George Mawby Ingram VC MM (1889 - 1961)

Ancestors

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Victoria Cross recipients

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 The Great War 1.2 Between those wars 1.3 Second World War 1.4 Later life 1.5 Honours and awards 1.6 Research Notes 2 Sources

Biography

George Mawby Ingram was born on 18th March 1889 at Bagshot, near Sandhurst (Bendigo), Victoria, Australia. His parents were George Ronald Ingram and Charlotte Hubbard.^{[1] [2]} He was apprenticed as a carpenter and joiner upon leaving school. From 1905 to 1914 Ingram was a member of the Australian Militia Forces, attached to the Australian Garrison Artillery.

George married Jane Francis Nichols on 19th January 1910 in the Congregational Church, East Prahran, Victoria, Australia.^[3][1]

The Great War

On 10th December 1914 he volunteered for service with the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, where he served in the 3rd Battalion in New Guinea. On 19th January 1916 he transferred to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), service number 5919. ^[1][4]

In October 1916 he embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Nestor for the Western Front, joining the 24th Australian Infantry Battalion in France in January 1917. ^[5] It was about that time that George's younger brother, Alexander, was killed in action in France. On the night of the 15/16th March, he was in the 24th Battalion's attack on the village of Bapaume. Posted to a bombing section, he became involved in a fight with German troops who outnumbered his unit. The unit made effective use of their grenades and held off the German attack. Later, large numbers of German forces returned, forcing the bombing unit to retreat. Ingram, in conjunction with two others, covered the party's withdrawal, minimising casualties. Lance Corporal Ingram was awarded the Military Medal (MM) for his great courage and initiative. ^[6][1][7] He soon received promotions from Lance Corporal through to Company Sergeant Major and then a commission to Second Lieutenant in the 24th Battalion, which was confirmed on 20th June 1918.

In October 1918, Ingram took part in the last Australian Infantry action of the war, the attack on Montbrehain. The advance began at dawn and the Australians suffered heavy casualties as a result of strongly defended enemy positions. Under cover of a Lewis gun, Ingram dashed ahead of his men and lead them against a German strongpoint. The platoon under Ingram's leadership captured nine machine guns and killed all 42 Germans who had occupied the line; Ingram accounting for 18 himself. Twice more that day he displayed great courage and leadership while capturing enemy posts and taking 62 prisoners.

He was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) for his part in the day's events.^[8] He was promoted to Lieutenant on 24th October 1918.^[1][7] For his war service he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Between those wars

George returned to Australia in March 1919, arriving home in April. After his discharge, he worked as a general foreman with building contractor, E A and Frank Watts Pty Ltd. ^[1][7]

In 1926 he divorced his first wife on the grounds of her desertion. There were no children. ^[1][7]

George married his second wife, the widow, Ivy Lillian Wakelin (nee Hart) on 10th February 1927 in the Methodist parsonage, Malvern, Victoria, Australia. ^[1][9] George and Lillian had two children;

1. George Mawby Ingram b. 1928
2. Bettine Rosemary Ingram b. 1929

After the completion of Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance in 1935, George Ingram was one of the first appointments to the permanent guard. From 250 applications only fourteen were chosen. As a Victoria Cross recipient, George was awarded the King George VI Coronation Medal in 1937.

Second World War

Upon declaration of the Second World War, George was re-commissioned into the Australian Militia (for service within Australian territories) on 17th November 1939, serving with the Royal Australian Engineers, service number V82281, and attained the rank of Captain. ^[1][7] With two separate periods of service, his army service records have been consolidated into one file of 85 pages. ^[10][11] He was demobilised from the Army on 6th May 1944, aged 55 years. ^[12] For this additional war service he was awarded both the War Medal 1939-1945 and the Australia Service Medal 1939-1945.

Later life

Sadly, Lillian passed away in May 1951 at Brighton, Victoria. ^[13]

George married his third wife, another widow, Myrtle Lydia Thomas (nee Cornell) on 24th December 1951 in Brunswick Methodist Church, Victoria. ^[14][1][7] George and Myrtle had a further son:

1. Alex Ingram^[7]

In 1954, George attended the dedication of the Shrine of Remembrance by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh on 28th February following an expansion on the monument to encompass Australia's contributions to the Second World War. He was also awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal that year. Two years later, he joined the Australian contingent of Victoria Cross recipients who attended the parade in London's Hyde Park to commemorate the centenary of the institution of the Victoria Cross.

George Mawby Ingram VC MM passed away from coronary vascular disease on 30th June 1961 at his home at Hastings on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. ^[1][15] He was buried at Frankston Cemetery.^[1]

Honours and awards

George Ingram medal set

George Ingram deservedly received the following honours and awards (in order of precedence as on the medal set):

• Victoria Cross
• Military Medal
• British War Medal
• Victory Medal
• War Medal 1939-45
• Australia Service Medal 1939-1945
• King George VI Coronation Medal
• Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal

Research Notes

Spelling of his middle name seems to be an issue. The birth certificate states "Mawby", but most war records have "Morby", although the War Memorial takes a bit each way with "Mawby (Morby)". There are others but they seem to be typos or bad transcriptions such as "Mosby" and "Mawley". I have chosen to use "Mawby", a family name from his grandmother, Betsey Mawby although even there was confusion over the spelling. In 1968, the Australian War Memorial asked for clarification of the spelling of his middle name from the Army. They advised that his signature on enlistment in 1916 was George Morby Ingram. However, I might suggest he signed this way because the officer filling out the form had spelt it this way. If they had checked his signature on enlistment in 1945, they would clearly see the alternative, George Mawby Ingram, but again that may be for the same reason as in 1916.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11} Darryl McIntyre, 'Ingram, George Mawby (1889–1961)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, [1], published first in hardcopy 1983, accessed online 23 November 2017.
2. ↑ Vic BDM Index Birth 1889/13505 George Mawley Ingram, George Ronald Ingram(F), Charlotte Hubbard(M), Huntly; [2] Accessed 23 Nov 2017.
3. ↑ Victoria BDM Index Marriage #2295/1910 George Morley Ingram and Jane Francis Nichols; [3] accessed 23 Nov 2017
4. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Second Lieutenant George Morby Ingram; [4] accessed 21 Jan 2019
5. ↑ Australian War Memorial unit record: 24th Australian Infantry Battalion; [5] accessed 21 Jan 2019]
6. ↑ Australian War Memorial Honours and Awards: Lance Corporal George Morby Ingram MM; gazetted 11 May 1917; [6] accessed 21 Jan 2019
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6} Wikipedia profile: George Ingram; [7] accessed 23 Nov 2017
8. ↑ Australian War Memorial Honours and Awards: Second Lieutenant George Morby Ingram VC; gazetted 6 Jan 1919; [8] accessed 21 Jan 2019
9. ↑ Vic BDM Index Marriage 1927/2537 George Mosby Ingram and Ivy Lillian Wakeling; [9] Accessed 23 Nov 2017.
10. ↑ National Archives of Australia, Series B2455, 1914-1920, Ingram George Morby; [10] Accessed 25 Nov 2017.
11. ↑ National Archives of Australia, Series B884, 1939-1945, V82282, Ingram George Mawby; [11] Accessed 25 Nov 2017.
12. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: V82281 Captain George Mawby Ingram; [12] accessed 21 Jan 2019
13. ↑ Vic BDM Index Death 1951/5728 Ivy Lillian Ingram, age 62, Albert Edward Hart(F), Fanny Smith(M), birth Adelaide SA?, death Brighton Middle; [13] Accessed 23 Nov 2017.
14. ↑ Victoria BDM Index Marriage #20699/1951; George Mawby Ingram and Myrtle Lydia Thomas; [14]
15. ↑ Vic BDM Index Death 1961/11786 George Morby Ingram, age 73, George Ronald Ingram(F), Charlotte Hubbard(M), birth Bendigo, death Hastings; [15] Accessed 24 Nov 2017.