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British Artillery General’s Service Dress

Article about: I have done some research into the life and service of Charles St Maur Ingham. Much of this research was done using the vast resources of the internet, although some has come from my own sou

  1. #11

    Default Re: British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    I have done some research into the life and service of Charles St Maur Ingham. Much of this research was done using the vast resources of the internet, although some has come from my own sources. Some of the primary online sources are:

    www.ancestry.ca This, or one of it’s other national forms, is an absolute essential for research. Although set up as a resource for tracing your own family tree, it is the best source of it’s kind for military records. I have the ’world’ version, which costs a little more, but allows me to look up records from all over the world.
    www.thepeerage.com This resource is only useful for tracing members of the British aristocracy, as Ingham was.
    Anglo Boer War website An excellent reference site on all aspects of the Second Boer War 1899-1902
    The Long, Long Trail Best WW1 reference site on the British Army on the internet
    London Gazette Home Page Trying to research a British or Commonwealth officer without using the London Gazette is pretty much impossible

    Here is what I have so far. At the moment it is just a rough series of events that I have grouped into a basic history of his life:

    Early Life
    Charles George St Maur Ingham was born in the Parish of St George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England (now City of Westminster, London) on 5 September 1873. His parents were James Penrose Ingham and Lady Caroline Margarite Stanhope. The youngest of three children, he was fairly typical of the British ‘officer class’ of the period, born into a wealthy family and receiving a good education. I found a reference of his time at Eton College in the book Eton in the Eighties by Eric Parker which states: “On the Collegers' side, in these two years, the names in the record of the war are not so frequent. In 1889 C. G. St. Maur Ingham played goals, and ten years later served with his battery in South Africa”.
    The London Gazette for 5th March 1895 records his commission into the RA from the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich: “Gentleman Cadet Charles St Maur Ingham, from the Royal Military Academy, to be Second Lieutenant in succession to Lieutenant A. F. S. Scott, seconded. Dated 1st March, 1895”.

    Second Boer War

    The next references to him I have found are from the Boer War. He is listed on the roll for T Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, which must have been his original unit.

    British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    This picture is captioned as “T, E and J Battery Officers”, and it is very likely that St Maur Ingham is one of the subalterns on the right. His entry on the medal roll for the Queen’s South Africa Medal confirms that he qualified for the following clasps, which give a general indication of his service: Relief of Kimberley (February 1900), Paardeberg (February 1900), Dreifontein (March 1900), Johannesburg (May 1900), Diamond Hill (June 1900) and Belfast (August 1900).

    His participation in the Relief of Kimberley has been recorded in the following montage picture:

    British Artillery General’s Service DressBritish Artillery General’s Service Dress

    Despite it’s rather Monty Pythonesque look, the picture has all officers involved in the relief, with Lieutenant C St M Ingham being number 210. The Medal Roll for T Bty, RHA is reproduced here:

    British Artillery General’s Service DressBritish Artillery General’s Service Dress

    The remarks column on the right notes that Captain C St M Ingham transferred on 1st March 1901 to the “1-Pr Maxims”, a Royal Field Artillery unit. This is confirmed by this second QSA Medal Roll for a unit entitled 1-Pr Maxims RA (Pom-Poms). These 1-Pr Maxims were new weapons, basically a 37mm machine gun (known as a Pom-Pom from the sound it made) and, despite later being classed as an anti-aircraft weapon, it was used against infantry in South Africa. Here is a picture of an example manned by Australian troops:

    British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    Although the weapon had originally been rejected by the British government, Maxim-Nordenfelt had sold the weapon to South Africa, and some of these early versions were used by the Boers against British troops.

    The next reference I have for him is another Gazette entry from 10th September 1901, when he was ‘mentioned in despatches’ (the first of 5 MIDs that I have found).

    His entitlement for the King’s South Africa medal was recorded thus:

    British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    And he is also noted on the following QSA Medal Roll:

    British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    This last roll gives his unit as 116th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, which I am assuming was his unit after the 1-Pr Maxims. After the Boer War, he married his wife, Phyllis Geraldine Betton-Betton-Foster on 29 September 1903. They had one daughter, Geraldine St Maur Ingham.

    I will continue this with evidence I have uncovered about his WW1 service and subsequent life.

    Rob

  2. #12

    Default Re: British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    I thought I should finish this off by presenting my research finds for WWI and post-war:

    World War One

    At the start of the Great War, Ingham was a Major and went over with the British Expeditionary Force, arriving in France on 20th August 1914 (see medal card below). The first reference I have for him was his first of four ‘mentions in despatches’ for this war (courtesy of Ancestry.ca):

    British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    As can be seen, he is listed as being with 40th (XL) Brigade RFA, a unit of the Regular Army’s 3rd Division, often called the ’Iron Division‘). I actually found a copy of Sir John French’s despatch online, although it doesn’t give any specific details. Several officers of his unit were mentioned. 3rd Div were involved with most of the major actions of 1914, including the battles of Mons, the Marne and First Ypres.

    The next reference I have for him would be the date on the jacket itself, October 1915, which would suggest he was on leave at the time and took the opportunity to acquire some new equipment. The copy of the Army List I have for Dec 1917 records that he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in April 1916:

    Royal Regt of Artillery, Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery, Lt-Colonels, Ingham C St M, DSO, 13 Apr 16

    By November 1916, he was back at the front earning another MID, which was gazetted in 1917:

    British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    I am assuming (but will have to confirm) that his promotion to Lt-Col probably coincided with his moving to another unit. The London Gazette of 29 December 1916, confirms his award of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). One of the cards from his last two Mentions in Despatches give his unit as 71st Brigade RFA:

    British Artillery General’s Service DressBritish Artillery General’s Service Dress

    71st, or more properly, LXXI Brigade RFA, was one of the artillery units of 15th (Scottish) Division, a New Army division of ‘Kitchener men’, and as a Lt-Col, he would have been the Commanding Officer. Transfers like this were not uncommon for New Army units. Although the New Army had been trained, and it’s ‘civilians in uniform’ nature made it a very innovative force, it lacked any real experience, and the swapping out of units, formation and officers from the Regular Army and Territorial Force, provided some of this. I suspect this is the reason for his being moved to a New Army unit.

    His entry in the Army List for Dec 1918 shows he was moved up further:

    Royal Regt of Artillery, Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery, Lt-Colonels, Ingham C St M, DSO, (temp Brig-Gen) s, 13 Apr 16

    And so at some point he was made temporary Brigadier-General. His medal roll card gives more information on this:

    British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    On the ‘Correspondence’ side he is noted as being “GOC 15th Div Artillery HQ”, i.e. General Officer Commanding 15th Division Artillery HQ, a position more commonly called the CRA (Commander, Royal Artillery). Due to the fact that he forwarded a roll of names for award of the 1914 Star in December 1917, and that he is listed in the Dec 17 Army List as a Lt-Col, it can be surmised that his promotion to CRA must have been around this time.

    Post-War

    The London Gazette of 31 December 1918 has Charles St Maur Ingham in the 1919 New Year’s Honours List, receiving the Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG). The edition for 21 Jul 1919 also names him as receiving the French decoration of the Legion d'Honneur, Officier. On 30th October 1919 he is again mentioned as being “restored to the establishment” as a “Supernumerary Lt-Col“. His medal card shows he was commanding V Reserve Brigade after the war, and, I believe, the last entry is his retirement in June 1922 (he would have been about 3 months short of his 49th birthday). His home was at Windley Hall in Derbyshire at the time.

    The last reference prior to his death that I have for General Ingham, is again in the London Gazette, where he is acting as executor for his sister’s will in 1931, and his address is given as The Lodge, Beaulieu, Hampshire.

    He died on 23 April 1936 at age 62.

    At the moment this is all I have for the life and service of Brig-Gen Charles St Maur Ingham. I hope it is interesting for people. My next stage would be to transpose this basic outline onto a history of the military units mentioned to compile more of a narrative on the background of his service.

    Rob

  3. #13

    Default Re: British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    I have made some further progress with both research and restoration of this jacket, which I hope will be of interest. Firstly, I bought a reprint of the 15th (Scottish) Division history

    The Fifteenth (Scottish) Division 1914-1919 by Lt-Col J Stewart DSO and John Buchan

    British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    Which, apart from being a great read anyway, has cleared up some details. Ingham is mentioned several times in the book, including in the two orders of battle, for 2 Oct 1916 and for the fighting at Buzancy (July 1918). It would appear that he was initially commanding 73 Brigade RFA, which was broken up in December 1916, and then moved to command 71 Brigade. By the time of the Battle of Buzancy in July 1918 he is listed as “acting CRA” (commanding 15th Div artillery and 71 Brigade), as the CRA (Brig-Gen McNaghten) was absent on leave. The staff listing then shows he officially took over as CRA in October 1918.
    An excerpt from the book from 23rd July 1918 gives a great example of both the effectiveness of artillery and the co-operation of the allied forces on the western front:

    "About 6pm the enemy launched a strong counter-attack from Chivry Farm under a fairly heavy artillery barrage. This was repulsed without difficulty by artillery and machine-gun fire, and he made no further effort to interfere with the work of consolidation, which was at once commenced. During the evening, all the American guns left in the line were withdrawn, and command of artillery passed to Lieut-Col Ingham, acting CRA, Fifteenth Division, who, in addition to his own, had the guns of the 253rd French Artillery Regiment, consisting of three brigades, each made up of three four-gun batteries of .75s."

    I have recently also managed to find two period sets of Brigadier-General insignia:

    British Artillery General’s Service DressBritish Artillery General’s Service Dress

    These, and another identical pair, are certainly of the correct period, as they are marked J & Co (Jennens and Co), who only existed until 1924 when they merged into J R Gaunt.

    British Artillery General’s Service DressBritish Artillery General’s Service DressBritish Artillery General’s Service Dress

    Starting to look better I think. The next stage is to recreate a correct medal ribbon bar and replace the missing gorget button. I have also found a cap to go with the jacket, although it, too, will be a restoration project, and probably more difficult one.

    Rob

  4. #14

    Default Re: British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    More great research Rob and it does look good with the restored Brigadier General's insignia.
    Regards,

    Jerry

    Whatever its just an opinion.

  5. #15

    Default Re: British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    Nice one Rob.

    Cheers, Ade.
    Had good advice? Saved money? Why not become a Gold Club Member, just hit the green "Join WRF Club" tab at the top of the page and help support the forum!

  6. #16
    bluenosewrx
    ?

    Default Re: British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    Rob

    I have stumbled apon this gem that you have wrote,

    i am currently a SSgt in 56 Olpherts Bty RA, part of 39 Regt RA based in Newcaste and equipped with GMLRS.

    It was 23 RFA up until approx 1965 it then becams the current 56 Bty, Major Ingham was the battery Commander during the first part of the war, could i please have your permission to use your text and pictures to write a piece on him for the centenery of ww1 next year.

    It would be greatly appreciated.

    Matthew

  7. #17

    Default Re: British Artillery General’s Service Dress

    Quote by bluenosewrx View Post
    Rob

    I have stumbled apon this gem that you have wrote,

    i am currently a SSgt in 56 Olpherts Bty RA, part of 39 Regt RA based in Newcaste and equipped with GMLRS.

    It was 23 RFA up until approx 1965 it then becams the current 56 Bty, Major Ingham was the battery Commander during the first part of the war, could i please have your permission to use your text and pictures to write a piece on him for the centenery of ww1 next year.

    It would be greatly appreciated.

    Matthew
    Sadly for some unknown reason Rob no longer posts here so I doubt he will respond to your request. A shame as he was a real asset to the forum IMHO.
    Regards,

    Jerry

    Whatever its just an opinion.

  8. #18

    Default

    Quote by Jerry B View Post
    Sadly for some unknown reason Rob no longer posts here so I doubt he will respond to your request. A shame as he was a real asset to the forum IMHO.
    Bugger He Really was an asset! I miss Him greatly

  9. #19
    morgan108
    ?

    Default

    As an ex battery sergeant major of T shah sujahs troop of which general Ingham was serving as a lowly subaltern this is a first class find would you please reply to this post i am very interested in the uniform.

  10. #20

    Default

    Quote by morgan108 View Post
    As an ex battery sergeant major of T shah sujahs troop of which general Ingham was serving as a lowly subaltern this is a first class find would you please reply to this post i am very interested in the uniform.

    sadly Rob left the forum.
    Regards,

    Jerry

    Whatever its just an opinion.

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