Ashburton Courier: October 24, 2019

Local news at www.starnews.co.nz Ashburton’s The Courier, Thursday 24 October 2019, Page 23
Museum pays tribute to flyer
Ashburton Aviation
Museum has paid tribute
to its former patron, Don
Ivey, who died on August
1.
He was 97.
Its latest newsletter,
The Talespinner, said
Flying Officer Don Ivey
RNZAF, NZ41191,
French Legion of Honour,
was one of the very
last veterans of World
War Two.
Mr Ivey was born in
Timaru on June 6, 1922
and educated at Anama
and, later, at Ashburton
Technical School.
He later began shepherding
at Mesopotamia
and Ashley Gorge.
At the outbreak of war,
Mr Ivey enlisted in the
RNZAF and after basic
training in Levin began
training at Taieri, flying
Tiger Moths.
He later went to
Canada for advanced
training.
His first posting was to
No.4 Service Flying
Training School, Saskatoon,
in 1942, flying a
twin­engine Cessna
Mr Ivey and the medal he received.
Crane.
His next posting was to
Ontario where he flew
Harvards, Avro Ansons
and Airspeed Oxfords.
In 1943 Mr Ivey flew a
de Havilland Mosquito
after a posting to Nova
Scotia.
There he teamed up
with navigator Sergeant
Ewan Waterer.
They went to High
Ercall in England to
begin a Night Intruder
course in Mosquitoes.
Mr Ivey was rated
‘‘above average’’.
He was then posted to
Kent and flew his first
war operation in May,
1944 when the squadron
bombed St Tromo aerodrome
in Belguim.
On D­Day, June 6,
1944 ­ Mr Ivey’s 22nd
birthday ­ he flew his
seventh combat mission,
in France.
In later flights he
attacked trains and motor
transports.
In December 1944, Mr
Ivey put a Mosquito
down in France, landing
at night with one engine
Age Concern safety message
‘‘Online reporting
(through social media
sites) is not valuable,’’
says Age Concern Canterbury
staying safe
facilitator Yvonne Palmer.
‘‘People at this age
need to see people,’’ she
said.
Mrs Palmer, during
the Home and Personal
Safety Course hosted by
Age Concern Ashburton
at the Ashburton Senior
Centre, was talkingabout
online message boards
where people reported
neighbourhood activities
in their communities rather
than talkingtoneighbours.
The event, attended by
23 people, saw avariety
of speakers talk about
different aspects for
keeping safe. Speakers
included Civil Defence’s
James Lamb, Fire and
Emergency New
Zealand’s Wayne Hamilton,
of Christchurch,
Ashburton Police’s Fran
Clark and Mid Canterbury
Neighbourhood
Support Christine Richards.
‘‘It’s important for
people to see people and
check upontheir neighbours.
Know your neighbours,’’
Mrs Palmer said.
She said be aware of
people in your area and
keep an eye out for signs
that everything is OK.
Especially when it comes
to people living alone
and suspicious activity.
Warning signs could
include curtains, that
would usually be open,
remaining closed during
the day, papers/mail
stacked up at the door or
in mailboxes, unusual
noises/events and burglar
alarms going off.
If it’s apolice, fire or
medical emergency dial
111.
Alternatively, dial the
Police 105 number for
reporting nonemergencies
such as theft
in a public place, theft
from a car, intentional
property damage, shoplifting
and lost property.
Constable Clark spoke
about the role of police
and gave some useful tips
about deterring burglaries
such as dogs, burglar
alarms, having valuable
items out of sight in
cars and keeping in contact
with your neighbours.
She said being aware
of who your neighbours
were,who wasinthe area
and reporting suspicious
activity helped police
identify criminal activity
and track down those
responsible.
She also spoke about
keeping safe when answering
the door, and not
giving out personal
information over the
phone or by email.
Free
Quote
The Renovation Experts
out.
It was his 63 operational
sortie.
Yet, throughout his
extensive operational flying,
he was given neither
a decoration or promotion
to recognise his
service.
The night missions he
flew were dangerous as
every train attacked had
anti­aircraft guns.
In February 1945, Mr
Ivey and his navigator
flew their 66th and last
operation with adaylight
attack in Germany.
All but two of his
flights were at night and
most at low level, searching
out enemy transport
movements.
After the war, Mr Ivey
returned to New Zealand
and began farming at
Ruapuna, Mid Canterbury.
He married Mary
Branch in 1950 and they
had two children, Basil
and Suzanne.
In 2015, the aviation
museum noted that
France was beginning to
acknowledge the contribution
made by New Zealanders
to its liberation.
The French Embassy
was alerted to Mr Ivey’s
service and on October 9,
2015, museum members
saw Mr Ivey receive the
Medal of Knight of the
French Legion of Honour
from the French
ambassador.
Mr Ivey told The Courier
in 2015 that on one
mission he recalled
‘‘streams of flame and
glycol’’ as a companion
plane was hit and went
down.
Of the 15 planes on
that sortie, five went
down.
He said getting the
medal from France was a
great honour.
[The Courier acknowledges
information provided
by the Aviation
Museum for this story]
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