Ivon Julian

Ivon Julian, (20 October 1917 – 29 August 1999) was a New Zealand flying ace of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He is credited with the destruction of at least five aircraft.

From Te Kūiti, Julian joined the RNZAF in January 1940 and was sent to the United Kingdom to serve with the Royal Air Force once his training was complete. He was posted to No. 232 Squadron which flew Hawker Hurricane fighters on home defence duties in Scotland and the north of England for much of 1941. The squadron was sent to Singapore following the Japanese invasion of Malaya, and beginning in February 1942 and the next several weeks, Julian destroyed several Japanese aircraft in the aerial campaign over Singapore and the Dutch East Indies. At the start of March he became the commander of No. 242 Squadron but within days became a prisoner of war. Spending the rest of the war in captivity, he was recognised for his services of early 1942 with an award of the Distinguished Flying Cross. Returning to civilian life as a business man, he retired to Auckland where he died in 1999, aged 81.

Early life Ivon Julian was born on 20 October 1917 in Te Kūiti, New Zealand. He received his educatation at Rongotai College before going onto Wellington Technical College. He was working as a salesman at the time of the outbreak of the Second World War.

Second World War Julian enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), but was not called up for training until January 1940. He duly gained his 'wings' and was sent to the United Kingdom to serve with the Royal Air Force in September. He was posted to No. 232 Squadron in January 1941. He was formally discharged from the RNZAF in November 1946.

Later life Although returning to civilian life, Julian remained in the RNZAF reserve until 1972. He worked as a business man and when he retired, he settled in Auckland. He died there on 29 August 1999. He is credited with having shot down at least five aircraft, with two more probably destroyed. He damaged three others and is also credited with destroying one aircraft on the ground. Details for some of these claims are not available due to the loss of No. 232 Squadron's records during the Japanese invasion of Sumatra.