Beschreibung:

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 prom