A private letter received here yesterday from Sergeant E. A. Ingram who is with the Expeditionary Force in Egypt, states that the members are all in good health and spirits. He also mentions that the troops are busily engaged in training, and at the time of writing were indulging in a route march across the desert. Sergeant Ingram desires to be remembered to all his friends. -West Coast Times, 26/5/1915.
WITH THE CANTERBURY BATTALION.
WORK OF THE 13th COMPANY
A WAIAU BOY'S CILVTTY LETTER (excerpt)
Sergeant L. Baker, of the Canterbury Infantry Battalion, writing to his parents at Waiau from hospital in Egypt, says: —
Their first shot splintered my rifle, the next landed on top of the trench, so matters were getting warm. Some time previously Sergeant Ingram had been shot, whether badly or not I don't know; anyway, he couldn't walk. Shortly after I got mine in the arm, and had to run the gauntlet of a rain of bullets, which I managed successfully to do. -Press, 6/7/1915.
SOLDIERS’ LETTERS.
FROM SERGT HARRY WILD. (excerpt)
Writing from Rasel Tin Hospital, Alexandria, on May 29th, to his father (Mr Wild, of Hokitika), Sergt. Harry Wild says:—
“Our company’s casualties have not been heavy, but our sergeants seem to have had a run of bad luck, and only two out of the eight are in the field. Four of us are wounded, one reported missing, and one died of wounds. Sergeant Ingram (formerly of the Public Works Department, Hokitika) was, I believe, wounded in the same place and about the same time as I was. He is reported missing, but as I heard his wound was serious I don’t think there is much hope. -Greymouth Evening Star, 15/7/1915.
News has been received that PlatoonSergeant E. A. Ingram, son of Mr J. B. Ingram, of Richmond; who was reported wounded at the Dardanelles early in May, and of whom no information has since been obtainable, died of his wounds two days later. Although no official information has been received, his parents on Saturday received advice from an unquestionable source that their son had been shot down during a charge from one trench to another. The writer saw Sergeant Ingram fall mortally wounded, and two of his men who went to his aid were mortally shot. Two days later Sergeant Ingram died, and the writer paid his last respects to the fallen soldier. Sergeant Ingram was an old boy of Nelson College, having been there in the years 1905-8, and the entered the Lands and Survey Department at Wellington, and was subsequently transferred on promotion to Nelson and Hokiitika, enlisting at the latter place. -Nelson Evening Mail, 19/7/1915.
The following telegram was received from the Minister of Defence yesterday: "Have received reply from Alexandria that Sergeant Ingram is reported wounded and missing, am making further inquiry." According to private advices Sergeant Ingram died from wounds received in action, though official advice received some time ago intimated that he had been wounded, but not that he was missing. -Nelson Evening Mail, 21/7/1915.
The Official History of the Canterbury Regiment summed up the result of the fighting on the day that Ernest Ingram died as follows: "Thus the result of the attack was no ground gained: and though it was claimed that heavy casualties were inflicted on the enemy, it seems highly improbable that these were as great as our loss of forty-four officers and eight hundred other ranks."
Richmond Cemetery.
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