Douglas Ingrams, who had been commissioned into the Territorial Army in the 1920s, became an operator when the Special Duties network was extended into Devon and Somerset, he was an Assistant Area Officer in the Special Constabulary at the time. He was a Group Leader and responsible for the other Special Duties personnel in his network. He also seems to have been visited by the ATS operators from Taunton as well as his Intelligence Officer Captain Coxwell-Rogers although as a social visit.
Beatrice Temple mentions him only once in her diary on Jan 30 1944; To Taunton with Price. Kitty, Ann, G Graham. Delighted to be going to Ousden. After marriage leave. Met new I.O. Captain Ingrams – very ineffectual. Overnight stay.
He seems to have been a quite exceptional group leader, since he was to succeed the acting Intelligence Officer for the area, Captain E.R.R Fingland in 1944. This was no temporary cover arrangement, since Ingrams was formally returned to military service to take on the role. Just over a month later he was transferred to be Special Duties Intelligence Officer for East Anglia where he stayed for 5 months.
He remained in the military after the war for some years, serving in the Middle East.
An account of his Auxiliary Units service appears in "Chirnside 1" by Hugh May and David Hunt. His military Identity Card, issued in April 1944 records he was 5 foot 10 1/2 inches tall with brown hair and blue - grey eyes.
Interview with Douglas' son David here:
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bewley Down (Axminster) Outstation | Operator | Unknown | 22 Apr 1944 |
| Chirnside, Area 17 | Intelligence Officer | 24 Jan 1944 | 27 Feb 1944 |
| Chiswell, Area 12 | Intelligence Officer | 23 Mar 1944 | 22 Aug 1944 |
| Bowland, Area 10 | Intelligence Officer | 15 Mar 1944 | 22 Aug 1944 |
| Cheviot, Area 11 | Intelligence Officer | 28 Feb 1944 | 22 Aug 1944 |
| Golding, Area 17A | Intelligence Officer | 24 Jan 1944 | 27 Feb 1944 |
Shrewsbury School - where his father was the Schoolmaster
University of Wales; Diploma in Forestry
Poultry, pig and sheep farmer
7 April 1923 - 2nd Lieutenant
17 Apr 1923 Commissioned in to Royal Garrison Artillery from Shrewsbury School Officer Training Corps.
7 April 1925 - Lieutenant
15 Jan 1926 - Territorial Army Reserve of Officers, Reserve list (6 Cheshire & Shropshire) Medium Brigade
16 Jan 1926 - Territorial Army Reserve of Officers, Lieutenant
September 1939 - Joined RAF
November 1940 – Missing
Unknown - 1944 Auxiliary Units Special Duties Outstation Operator, and Group Leader
24 Jan 1944 - Commissioned and posted to this unit – Auxiliary Units. Appointed Intelligence Officer with rank of Captain
30 Jan 1944 - Mentioned in Beatrice Temple's diary as Intelligence Officer, Taunton
28 Feb 1944 - Police pass issued for Suffolk, 15 March - Norfolk, 23 March - Essex
22 Aug 1944 - From Auxiliary Units, posted to Intelligence pool, Intelligence Corps Depot. Relinquishes Temp Captain
4 Oct 1944 - 49 Field security course, Matlock
13 Dec 1944 - To be specially employed and granted Acting Captain, pending regrant of T/RR
29 Dec 1944 - Posted to IO Python XIII Middle East, with acting rank of Captain, pending regrant of T/R
16 Jan 1945 - To X (I) 56 Field Security Section, Middle East Force from X (IV) Intelligence Corps base depot. Appointed Field Security Officer
17 Jan 1945 - Stuck of strength unit, with effect from 13 Dec 1944 (date of embarkation) embarked for overseas 13 Dec 1944
24 Feb 1945 - From Field Security Officer, 56 Field Security Section, to be Field Security Officer, 253 Field Security Section. To X (I) 253 Field Security Section,
5 March 1946 - From X (I) 253 Field Security Section, to 264 Field Security Section, (retaining Temp rank). Paid acting Major
14 April 1946 - To 258 Field Security Section, from 264 Field Security Section, (retaining Temp rank)
2 June 1946 - Embarked for UK, (release) and, stuck of strength, Middle East Land Forces. Temp rank retained
5 June 1946 - Temp Major / War sub Captain
20 July 1946 - From X (I) 258 Field Security Section, IG to X (VIIIA) ? I Mobilization Control Centre (release)
1 Aug 1946 - Disembarked UK
3 Aug 1946 to 16 Oct 1946 - Period of release
17 Oct 1946 - Date of release
1 Jan 1949 - Captain, Territorial Army Reserve of Officers
12 Feb 1955 - Exceeded age limit, and ceases to belong to Territorial Army Reserve of Officers. Granted the Honorary rank of Major
27 Nov 1957 - Honorary Major
Born to Reverend William Smith Ingrams and Gertrude Mary (nee Payne) in Shrewsbury, he married Eileen Alice Shortt (born 1897) in 1926 in Zanzibar. The couple returned to the UK and eventually settled at Bewley Down in 1928 to have their family. After Eileen's death in 1973, he remarried Ilona Elliot in 1980. He died in Axminster.
Douglas' elder brother Leonard was on the Gestapo arrest list.
Douglas introduced Pomeranian sheep dogs to the country and showed at Crufts before the war
Arthur Gabbitas
David Ingrams
Chirnside 1 by Captain Hugh May and David Hunt
Stephanie Manuel
The Last Ditch by David Lampe
GRO Lists
MOD Service Record via Chris Perry