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Auction: 7012 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 720

The Unique South Africa and Egypt ´Abu Klea´ Pair to Gentleman-Adventurer and Big Game Hunter the Celebrated Mr. W.H. Ingram, Dunn´s Scouts, Attached to Lord Chelmsford´s Chief of Intelligence, and Later Temporary Lieutenant, Royal Navy, Attached Naval Brigade for the Abu Klea Operations, Who Witnessed Various Events in South Africa up to and Including the Battle of Ulundi 1879; Briefly Held a Lieutenancy in the 1st County of London Yeomanry, Middlesex Hussars; Back to Africa, Travelling Mainly by Steam Launch Through the Suez and Other Waterways of Adventure, He Eventually Caught Up With The Gordon Relief Expedition, and Was Befriended By Lord Charles Beresford, Who Later Made Him A Temporary Lieutenant, Royal Navy; He Became Attached to the 61-Strong Naval Brigade; Advancing on Abu Klea He Witnessed the Attack By 10,000 Arabs And Dervishes on The Marching Square of the Expedition; He Was Married Quickly in England 1887, But Back in Africa the Following Year; That April, After So Many Adventures, Close-Calls, And Exploits, Many of Which Were Published, And Which Could Not be Equalled By Any Contemporary ´Boy´s-Own´ Character, Ingram Passed into Legend After He Was Trampled to Death by a Wounded Elephant- He Was Just 33 Years of Age South Africa 1877-79, one clasp, 1879 (Mr. W.H. Ingram, Dunn´s Scouts); Egypt 1882-89, undated, two clasps, The Nile 1884-85, Abu Klea (Lieut. Walter H. Ingram, Attached To Naval Brigade.), minor edge bruising, otherwise nearly extremely fine, both with ornate contemporary silver riband buckles (2) Estimate £ 5,000-7,000 Lieutenant Walter Ingram, born 1855, youngest son of Herbert Ingram, M.P. for Boston, Lincolnshire and founder and proprietor of the London Illustrated News; educated at Eton and Trinity College Cambridge. At 24 years of age Ingram went to South Africa and witnessed some of the events leading up to the defeat of the Zulus, culminating in the battle of Ulundi. Extracts of his letters home for this period were published in his father´s journal and gives Ingram as attached to John Dunn, Chief of Intelligence on Lord Chelmsford´s Staff. Dunn was an extraordinary character who had lived among the Zulus for 30 years, setting himself up as a petty chieftain in King Cetswayo´s confidence and siring over one hundred and sixteen children. The Narrative of Field Operations connected with the Zulu War lists the strength of ´Dunn´s Scouts´ as 244, many of which were probably natives of Dunn´s own enclave. It is curious that although undoubtedly official, being listed in the Handbook, no medal for the Scouts appears to exist. Dunn´s own medal, if issued, would probably have borne the title "Chief of Intelligence", but he does not appear on the roll either. Ingram´s medal with ´Dunn´s Scouts´ upon it may well be unique. At the end of the Zulu War Ingram returned to England and purchased a Lieutenancy in the 1st County of London Yeomanry, Middlesex Hussars. He was in Africa again in 1884 when he heard of the attempt to raise the siege of Khartoum and rescue General Gordon. He arrived in Egypt several weeks after the expedition had set off, but he was determined to follow it. He purchased a steam launch, and together with an engineer and an Arab boy as crew, he passed through the Suez and Sweetwater canals to Cairo and on into the Nile. The boy deserted, and whilst ascending the cataract at Dal the launch capsized throwing Ingram and the engineer into the rapids. The latter, being unable to swim, was rescued by Ingram who later salvaged the boat, discarded the damaged engine and rigged a sail. He then went on alone to Korti, a distance of nearly 500 miles, negotiating two further cataracts along the way. At Korti he finally caught up with the expedition commanded by Stewart, and it was also here that he struck up a friendship with Lord Charles Beresford, who commanded the 61 strong Naval Brigade. The British force, 1200 in number were in desperate need of securing fresh water along the march at Howeiyat, Jakdul Wells and Abu Klea. The first two they occupied without opposition, however at dawn on the 17th of January 1885, the British encampment found itself under fire from Dervish on the nearby hills. They were mustered into a marching square, with the Staff, wounded and sick at the centre. The Naval Brigade, of which Ingram had become a part, was given the task of operating and supporting the Gardner quick firing gun that was positioned just inside of the square at the rear. At 10am the square started to advance towards the Abu Klea, a distance of three miles to be covered under a withering fire. After half an hour of this torturous advance a force of about 10,000 Arabs on foot and horseback started to converge on the square. Orders were given to reach a small area of high ground in the vicinity, however the square was beginning to disintegrate. Lord Beresford, realising what was about to occur, had the Gardner gun run outside of the square and opened fire, cutting swathes through the charging Dervish. The gun jammed, however, and whilst frantic attempts to fix it were being made two of the gun party were speared and Beresford knocked off his feet. Eight other sailors were killed by the oncoming hordes and as many others badly wounded. The Naval Brigade were caught in the crush between the charging Arabs and the front rank of the square. Fortunately elevated ground was reached and volley fire forced the Arabs back temporarily. However, whilst probing for a weakness in the square, they swung round the back and managed to break in through gaps left by the camels. Thus ensued a desperate hand to hand struggle. The ordered discipline of the British volley fire came to the fore again, forcing the Arabs to retreat on all fronts. Ingram had occupied a place in the front rank and Beresford mentions that ´he was a keen soldier.... at one time he was outside the square at Abu Klea, but always cool and collected using his rifle with good effect. Many of us noticed his gallantry and his quiet determined manner.´ After Abu Klea Beresford obtained a temporary commission for Ingram as a Lieutenant in the Navy. In part this was due to the fact that all his officers had either been killed or wounded at Abu Klea, indeed whilst Beresford was being operated on Ingram was the Officer Commanding in his absence. Having secured the wells, it was decided that two steamers were to be sent on ahead to Khartoum, however when they arrived it proved to be too late to rescue Gordon. On the return voyage the Talahawiyeh steamer struck a rock and had to be abandoned, this bad luck continued when two days later the other steamer (Bordein) also struck a rock and had to be run ashore on a small island. News of this reached the main force at Gubat, and a rescue party of 9 officers (including Ingram) and twenty hand picked marksmen set off in the steamer Safieh. The steamer was armed with two Gardner guns and a 4 pounder brass mountain gun. They set off on the 1st of February and in two days were insight of the Bordein, but in order to reach her they had to pass within 80 yards of the heavily armed fort at Wad Habeshi. Safieh brought her guns to bear on the fort and seemed to have managed to run the gauntlet without too much damage before being hit by a stray shell. This pierced the boiler meaning that the steamer had to put in for repairs on the bank furthest from the hostile fort. Repairs were carried on until well into the night, and under fire from the garrison. The steamer´s armament kept up a steady fire, with Ingram serving the Gardner gun all day. The repairs were completed and the men from the Bordein were picked up from the arranged rendezvous point, thus effecting a successful return to Gubat. Beresford commended Ingram for his part in the rescue operation. The Naval Brigade had suffered heavily over the course of eighteen days, with every third man being killed or wounded in action. Ingram returned to England briefly in 1887 to take a wife. He was drawn back to Africa the following year, and in April he was a member of a hunting party in the Somaliland Protectorate. Whilst pursuing an elephant, 40 miles west of Berbera, he was trampled to death by one of the wounded animals that he was hunting. The gentleman adventurer was 33 years old.

Sold for
£5,800