Ian IRVING Obituary

My goodness me I just found out about Stephanies' husband. My sincere condolences. Barry Billington

We Love You Pop ❤

During the 1960's I served with George in Malaysia, Borneo and Vietnam. We were all so very much younger and perhaps more adventuresome. George was a corporal and I, his sergeant while on active service. George was responsible for our pay, which was rarely paid out due to our unit being on active service with little to spend money on. This put George at the work-face of accumulating large paper balances in the soldiers pay-books. George had a huge respect for the men in the field. He was responsible for their money. He did not make mistakes.
We used typewriters in those days. We didn't have word processors and spell-check'. George was our spell-check'. We would call out the word we wanted to check and George would spell it. We would call out a name and George would call out the soldier's regimental number.
Our company spent a lot of time on operations and absent from Nui Dat, (the base camp for 1st Australian Task Force. The base Walahs were rostered on clearance patrols at dawn round the Nui Dat perimeter. George was a good well-trained and experienced infantry soldier. He led a section on these patrols and was an example to the less experienced Australians who mostly made up these platoons.
In those days our resources were few and we improvised in everything. We oft times had reason to be despondent, but George managed to keep his sunny attitude, so much so that Captain Joe Walker, one of our officers, always started the day by calling out George's name incorrectly, Irvine, just to hear George correct him, Morning Captain Dorker.
George had a place in my life and memories. I sincerely regret that I cannot attend his service due to previous commitments. I salute you George. I thank you for your long service to our country and for being my friend.
Captain (Rtd) Ken McKee Wright, NZSAS, RNZIR, MBE
[email protected]

During the 1960's I served with George in Malaysia, Borneo and Vietnam. We were all so very much younger and perhaps more adventuresome. George was a corporal and I, his sergeant while on active service. George was responsible for our pay, which was rarely paid out due to our unit being on active service with little to spend money on. This put George at the work-face of accumulating large paper balances in the soldiers pay-books. George had a huge respect for the men in the field. He was responsible for their money. He did not make mistakes.
We used typewriters in those days. We didn't have word processors and spell-check'. George was our spell-check'. We would call out the word we wanted to check and George would spell it. We would call out a name and George would call out the soldier's regimental number.
Our company spent a lot of time on operations and absent from Nui Dat, (the base camp for 1st Australian Task Force. The base Walahs were rostered on clearance patrols at dawn round the Nui Dat perimeter. George was a good well-trained and experienced infantry soldier. He led a section on these patrols and was an example to the less experienced Australians who mostly made up these platoons.
In those days our resources were few and we improvised in everything. We oft times had reason to be despondent, but George managed to keep his sunny attitude, so much so that Captain Joe Walker, one of our officers, always started the day by calling out George's name incorrectly, Irvine, just to hear George correct him, Morning Captain Dorker.
George had a place in my life and memories. I sincerely regret that I cannot attend his service due to previous commitments. I salute you George. I thank you for your long service to our country and for being my friend.
Captain (Rtd) Ken McKee Wright, NZSAS, RNZIR, MBE

IRVING, Ian George. Born October 31, 1943. Passed away on July 24, 2017. B542272 RNZIR Malaya, Borneo, Sarawak, Vietnam V1 and V5 retired Lt. Youngest son of the late George and Agnes Irving (Edgecumbe), brother to the late Jim and Heather, Peter and sister Marie. Loved uncle of Margaret and Nigel, Anne (deceased), Peter and Moana, Greg and Kaye, Wendy and Norman and his many Grand nephews and nieces. A great loss to us all