INGRAM, Ian Ross
Pilot Stats:
rank: F/Ostatus: kia
airforce: RAAF (no: 403343 )
born: 1920-09-12 Monifieth Scotland
added by: David Garrett
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Bio / Text:
Ian Ingram's family emigrated from Scotland to Australia in 1926, when he was 5 years old
He enlisted in the RAAF in January 1941, and then continued his training in Ontario, Canada, under the Empire Air Training Scheme. He arrived in Britain in September 1941, and joined 225, a Tac/R squadron, as a Pilot Officer, flying Lysanders. In early 1942 the squadron received Hurricanes, and then these were gradually phased out from May 42 onwards and replaced with the Mustang 1.
After flying with 225 through 1942, P/O Ingram was posted away at the end of August. He went to Wellingore, where 81 and 154 squadrons were preparing to be sent overseas, and it is likely that he joined 81 Sqn in early September, on a temporary basis. Both squadrons being non-operational at the time, flying details are incomplete. However, there is an IWM photo of him taken at Wellingore standing on "King of the Air" (probably BM580), a 154 Sqn aircraft.
Ingram travelled to Gibraltar on a troopship with the other initial wave of Operation Torch pilots, and his logbook shows that he made the flight from Gib to Maison Blanche (Algiers) with 81 Sqn on 8th November, which must have been in a Spitfire. His logbook also details three local Spitfire patrols with 81 from MB in the days that followed.
225 Sqn flew in from Gib on Nov 14th, and Ingram, now promoted Flying Officer, rejoined his old squadron flying Tac/R missions in Hurricanes. The squadron moved forward to Bone on 17th Nov, and Ingram was fully involved in the intense action of the next few days, but he was shot down near Mateur on 27th Nov on a 2-plane Tac/R mission. He managed to regain the Allied lines but died of his injuries two days later.
He was buried in Bone (Annabar) Military Cemetery, aged just 22.
He enlisted in the RAAF in January 1941, and then continued his training in Ontario, Canada, under the Empire Air Training Scheme. He arrived in Britain in September 1941, and joined 225, a Tac/R squadron, as a Pilot Officer, flying Lysanders. In early 1942 the squadron received Hurricanes, and then these were gradually phased out from May 42 onwards and replaced with the Mustang 1.
After flying with 225 through 1942, P/O Ingram was posted away at the end of August. He went to Wellingore, where 81 and 154 squadrons were preparing to be sent overseas, and it is likely that he joined 81 Sqn in early September, on a temporary basis. Both squadrons being non-operational at the time, flying details are incomplete. However, there is an IWM photo of him taken at Wellingore standing on "King of the Air" (probably BM580), a 154 Sqn aircraft.
Ingram travelled to Gibraltar on a troopship with the other initial wave of Operation Torch pilots, and his logbook shows that he made the flight from Gib to Maison Blanche (Algiers) with 81 Sqn on 8th November, which must have been in a Spitfire. His logbook also details three local Spitfire patrols with 81 from MB in the days that followed.
225 Sqn flew in from Gib on Nov 14th, and Ingram, now promoted Flying Officer, rejoined his old squadron flying Tac/R missions in Hurricanes. The squadron moved forward to Bone on 17th Nov, and Ingram was fully involved in the intense action of the next few days, but he was shot down near Mateur on 27th Nov on a 2-plane Tac/R mission. He managed to regain the Allied lines but died of his injuries two days later.
He was buried in Bone (Annabar) Military Cemetery, aged just 22.
Squadrons:
| Squadrons add | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Airforce | Sqdrn | Start | Finish |
| RAF | 225 | 1941-09-10 | -- |
Aircraft:
| Aircraftadd | ||
|---|---|---|
| Serial | Note | Date |
| none provided | ||
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Comments / Questions:
by: David Garrett Spitfire flights 2026-11-04 19:06:22
F/O Ingram had 5 operational Spitfire flights with 81 Sqn, being the flight Gib-Algiers and 3 local patrols. But ORBs were not maintained in the first few days of Operation Torch
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