John Anthony Ingram DFC RAF - 103 Squadron – 1937/41 - 39187
Tony ( pictured above ) was born in Taunton, Somerset in 1913.Nothing is known of his early life but he seems to have acquired good language skills and may have lived with his family in Germany or Poland before he finally joined the RAF in 1936/37 when he was 24. Possibly his father worked there either at the Embassy or for one of the UK businesses/engineering firms that had interests in Poland at that time. He may have attended a university abroad or possibly had relatives in Poland.
Tony Ingram on the right with Arthur Vipan.
Joined 103 Sq in 1937 flying Hinds, Battles and then Wellingtons. He served with distinction during the Battle of France when he was a Flight Commander and awarded the DFC.
Tony was the only survivor from the 4 Battles dispatched on the Squadron's first operation of the Battle of France on the 10th May 1940. Lowne Wells and Drabble crews failed to return. Tony Ingram just made it back with his machine riddled with bullet holes and strongly expressed the view that low level attacks of this nature were just not viable against such fierce opposition.
DFC Citation
London Gazette - John Anthony Ingram DFC 39187. Acting (Flight Lieutenant John Anthony INGRAM (39187).During a period in May, 1940, this officer carried out numerous day and night raids against enemy positions, pressing home his attacks with courage and determination. On one of these raids he was attacked by a formation of Messerschmitt 109s one of which he shot down with his front gun. As a flight commander he has set a splendid example by displaying courage, determination and gallantry of a high order.
A pic taken at Rheges France just after the Squadron left Betheniville. It was one of a series of pics part of an official RAF photo shoot and one of the last before France finally capitulated to the Germans. Tony Ingram is seen preparing for take off in his Battle. Note the A Flight pennant/guidan which was Ingram’s personal A Flight emblem. It is a Polish Eagle and probably something he latched on to when he was abroad as a young man
From the same photo shoot. L to R - Thomas Dickens OC 103 Squadron, Tony Ingram, Sgt McCudden. The later was related to Jimmy McCudden the WW1 RAF fighter ace and VC
On return to the UK he was transferred to a Polish Bomber training unit in the UK because of his langauge skills. Sometime later he returned to 103 Sqn as A Flight Commander.
He flew the following operations on Wellingtons with 103 Squadron as first pilot and may have flown others as co-pilot that are not recorded
22-Aug-41 - Le Havre - Docks and shipping – Wellington – X9813 – S/L JA Ingram
27-Aug-41 – Boulogne - Docks and shipping – Wellington – N/K – S/L JA Ingram - Unable to locate primary. Landed at Bircham Newton
He was shot down flying as co-pilot with F/O Wardaugh in Wellington X9609 on 20th Sept 1941. and was taken prisoner of war ending a 4 year stint with 103 Sqn.
It is not clear what happened to Ingram after the war. However he turns up again many years later when he settled in the Lake District. Presumably that was when he retired. What he did in the intervening years is unknown.
In later years Tony lived at Ulverston in the Lake District and was a popular local figure, journalist and photgrapher and well known for always being very smartly dressed wearing plus fours and a collar and tie. He never talked about his RAF career at all but remained very active in his later years and was regularly seen driving his car around the locality up until just before his death. I do not think he ever married and he did not leave any papers or memoirs. This is a great shame as he was a clearly a most interesting chap. He died in 2006 at Oxen Park Ulverston.
My original contact who dealt with his was never able to discover anything more about him but that was many years ago and I will try again and see if can come up with some thing in the next few months
Compiled by David Fell with photos from my archive.
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