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Ian Willoughby Bazalgette (October 19, 1918 – August 4, 1944) was a pilot in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War who was killed during a mission and later awarded the Victoria Cross. Although he was born in Canada, he grew up in New Malden and attended Rokeby School in Wimbledon and then Beverley Boys Secondary School. On the night of his death he had been piloting an Avro Lancaster in a pathfinder role, to mark a V-1 flying bomb storage cave in Trossy St Maximin, France. His plane was severely damaged by flak prior to arrival at the target and quickly set on fire. Despite the condition of his aircraft, he continued to the target and accurately dropped his markers. After completing the task, he ordered his crew to bail out. However, two members of the crew were wounded and unable to jump. Rather than abandoning them, Bazalgette attempted to land the burning plane to save them. Although as he touched down the plane exploded almost immediately, killing all three airmen. For his actions, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
