Ian Trenwith MacFarlane^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]}

1912 - 1986  (73 years)

• Name	Ian Trenwith MacFarlane  [3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
  Birth	28 Dec 1912	Durban, Natal, South Africa   [4, 7]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	1940	Lower Hutt, New Zealand   [2]
  Residence	1943	Lower Hutt, New Zealand   [3]
  Death	20 Apr 1986	Nelson, Marlborough, New Zealand   [4, 7]
  Death	24 Apr 1986	Nelson, Marlborough, New Zealand   [5]
  Name	Ian Triewith MacFarlane  [2]
  Burial	6 May 1986	Soldiers Cemetery, Marsden Valley, Stoke, Nelson, New Zealand   [4, 5, 7]
  Person ID	I282740898907	MacFarlane
  Last Modified	7 Feb 2026

  
  

  Father	Trenwith Maurice MacFarlane,   b. 29 Nov 1876, Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand d. 7 Dec 1925, Whaupuhunga, Waikato, New Zealand (Age 49 years)
  Mother	Louie Helen Bremner,   b. 4 Feb 1884, Wellington province, New Zealand d. 1 Mar 1972, Nelson, Marlborough, New Zealand (Age 88 years)
  Family ID	F66	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Primrose Fenwick Self,   b. 28 Sep 1918, Te Kuiti, New Zealand d. 27 Nov 2002, Nelson, New Zealand (Age 84 years)
  Marriage	17 Sep 1949	St. Barnabas' Church, Khandallah, Wellington, New Zealand   [6]
  		Find a Grave Memorial page for PTE Primrose Fenwick Self MacFarlane, Memorial ID 140225383
  Family ID	F64	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	7 Feb 2026

  
  

• Photos

  Find a Grave Memorial page for PTE Primrose Fenwick Self MacFarlane, Memorial ID 140225383

  
  

• Notes

  Ian was born at Durban, South Africa 28 December 1912. The family returned to NZ when he was very young and he grew up in Wellington. 2529 Sapper I T Macfarlane, NZ Engineers. 2NZEF troop lists give his next of kin as Mrs H Macfarlane (mother), 27 Fairview Crescent, Kelburn, Wellington. He was one of the first to enlist in WW2 and sailed from NZ with the First Echelon in January 1940. He fought in Greece, Crete, Western Desert, Tunisia and Egypt. He was evacuated from Crete on the last ship to leave. Wounded 21 Jan 1943. He was a prisoner of war (held by the Italians) for about 6 weeks and was one of 349 NZ soldiers who returned to NZ in June 1943 on furlough. Many (including Ian) refused to go back to the war. He is quoted in the Official War History of the NZ Engineers (p289-290) and later wrote of his war experiences in a private manuscript "Diary of a Despatch Rider", typed (and later retyped as a Word document by his son Peter) but never published Became an orchardist in Nelson area (Malling Road, Redwoods Valley) 1951 to 1968 then semi-retired to live in Richmond (owning Dorset House) for health reasons. Died 20 April 1986 as the result of an accident (fell from ladder). Will filed at Nelson 9 May 1986 (No. 122/86) His ashes are buried in the Returned Services area of the Marsden Valley Cemetery, Stoke, Nelson, NZ (Block RSA, Plot 149).

  
  

• Sources

  [S1027704383] Ancestry Family Tree, Ancestry Family Tree. [S1027802858] Ancestry.com, New Zealand, World War II Army Nominal Rolls, 1939-1948, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), Roll: 1; Nominal Roll: 1939 - 31 Mar 1940. [S1027704428] Ancestry.com, New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1853-2010, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), BAB Microfilming; Auckland, New Zealand; New Zealand Electoral Rolls, 1853-1981. [S1027704281] Ancestry.com, Australia and New Zealand, Find a Grave® Index, 1800s-Current, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.). [S1027802828] Ancestry.com, New Zealand, Cemetery Records, 1800-2007, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), New Zealand Society of Genealogists Incorporated; Auckland, New Zealand; New Zealand Cemetery Records. [S1027704059] Donald Featherston Macfarlane, Donald Featherston Macfarlane NZ, (Gedcom recieved as e-mail attachment 5 November 2009). [S1027803165] www.findagrave.com, Find a Grave, (Ancestry.com), Memorial page for PTE Primrose Fenwick Self MacFarlane, Memorial ID 140225383.