A Memorial Group To The Son Of The Commanding Officer Of The 105Th Overseas Battalion

Lieutenant John Walter Ings, KIA: British War Medal (LIEUT. J.W. INGS) and Victory Medal (LIEUT. J.W. INGS). Naming is officially impressed. Un-mounted, very light contact, near extremely fine. Both medals are enclosed in their cardboard shipping boxes, inscribed "LIEUT. J.W. INGS" on their lids. Accompanied by his Memorial Plaque (JOHN WALTER INGS), itself mounted to a 172 mm x 245 mm lacquered wooden plaque via a screw, with string loop on the reverse for wall hanging. Also included is his father, Second-in-Command of the 6th Canadian Mounted Rifles and Commanding Officer of the 105th Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Albert Ernest Ings' 1914-15 Star Award Certificate (white paper, 128 mm x 138 mm, fold marks), his War Service Badge Certificate (moisture-resistant linen paper stock, made out to "Lt Col A E Ings 6th CMR" for "Service in France", dated August 27, 1919, entitling him to wear the War Service Badge, Class "A", number 396028, 83 mm x 128 mm, fold marks) and his medals cardboard shipping box (inscribed "LT. COL. A.E. INGS." on the lid).

Footnote: Lieutenant John Walter Ings was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, the son of Lieutenant Colonel Albert Ernest Ings and Clara Ings. He attended Royal Military College as a Gentleman Cadet and was named a 2nd Lieutenant, effective July 27, 1916, the announcement appearing in the Third Supplement to the London Gazette 29682 of Tuesday, July 25, 1916, on Wednesday, July 26, 1916, page 7418. Lieutennt Ings enlisted in the United Kingdom with the 5th Field Company, Royal Engineers and was with them when he was Killed in Action on September 18, 1918, at the age of 20. Lieutenant Ings is buried in Beaumetz Cross Roads Cemetery, Beaumetz-les-Cambrai, France, Grave Reference: E. 18 and is commemorated on page 589 of the First World War Book of Remembrance. His father, Lieutenant-Colonel Albert Ernest Ings was born on May 11, 1866, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, the youngest child of John Ings and Mary Jane Yeo, who was the daughter of James Yeo of Port Hill, Prince Edward Island. Ings first attended Prince of Wales College, then, in January 1880, he entered Cheltenham Proprietary College in Gloucestershire, England, the college having the purpose of educating the sons of gentlemen. It was here that he was noted as an outstanding amateur in XV (rugby) footballer. Leaving school in April 1884, his interest in excellence in sport remained with him throughout in life, as he was later named as Captain of the Abegweit Football Club, a lead organizer of local amateur athletics, and of golf, in Charlottetown. He studied to become a barrister and was called to the bar in 1895. As the junior, he joined the practice of two future premiers, Peters and Peters, eventually becoming a partner. When not engaged in legal matters, managing his father’s interests, he stood as a director in both the Charlottetown Steam Company, and The Telephone Company, and secretary of Charlottetown Light and Power. In April 1910, as one of three founding shareholders, he joined in the coming together of the new Maritime Telegraph & Telephone Company Limited. With this, he then saw to its purchase of a noted interest in The Telephone Company of Prince Edward Island (1885) in June 1910. Like many established gentlemen of Charlottetown, he took up soldiering with the Prince Edward Island militia, serving for fourteen years with ‘L’ Squadron, Canadian (PEI) Mounted Rifles (from 1901), becoming its Second-in-Command, as it became the 36th Regiment, PEI Light Horse (1914). Upon the outbreak of hostilities, as mobilization of a Maritimes recruited mounted unit took place, now a Major at 49 years old, he volunteered to serve, appointed as Second-in-Command of the 6th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles. He enlisted on June 7, 1915 and arrived in England in July 1915, after which he served in France from October 1915 to January 1916. The 6th CMR mobilized at Amherst, Nova Scotia, in March 1915 and served as mounted infantry. It was broken up, being dismounted and its Islanders dispersed or absorbed by the newly designated 4th and 5th Battalions (CMR) in January 1916. Ings was promoted to a Lieutenant-Colonel and appointed to be the first Commanding Officer of the 105th Infantry Battalion. The Battalion was raised in Prince Edward Island with mobilization headquarters at Charlottetown, under the authority of G.O. 151, December 22, 1915. The Battalion sailed July 16, 1916, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Ings with a strength of 37 officers and 1,087 other ranks. In England, he contested the unit's reduction in strength and he remained with it until January 22, 1917, when he moved with its remaining Islanders to the 104th (New Brunswick) Battalion upon the 105th's absorption. Through continued training and multiple re-designations in England, he commanded the 104th Battalion until March 2, 1918, which was his second CEF battalion command, again not seeing action in France or Flanders. Lieutenant-Colonel Ings returned to the Island but his personal war carried on, as he lost a son, the aforementioned Lieutenant John Walter Ings, 56th Field Company, Royal Engineers, on September 18, 1918. He settled for a short time after having returned to Ings House, at Dundas Esplanade, then in 1919, he sold it to the Navy League of Canada for their use as a Sailors Home. Ings was widowed in 1937 and left to live in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He died on November 23, 1944 in Winnipeg, at the age of 78. After a service at St. Paul’s Church, he was buried beside his wife, in Sherwood Cemetery in Charlottetown.