- 138
GEORGE MAWBY INGRAM - VICTORIA CROSS MEDAL - 1918 -incl citation and other medals from collection
Estimate
400,000 - 600,000 AUD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- GEORGE MAWBY INGRAM - VICTORIA CROSS MEDAL - 1918 -incl citation and other medals from collection
An Important Australian Victoria Cross Group from the First World War
Awarded to Lieutenant George Morby Ingram, 24th Battalion A.I.F., Western Front, France, 1918
a. Victoria Cross - (London Gazette, 6th January, 1919, p 306)
b. Military Medal - (London Gazette, 11th May, 1917, p 4601)
c. British War Medal - 1914 – 1918
d. Service Medal 1914 – 1919
e. War Medal 1939 - 1945
f. Australia Service Medal 1939 – 1945
g. 1937 - Coronation Medal
h. 1952 - Coronation Medal
Victoria Cross Citation:
"For most conspicuous bravery and initiative during the attack on Montbrehain, east of Peronne, on 5th October, 1918. When early in the advance his Platoon was held up by a strong point, Lieutenant INGRAM, without hesitation, dashed out and rushed the post at the head of his men, capturing nine machine guns and killing forty-two enemy after stubborn resistance. Later when the Company had suffered severe casualties from the enemy posts, and many leaders had fallen, he at once took control of the situation, rallied his men under intense fire, and led them forward. He himself rushed the first post, shot six of the enemy and captured a machine gun, thus overcoming serious resistance. On two subsequent occasions he again displayed great dash and resource in the capture of enemy posts, inflicting many casualties and taking sixty-two prisoners. Throughout the whole day he showed a most inspiring example of courage and leadership and freely exposed himself regardless of danger."
The objective at the battle of Montbrehain was to take the Beaurevoir line and the heavily fortified town of Montbrehain. The Beaurevoir line was taken before 3:00pm on October 3rd, 1918. Two days later on October 5th at 6:50am Major General Rosenthal, with the help of tanks, started his assault on the town of Montbrehain. "A" Company of the 24th Battalion had the right flank, "D" Company had the left flank and "B" Company had the front on assault. "B" Company, which was led by Lieutenant George Ingram, was held up early in the battle by a strong point. When they finally broke through, Ingram led the way as mentioned in the above citation, killing 42 of the enemy and capturing 9 machine guns. Ingram also burst through a cellar door and single handedly captured a garrison of 30 men. By half way through the battle the casualties of the 24th Battalion were so great that they had to borrow men from the 27th Battalion. Finally at 8:00pm, 14 hours after the fighting started, the final objective was taken and Montbrehain fell to the might of the AIF.
For his actions Lieutenant George Ingram won the Victoria Cross. This was the last Victoria Cross awarded during the war to the Australians and Montbrehain was the last battle the AIF was involved in during World War I.
INGRAM, GEORGE MAWBY (MORBY) (1889-1961), soldier and carpenter, was born on 18th March 1889 at Bagshot near Sandhurst (Bendigo), Victoria, son of George Ronald Ingram, farmer, and his wife Charlotte, née Hubbard, both Victorian-born. Educated at Lilydale State School, he was apprenticed as a carpenter and joiner. He later went to Caulfield, Melbourne, and worked as a carpenter until 1914. On 19th January 1910, at East Prahran, he had married Jane Francis Nichols with Congregational forms. There were no children of the marriage which was dissolved in 1926 with Ingram as petitioner, the grounds being desertion by his wife.
In 1905-14 Ingram was a member of the militia forces and was attached to the Australian Garrison Artillery. On 10th December 1914 he enlisted as a Private with the 3rd Battalion, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, and served in New Guinea until his discharge on 19th January 1916; he immediately enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and was allotted to the 16th Reinforcements to the 24th Battalion. In January 1917 he joined his unit in France. Within the next nine months he received promotions from Corporal to Company Sergeant Major and was awarded the Military Medal for 'great courage and initiative as a member of a bombing section' at Grevillers, near Bapaume, in March. He was in hospital from April until June and again during September and October, after which he rejoined his Battalion. On 20th June 1918 he was appointed Second Lieutenant but three days later he was evacuated with illness, resuming duty on 12th July. He was promoted Lieutenant on 24th October.
A tall man of robust physique and quiet, unassuming character, Ingram paid tribute to the bravery of the men in his Company during the advance. In April 1919 he returned to Melbourne and on his discharge became General Foreman with E. A. and Frank Watts Pty Ltd, building contractors. He married a widow, Lillian Wakeling, née Hart, on 10th February 1927 at the Methodist parsonage, Malvern, giving his occupation as farmer. After the completion of Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance, he became a guard there. During World War II he served with the Royal Australian Engineers and attained the rank of Captain.
Ingram's second wife died in May 1951 and on 24th December he married another widow, Myrtle Lydia Thomas, née Cornell, at Brunswick Methodist Church. Survived by his wife and their son, and a son from his second marriage, he died of coronary vascular disease at his home at Hastings on 30th June 1961 and was buried in Frankston cemetery.
Select Bibliography
W. J. Harvey, The Red and White Diamond (Melb, 1920); C. E. W. Bean, The A.I.F. in France, 1918 (Syd, 1942); L. Wigmore (ed), They Dared Mightily (Canb, 1963); London Gazette, 11 May 1917, 6 Jan 1919; Mufti, Nov 1937; war diary, 24th Battalion, AIF (Australian War Memorial). More on the resources
Author: Darryl McIntyre
Print Publication Details: Darryl McIntyre, 'Ingram, George Mawby (1889 - 1961)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 9, Melbourne University Press, 1983, pp 431-432
Awarded to Lieutenant George Morby Ingram, 24th Battalion A.I.F., Western Front, France, 1918
a. Victoria Cross - (London Gazette, 6th January, 1919, p 306)
b. Military Medal - (London Gazette, 11th May, 1917, p 4601)
c. British War Medal - 1914 – 1918
d. Service Medal 1914 – 1919
e. War Medal 1939 - 1945
f. Australia Service Medal 1939 – 1945
g. 1937 - Coronation Medal
h. 1952 - Coronation Medal
Victoria Cross Citation:
"For most conspicuous bravery and initiative during the attack on Montbrehain, east of Peronne, on 5th October, 1918. When early in the advance his Platoon was held up by a strong point, Lieutenant INGRAM, without hesitation, dashed out and rushed the post at the head of his men, capturing nine machine guns and killing forty-two enemy after stubborn resistance. Later when the Company had suffered severe casualties from the enemy posts, and many leaders had fallen, he at once took control of the situation, rallied his men under intense fire, and led them forward. He himself rushed the first post, shot six of the enemy and captured a machine gun, thus overcoming serious resistance. On two subsequent occasions he again displayed great dash and resource in the capture of enemy posts, inflicting many casualties and taking sixty-two prisoners. Throughout the whole day he showed a most inspiring example of courage and leadership and freely exposed himself regardless of danger."
The objective at the battle of Montbrehain was to take the Beaurevoir line and the heavily fortified town of Montbrehain. The Beaurevoir line was taken before 3:00pm on October 3rd, 1918. Two days later on October 5th at 6:50am Major General Rosenthal, with the help of tanks, started his assault on the town of Montbrehain. "A" Company of the 24th Battalion had the right flank, "D" Company had the left flank and "B" Company had the front on assault. "B" Company, which was led by Lieutenant George Ingram, was held up early in the battle by a strong point. When they finally broke through, Ingram led the way as mentioned in the above citation, killing 42 of the enemy and capturing 9 machine guns. Ingram also burst through a cellar door and single handedly captured a garrison of 30 men. By half way through the battle the casualties of the 24th Battalion were so great that they had to borrow men from the 27th Battalion. Finally at 8:00pm, 14 hours after the fighting started, the final objective was taken and Montbrehain fell to the might of the AIF.
For his actions Lieutenant George Ingram won the Victoria Cross. This was the last Victoria Cross awarded during the war to the Australians and Montbrehain was the last battle the AIF was involved in during World War I.
INGRAM, GEORGE MAWBY (MORBY) (1889-1961), soldier and carpenter, was born on 18th March 1889 at Bagshot near Sandhurst (Bendigo), Victoria, son of George Ronald Ingram, farmer, and his wife Charlotte, née Hubbard, both Victorian-born. Educated at Lilydale State School, he was apprenticed as a carpenter and joiner. He later went to Caulfield, Melbourne, and worked as a carpenter until 1914. On 19th January 1910, at East Prahran, he had married Jane Francis Nichols with Congregational forms. There were no children of the marriage which was dissolved in 1926 with Ingram as petitioner, the grounds being desertion by his wife.
In 1905-14 Ingram was a member of the militia forces and was attached to the Australian Garrison Artillery. On 10th December 1914 he enlisted as a Private with the 3rd Battalion, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, and served in New Guinea until his discharge on 19th January 1916; he immediately enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and was allotted to the 16th Reinforcements to the 24th Battalion. In January 1917 he joined his unit in France. Within the next nine months he received promotions from Corporal to Company Sergeant Major and was awarded the Military Medal for 'great courage and initiative as a member of a bombing section' at Grevillers, near Bapaume, in March. He was in hospital from April until June and again during September and October, after which he rejoined his Battalion. On 20th June 1918 he was appointed Second Lieutenant but three days later he was evacuated with illness, resuming duty on 12th July. He was promoted Lieutenant on 24th October.
A tall man of robust physique and quiet, unassuming character, Ingram paid tribute to the bravery of the men in his Company during the advance. In April 1919 he returned to Melbourne and on his discharge became General Foreman with E. A. and Frank Watts Pty Ltd, building contractors. He married a widow, Lillian Wakeling, née Hart, on 10th February 1927 at the Methodist parsonage, Malvern, giving his occupation as farmer. After the completion of Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance, he became a guard there. During World War II he served with the Royal Australian Engineers and attained the rank of Captain.
Ingram's second wife died in May 1951 and on 24th December he married another widow, Myrtle Lydia Thomas, née Cornell, at Brunswick Methodist Church. Survived by his wife and their son, and a son from his second marriage, he died of coronary vascular disease at his home at Hastings on 30th June 1961 and was buried in Frankston cemetery.
Select Bibliography
W. J. Harvey, The Red and White Diamond (Melb, 1920); C. E. W. Bean, The A.I.F. in France, 1918 (Syd, 1942); L. Wigmore (ed), They Dared Mightily (Canb, 1963); London Gazette, 11 May 1917, 6 Jan 1919; Mufti, Nov 1937; war diary, 24th Battalion, AIF (Australian War Memorial). More on the resources
Author: Darryl McIntyre
Print Publication Details: Darryl McIntyre, 'Ingram, George Mawby (1889 - 1961)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 9, Melbourne University Press, 1983, pp 431-432
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."