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 1930 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 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 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.
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 1943. This was no temporary cover arrangement, since Ingrams was formally returned to military service to take on the role. Later in the war was transferred to be Special Duties Intelligence Officer for East Anglia.
He remained in the military after the war for some years, serving in the Middle East.
Interview with Douglas' son David here:
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bewley Down (Axminster) Outstation | Operator | 1942 | 1943 |
| Chirnside, Area 17 | Intelligence Officer | 1943 | 1944 |
| Chiswell, Area 12 | Intelligence Officer | 1944 | 1944 |
| Bowland, Area 10 | Intelligence Officer | 1944 | 1944 |
| Cheviot, Area 11 | Intelligence Officer | 1944 | 1944 |
| Golding, Area 17A | Intelligence Officer | 1943 | 1944 |
Shrewsbury School - where his father was the Schoolmaster
Poultry, pig and sheep farmer
17 Apr 1923 Commissioned in to Royal Garrison Artillery from Shrewsbury School Officer Training Corps.
16 Jan 1926 Lieutenant 60th (6th Cheshire and Shropshire) Medium Brigade Royal Artillery (Territorial Army).
1941-1942 Auxiliary Units Special Duties Outstation Operator, and Group Leader, commissioned direct to become Intelligence Officer Special Duties for Southwest.
27 Sep 1943 Transferred to become Intelligence Officer Special Duties Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
1 Jan 1949 Promoted Captain.
12 Feb 1955 Exceeding age limit is no longer liable to recall from Territorial Army Reserve of Officers.
A detailed account of his Auxiliary Units service appears in "Chirnside 1" by Hugh May and David Hunt.
Arthur Gabbitas
David Ingrams
Chirnside 1 by Captain Hugh May David Hunt
Stephanie Manuel
The Last Ditch by David Lampe
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