Ian William Spence

  Noted events in his life were:

• source. Pat Spence who writes:
Ian Spence was born at the Lady Bowen Hospital at St Pauls Terrace Brisbane. He frequently visited his grandparents George Francis and Annie Starr-Nolan (nee White) at their home at Jane Street Fortitude Valley. The street is now called Robertson Street.

His mother Marion was widowed in 1931 when Ian was only 6 and his youngest sister Nancy was not yet one. It was during the depression and life for the family was extremely hard. Marion worked to feed the family doing washing and ironing. Later she received a widows pension and government assistance for the children.

Ian was enrolled at Greenslopes State School on 8th October 1929. George his brother also attended Greenslopes for a time. Ian left to go to Holland Pk State School in December of 1931. These details from the Greenslopes S.S. Admission Registers Vol 2 1920-1929. (copy held)

Mr Clarkson a teacher in Grade 4 at Holland Pk S.S. took Ian to see his large model train set at his home under the house off Ridge Street at Greenslopes. In Grade 5 Ian's teacher was Mr Todd, in Grade 6 his teacher was Miss Richardson, and in Grade 7 Mr Patterson. There was also a Mr Greenham at the school and other teachers Axelby, Harper, and Williams.

Ian received telegrams with congratulations for passing the Scholarship exam from his grandmother Annie and his aunts Edna and Josephine who were on holidays at Yamba on 23 January 1939. He also received one on 30th January 1939 from his grandfather George Francis who was gold mining in Cracow.

Ian was obliged to leave school fairly early and take up employment in Brisbane. He had several jobs including sandwich deliveries for a Brisbane city firm, and later clerical tasks with the Ball Bearing company.

With the outbreak of World War 11 Ian was called up but he requested to be allocated to the Air Force rather than the Army because he had been in the Air Training Corp at East Brisbane State School prior to this time. He was sent initially to Amberley in October 1942, then posted to Geelong in the same month for training courses.

His official records in the Royal Australian Air Force include service number 78968 and his date of enlistment 7 October 1942. .

By December 1942 he joined the Engineering School at Ascotvale (Melbourne) and in Feburary 1943 he was moved to Evans Head (No 1 BAGS). In November of 1943 he returned to Ascotvale to the Engineering School and later went to the Forest Hill base near Wagga. His move to Forest Hill called at that time Allonville was to E Section 5AD. During these years he was trained as a fitter and worked on repairs to aircraft engines.

Forest Hill RAAF Base was established on a farm at Allonville and was chosen as an airforce base prior to WW11. It was officially opened in July 1940 with Wing Commander F R S W Scherger in command. During the period of the war a number of units operated from Forest Hill including No 2 Service Flying School, No 60 & 61 Reserve Squadron, No 5 Aircraft Depot, No 31 (INTRUDER) Squadron, No 5 Operational Training Unit. It was also the site of No1 RAAF Hospital until this was transferred to a new location in the city in 1944.

Wagga Wagga Cemetery 1 km down Kooringal Road (from the second roundabout) saw the burials of 26 soldiers killed at Kapooka School of Military Engineering on 21 May 1945 during demolition work training. There are also 42 RAAF Airmen with many of these dying in air training accidents.

At the entry to Forest Hill RAAF Base there were in 2004 the following aircraft on display:

English Electric Canberra bomber: named the Canberra in 1953 by RG Menzies. 48 were constructed in Australia, and the aircraft saw action in the Malayan emergency and Vietnam War.

Glaster Meteor the first allied jet fighter introduced into service in WW11. The RAAF received at least 111 of these between 1946 and the early 1970's.

North American designed Australian built Sabre one of the most successful western combat aircraft since WW11. The RAAF received 102 of these, powered by a Rolls Royce Avon Jet Engine and armed with two 30mm Aden Cannon.

Dassault Mirage 111 - Australia's front line fighter between 1964 and 1989. RAAF received 116 and they reached a speed of MACH 2.05 at 30,000 feet.

Winjeel: a basic trainer designed and built in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation. 64 were built and they commenced service in 1955.
2001 April to The Oaks reunion, Albury Wodonga Beechworth Wagga
2001 Sept Charters Towers Ravenswood Townsville Nebo
2002 Oct Armidale to FH seminar
2002 Dec Wodonga visit to Greg and family Ian ill on return trip
2003 April to Warwick to visit Malcolm and Kay
2003 May to Toowoomba in Laser for Malcolm's funeral
2003 July to Killarney for meeting on rates
2003 Sept to Wagga to visit family
2004 July to Charters Towers, Mackay Bowen Townsville
2004 Dec to Canberra in Laser with Helen for Joshua's graduation ADFA
2005 April in Laser to Armidale for FH Uralla and Mihi Ck
2005 Aug to Charters Towers Mackay Bowen Masgnetic Isl [Zanita]
2006 Aug to Charters Towers for ANZAC Bob Barty's memorial ceremony and reunion

Over many years Ian produced and directed or assisted in numerous musicals for several schools including Kedron SHS, Lourdes Hill, Mt Maria, Nudgee College, etc.
1971Salad Days
1972 Annie Get Your Gun Kedron SHS
1973 The King and I Kedron SHS
1974 Calamity Jane Kedron SHS
1975 Aug 1 Annie Get your Gun Lourdes Hill College
1976 The King and I Lourdes Hill College
1976 Feb 1 Kiss me Kate Kedron SHS
1976 June Lourdes Hill Jubilee Production
1978 June My Fair Lady Kedron SHS
1979 Easter He Lives Mt Maria Mitchelton
1979Oklahoma Kedron SHS
1980 EasterHe Lives Kedron SHS
1980 July 30 Annie at Lourdes Hill
1980 My Fair Lady Mt Maria Mitchelton
1981Salad Days Kedron SHS
1982The Boy Friend Kedron SHS
1983The Sound of Music Kedron SHS
1984The King and I Kedron SHS
1985Trial by Jury Nudgee College
also Pirates of Penzance at Lourdes Hill with Iona College

In late June 2008 Ian was quite ill and was admitted to Caboolture Hospital and then surgery for what was diagnosed as a twisted small intestine. He was hospitalised for a week and lost considerable weight.

Ian married Patricia Valmy Butler, daughter of Ormand William Butler and Valmy Mary Thompson, on 14 Oct 1955 in St James, Coorparoo, Brisbane, Queensland Australia. (Patricia Valmy Butler was born on 23 Feb 1935 in Brisbane, Queensland Australia.)