General News
19 September, 2026
Veteran's Voices: Local sacrifice
Ian Rennison was born in Horsham on September 12, 1942, and was the son of Charles and Daphne Mabel Rennison of Boronia, Victoria. He was a student at Horsham High School and was a bank clerk before signing up.
Ian Rennison was born in Horsham on September 12, 1942, and was the son of Charles and Daphne Mabel Rennison of Boronia, Victoria.
He was a student at Horsham High School and was a bank clerk before signing up.
He enlisted on September 12, 1942, in Melbourne, and had previously been in the 151st Australian General Transport Company before enlisting in the RAAF.
Rennison started training at 1st Recruitment Training.
From November 10, 1942, to February 22, 1945, Rennison was taken on strength for pilot training.
On November 3, 1942, Rennison was remustered as aircrew 1 V(P).
From 11 TS, he was transferred to 11 EFTS (Elementary Flying Training School) RAAF on December 10.
He was considered to be of good character and had gained a trade classification of Aircrew II (P) on December 5, at 11 EFTS, and received a Flying Badge while training there.
Rennison transferred from 11 EFTS to 7 SFTS (Service Flying Training School) Deniliquin on July 1, 1943.
From 7 SFTS, he was transferred to 1 E.D. (Engineering School) at Ascot Vale on July 2.
From 1 ED Ascot Vale, he went to further flying training (O/S OCR) on August 4.
Rennison received a special qualification on July 1, and was classified as an aircrew pilot on that date after he had completed training at RAAF Station at Deniliquin.
The course entailed two streams of intermediate and advanced courses and included techniques such as instrument flying, night flying, advanced aerobatics, formation flying, dive bombing and aerial gunnery.
The course was initially 16 weeks, then was reduced to 10 weeks, which included 75 hours of flying time.
He became a troop Sergeant on July 1.
He embarked at Adelaide on August 4, attached to RAF.
He disembarked on September 10 in the UK and Egypt.
On disembarkation in the UK, he was to proceed to Temporary Duty on a Ministry of Information Tour on February 5, 1944.
From 11 PDRC (Personnel Dispersal Centre) (RAAF) at RAF Charmy Downs, Somerset, he was transferred to 5(P)AF on March 21.
He was then a Training Warrant Officer.
From 5(P)AFU, he transferred to 5PDC (Professional Development Centre) on May 30.
From 5PDC, he was transferred to the Middle East on June 10.
He embarked from the UK to 5 ME (Middle East) ARC.
He disembarked in Egypt on June 26.
From 5ME ARC (Air Reserve Component), he served at RAF Fayid in August-September.
RAF Fayid was a military airfield in Egypt used by the British Royal Air Force and US Army Air Force during the North African Campaign against the Axis Forces.
It is 23 km South of Ismailia and 116 km NE of Cairo.
From RAF Fayid, he was sent to 22 PTC 9 (personal transit centre), which was RAF Almaza, Egypt, on October 29.
From Headquarters Middle East, he was then at 56 PTC (MA S/F) on November 13.
From this centre, he was sent to 5RFU (Training Recruit Unit) on November 20.
Here he did instrument flying training with 3 Squadron, flying Mustangs.
Then he was off to join the 3 Squadron at Cervia, just north of Forli on the Adriatic coast.
From January 1, he was ranked as a Warrant Officer while at 5RFU.
On February 21, at 0920hrs, Flight Lieutenant Barney Davies in KH851 led seven Mustangs to escort 450th Squadron Kitty-hawks to bomb the Casarsa rail diversion.
After 450th Squadron had bombed, the 3 Squadron Mustangs bombed from east to west from 8000ft down to 1,500ft.
Warrant Officer Ian Rennison in a North American Mustang IVA CV-L KH806, was seen to pull out slightly when low in his bomb dive, and then go straight in at CI35080, where the plane exploded.
Rennison was listed as missing, and believed to be killed.
His posting on death was 3 Squadron CMF.
He died in a flying battle over Casarsa, Italy, on February 21, 1945, aged 21 Years.
He was classified as killed on May 17, 1945.
His Casualty Notification reads that No 419704, Warrant Officer attached to the RAF as a Mustering airman pilot, was missing, believed killed in air operations in the vicinity of Casarsa, Italy, on February 21, 1945.
Padre Frederick McKay (RAAF) searched for Ian Rennison after the German surrender in May 1945 and conducted a burial service on May 5, 1945.
The cross pictured is the original marker of W/O Rennison's first burial.
His remains were eventually interred in the Udine War Cemetery, Italy, about 100 Kilometres north-east of Venice.
He is buried in Plot IV, Row G, Grave 8.
Rennison was entitled to the Flying Badge 1939-1945, Italy, and the Defence War Medal.