Ian Hamilton “Ian; also recorded as Ian H.” McInnes

Sergeant · NZ #1052 · T Patrol · MM MID

What this roll records

THE MORTAR THAT SET THE MURZUK FORT ON FIRE WAS HIS. The Northern Advocate of 6 November 1942, reporting his death, printed the Military Medal citation in full: “This soldier was the senior man in a 2in. mortar crew in action at MURZUK ON JANUARY 11. He worked his mortar to within 400 YARDS OF AN ITALIAN FORT and maintained it in action with telling effect, CAUSING THE FORT TO CATCH FIRE. Although under fire from three directions, he held his position and continued to bomb the target until ordered to withdraw. His withdrawal from a dangerous position without casualty to his crew or loss of any equipment, while under close machine-gun fire, was a fine example of a soldier’s ability.” THE FORT IS PHOTOGRAPHED ON THIS SITE — the Southland Times of 14 March 1941 printed the Murzuk fort burning, and that photograph is in this collection. The two were catalogued separately until this citation joined them. THE PAPER ALSO CALLS HIM “the first Northlander serving in the New Zealand Army to win an award in World War II”. WHAT ELSE IT ADDS, none of which this roll held: he was FORTY YEARS OLD; educated at the North River School, Waipu; working at Portland when war was declared and ENLISTED ON THE FIRST DAY RECRUITING OPENED; drum major of the Whangarei and County Pipe Band; played senior football for the Hora Hora club; and he left New Zealand WITH THE ADVANCE GUARD WHICH PRECEDED THE FIRST ECHELON, being attached to the Long Range Desert Group later. GENERAL FREYBERG PINNED THE MEDAL ON HIM IN PERSON at the beginning of 1942, in No. 3 New Zealand General Hospital in the Middle East, where he was a patient; he recovered, transferred to a cavalry unit, and was killed. Source: “Northland Roll Of Honour”, Northern Advocate, 6 November 1942, page 4, via Papers Past (National Library of New Zealand).

Added from LRP Roll: Dvr T Patrol; Sgt T Patrol LRDG; returned Div Cav; killed el Alamein Sept 1942. NOTE: verify vs existing McInnes, Donald 'Shorty' (MM, MID) — LRP lists Ian and Shorty as two different men. Source: LRP Roll (Original LRP Nominal Roll as at 5 Dec 1940, Capt L H Browne).

Memorial card (family): 1052 Sgt I. H. McInnes, M.M. — Killed in action 24 October 1942, aged 40. Inscription: 'A little spot in El Alamein forever ours.' Source: New Zealand Roll of Honour (Appendix I) and the family memorial card.

Merged with a duplicate record spelt 'McInness, Ian H.'; both are the same man (Sgt I. H. McInnes, 1052). A formal memorial-card portrait also survives.

The Kiwi Scorpions (Brendan O'Carroll): Sgt I. H. McInnes, MM — labourer; born Waipu, 8 Jun 1908; killed in action, Alamein, 24 Oct 1942.

At Murzuk (11 January 1941) worked his mortar into a position from which one bomb set the fort’s tower alight and destroyed the flagstaff; awarded the MM. Source: ‘Long Range Desert Group in Libya, 1940–41’, Episodes & Studies Vol. 1 (NZ official war history).

Labourer; born Waipu, 8 Jun 1908. MM. Killed in action, Alamein, 24 Oct 1942. Source: Episodes & Studies Vol. 1 (biographical notes).

His Military Medal was announced on 8 July 1941. The recommendation survives at The National Archives, Kew, in series WO 373 (War Office, Military Secretary’s Department: Recommendations for Honours and Awards for Gallantry), reference WO 373/17/450 — the same piece that holds the Gebel Sherif awards to Sutherland and Willcox. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

Labourer in civilian life. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

Buried at El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt - grave VI.B.9, commemorated at Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

Forenames given in full in August 2026 as Ian Hamilton, where this roll held only “Ian H.”. The Auckland War Memorial Museum’s L.R.D.G. Membership Roll of February 1970 gives the full form against the same service number. The old form is kept in the AKA field and stays searchable. The National Archives file already cited on this card confirms it: WO 373/17/450 is catalogued as “Recommendation for Award for McInnes, Ian Hamilton. Military Medal.” Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph, record C29431.

Born 8 June 1908 at Waipu, which is the date held here as correct: it is given both by Brendan O’Carroll in “The Kiwi Scorpions” and by the biographical notes in “Episodes & Studies” Vol. 1. (The Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph records his birth as 8 January 1908, at the same place — the same day of the month in a different month: a recording discrepancy.) Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph, record C29431.

Embarkation detail from his Cenotaph record: he embarked as CORPORAL, 2nd Divisional Cavalry Regiment, 2NZEF ADVANCE GUARD. The rank held on this card, Sergeant, is his LRDG rank; promotion after embarkation was the rule rather than the exception, so the two are not in conflict. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph, record C29431.

The question this card raised against Donald “Shorty” McInnes is settled. Both men had carried a Military Medal in the honours field; only this one is evidenced. O’Carroll names a single McInnes MM — this one — and the recommendation at Kew, WO 373/17/450, is catalogued as “Recommendation for Award for McInnes, Ian Hamilton. Military Medal.” The Military Medal was removed from the other man’s card in August 2026.

Cenotaph record linked. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

HIS MILITARY MEDAL DATED, FROM THE OFFICIAL LIST AS PUBLISHED IN NEW ZEALAND. The Evening Post of 9 July 1941 printed the N.Z.E.F. honours granted by the King on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, for operations in the Western Desert, Libya and Cyrenaica from December 1940 to February 1941. Among them: “Military Medal ... Trooper Ian Hamilton McInnes. Next-of-kin: Mrs C. McInnes (mother), 19 Roslyn Terrace, Devonport.” The initials and the forenames match this card exactly. THE SAME LIST CARRIES THE DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL TO CORPORAL LAWRENCE HAMILTON BROWNE, also of this roll and explicitly of the Long Range Desert Group. His card previously recorded the award without a date. Source: Evening Post, 9 July 1941, via Papers Past (National Library of New Zealand).

HIS VOICE SURVIVES, AND IT WAS RECORDED FIVE WEEKS AFTER MURZUK. Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision holds the New Zealand Mobile Broadcasting Unit’s talks by members of the Long Range Desert Group, broadcast 17 FEBRUARY 1941, in which Tony Browne NZ #4444 interviews his own comrades. THE ARCHIVE’S CREDIT LIST SPELLS HIM “IAN McGUINNESS”. There is no McGuinness on this roll and only one Ian McInnes in T Patrol: it is this man, confirmed by Tony Moore, 3 September 2026. WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED TO HIM. He won his Military Medal at MURZUK ON 11 JANUARY 1941, five weeks before that broadcast, working his 2-inch mortar into a position from which one bomb set the fort’s tower alight and destroyed the flagstaff. The citation is printed in full elsewhere on this card. AND THE FORT ITSELF IS ON FILM. Trooper Walter Russell “Wink” Adams NZ #1074 of T Patrol carried a cine camera on that operation, and his third reel shows the fort at Murzuk burning. THE TOWER IN THAT FILM IS THE ONE HIS MORTAR SET ALIGHT. Both the recording and the film are listed on the Videos page of this site, under Ngā Taonga. HE WAS KILLED AT EL ALAMEIN ON 24 OCTOBER 1942, twenty months after he spoke into that microphone. Source: Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, references 11719 and F80266: https://www.ngataonga.org.nz/search-use-collection/search/11719/

See him in the full roll →

Where this comes from

• Murzuk Raid roll (courtesy Tarek el Mahdy)

In collaboration withThe Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) Preservation SocietyTo add information about this man, or note a correction, please post in the Society’s Facebook Group →

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Not By Strength But By Guile