My uncle Robert Ingram served with the Gordon Highlanders in WW2. He was taken prisoner and sent to Poland. He died on 6 November 1943 after being shot trying to escape. He is now buried in the Commonwealth War Graves in Berlin. I wonder if anyone has any information on him or can tell me how to find out about his service and death.
Hi Margaret Welcome I assume this is your Uncle INGRAM, ROBERT Rank:Private Service No:2882961 Date of Death:06/11/1943 Age:25 Regiment/Service:Gordon Highlanders Awards:Mentioned in Despatches Grave Reference: 11. A. 12. Cemetery:BERLIN 1939-1945 WAR CEMETERY Additional Information:Son of William and Georgina Ingram, of Aberdeen. Regarding his service you will need to obtain his service record link - Requests for personal data and service records: a detailed guide - GOV.UK Regarding his time as a POW then it may be necessary to initially find out which camps he was in. The Red Cross are currently updating their systems but once updated may provide you with some information. Contacting the Regimental archives may also help. Unfortunately it is usually a matter of finding the pieces of the jigsaw then trying to put them together, I doubt there will be one source that has the complete and detailed story TD
Thank you for your help. I will take your advice and hopefully find out some more about his time as a POW before his death.
Here you go the first step perhaps Stalag IXC Bob Ingram, who was later killed during an escape attempt on Saturday 6th November 1943. See also 1, 2, 3, 4. Kim Button writes, "My father (Gordon) was a POW at Stalag IXC and knew Bob Ingram there and has had his photo in a box since coming back from the war. My dad remembers the furore when Bob was shot whilst trying to escape. Dad assisted with running some of the stores in the camp. These stores were in an upper storey building and dad showed Bob where the floor became a ceiling to a room below. This room was next to the outer wall. Dad gave Bob a compass to help him on his way, once outside the camp. Prior to the attempt, sadly, the escape became common knowledge among a few - including some guards. My father tells me that the guard who shot Bob was a Czech (or eastern bloc recruit) and gave no allowance to surrender before firing. The soldier was waiting in the room below and that was it. Bob was killed instantly as he broke through the ceiling. I am told by dad that his fellow escapees surrendered. My dad is now nearly 90 and I would love to hear from anyone who is related to, or knew Bob. If I could pass any words from any surviving POW or relative / friend of Bobs I know my father would be very touched and comforted. My dad was seriously wounded prior to capture in May 1940 - whilst retreating to Dunkirk. He was released by the Americans in 1945." TD
I really appreciate this info. Robert was my father's younger brother who was also serving in WW2 and he had managed to get permission for Robert to join him just before he was captured. Unfortunately my father passed some years ago and I don't think he knew the information you have sent. I too have this photo which my Dad have to me. Thank you again. At least now I know the circumstances of his death and will pass this on to remaining family. Robert was unmarried so had no children of his own.
Margaret If you open the link to the site then there are other photos - do you have them as well. It might also be useful for you to contact the person at the base of this page - Stalag IXC The funeral, with due ceremony by German guards and British prisoners, of Bob Ingram, killed during an escape attempt on the 6th November 1943 German guards fire a salute at the funeral of Bob Ingram, killed during an escape attempt on the 6th November 1943
hello Margaret a photo below of his CWGC headstone Private Robert R Ingram ( - 1943) - Find A Grave Photos
Margaret I understand that there was a problem with that email address sometime back, but perhaps through this link Prisoner of War - or another member may be able to help out. TD
It was I who posted some of that stuff on Pegasus archives. A Friend's Dad (Gordon Button of the Buffs) now sadly passed away, had some of the photos in his possession. This is what I had typed on the site about the escape. It was an eyewitness account about what happened. "My father (Gordon) was a POW at Stalag IXC and knew Bob Ingram there and has had his photo in a box since coming back from the war. My dad remembers the furore when Bob was shot whilst trying to escape. Dad assisted with running some of the stores in the camp. These stores were in an upper storey building and dad showed Bob where the floor became a ceiling to a room below. This room was next to the outer wall. Dad gave Bob a compass to help him on his way, once outside the camp. Prior to the attempt, sadly, the escape became common knowledge among a few - including some guards. My father tells me that the guard who shot Bob was a Czech (or eastern bloc recruit) and gave no allowance to surrender before firing. The soldier was waiting in the room below and that was it. Bob was killed instantly as he broke through the ceiling. I am told by dad that his fellow escapees surrendered. My dad is now nearly 90 and I would love to hear from anyone who is related to, or knew Bob. If I could pass any words from any surviving POW or relative / friend of Bobs I know my father would be very touched and comforted. My dad was seriously wounded prior to capture in May 1940 - whilst retreating to Dunkirk. He was released by the Americans in 1945." I also asked SmudgerJnr to take a grave photo at the Berlin War Cemetery. This is attached, plus another group photo with Bob Ingram lying on the floor.
Thanks for all the information you posted. I am Bob Ingram's niece. please thank Gordon Button's family for me.
Hi Margaret, Sadly I'm no longer in contact with the Button Family, so can't pass on your message. Apparently Bob Ingram was going stir crazy being locked up, hence the escape attempt, which he paid for with his life. In fact, it was just after I first became a member of WW2Talk and became more interested in the subject, that I helped put the information on Pegasus Archives. Kind regards Rob
I forgot to mention that Bob Ingram was a POW in Stalag IX9, which was close to Bad Sulza, a town in the Weimarer Land district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Ilm, 15 km southwest of Naumburg, and 18 km north of Jena.
Hi Margaret, My Uncle, John Doolan, was a Prisoner of War during World War 2, he served in the Gordon Highlanders. I have just read this passage in his memoirs referring to an escape attempt involving 6 soldiers including himself and a Bob Ingram, I came across this forum following a Google Search. The passage is: "This was a bad error on our part trying to escape from the inside and trying to knock a hole in the partition wall, while the music was playing, the Germans heard this and one of our boys was shot, it could’ve been any of the 6 of us but poor Bob Ingram of The Gordons drew number one first through the hole, we created a terrible disturbance at our threats of our own life’s from the captain of the area Erfurt. We buried Bob Ingram with a full military funeral in a cemetery in Erfurt." I believe that your uncle may well have served with my Uncle John, the army numbers also begin 288 so they clearly served at the same time. You are welcome to contact me should you wish to: adoolan16 AT googlemail.com Regards, Anthony.
Anthony - not a good idea to post your email, this is a public site and is watched by bots etc suggest you change @ for 'at' TD
Can you ask Mods to change it as I can't see an edit option. Also in my post the name should be Bob Ingram, can they edit that? I've double checked the spelling from the hand written copy.
Have done so - might need to have a certain number of posts (perhaps 5) before you can edit and start conversations, its to make sure I guess you arent a one post wonder. You can make the name change later of course if you intend sticking around for a while TD