordshire, where he crewed up and completed his training as navigator on Wellington Bomber airdcraft.  From this base, as navigator on Wellington bomber aircraft he took part in 1 operational flight for the target of Bemen, in Germany.  Early in July he proceeded to No. 218 Conversion Unit, Downham Market, Norfolk, where he converted to Stirling bomber aircraft before posting on the 6th August to No. 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron on the same station.   From Downham Maret, as navigator on Stirling Aircraft, he took part in a further 27 operational flights, the targets including Duisberg (2), Osnabruck, Mainz (2) Flensburg, Kassel, Nurnburg, Dusseldorf, Karlsruhe, Bemen (2), Frankfurt, Vegesack and other targets all in Germany; Genoa (2) in Italy; and minelaying operations off the coast of Bordeaux, France, and the Frisian Islands.

On the 9th November, 1942, Sgt. Friend was the navigator of a Stirling aircraft which took off on air operations and failed to return to its base.  All the member sof the crew, including Sgt. Friend, were reported missing.  Information received from the International Red Cross Committee revealed that Sgt. Friend had lost his life and was buried in the Alswde Cemetery, about 22 miles from Osnabruck, Germany.  In consequence he was reclassified to missing, belived killed, and in due course his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 9th November, 1942.

A 1755 hours on 9 November 1942 Stirling W7475 took off from Downham Market to attack Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft crashed at Lashorst and all the crew members were killed.

The crew members of W7475 were:

Sergeant Henry William Bending (1500475) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Ronald William Arthur Follett (1293633) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Ian Ignatius Friend (404350) (RNZAF) (Observer)
Squadron Leader Peter Frank Hickling DFM (68134) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Vivian Howe (1184247) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Wynne Morgan (411088) (RNZAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Adam Haddon Thomson DFM (41612) (RNZAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)