Sunday 18th July 1915

Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram (see 29^th June) wrote to his parents:

18^th July 1915

(Regimental headed notepaper)

Bramshott Camp

Hampshire

My Darling Mother and Father

Dear Ma’s letter came yesterday. I was very pleased to hear Ben Rhydding was a more wild place and that you liked it.  

News of Jack is not too good I’m sorry to say. Mrs. Wilson has been over to see him. So far they have not been able to move him from the Field Hospital. It may be some time before he will be well enough to be moved down to the Base. At present, poor old lad, he can’t talk at all. Whether he ever will be able to talk again remains to be seen as the bullet got him in the brain. 

There’s tremendous excitement here just now. Since Saturday morning, 2am, 69^th Brigade have been under orders to be ready to move at a moment’s notice to South Wales to suppress or keep in order unruly miners, or to protect black-legs. It seems to me the coal miners are almost entirely in the wrong. Why should they be allowed to make huge profits out of the war? If the government would take over the mines they could give the owners rather more than last year’s profits and give the miners a good rise and take the surplus profits for War Loan. 

With much love, your ever loving son

Robert

The potential move to South Wales never materialised as the strike was resolved within the next week.

Ingram’s comments about ‘Jack’ refer to a friend of his from Harrow, 2Lt. Laurence Cecil Wilson, who had been severely wounded in action on 7^th July, while serving with 1^st Battalion Norfolk Regiment near Hill 60, south-east of Ypres.

John George Waggitt (see 30^th March) was transferred to 5^th Artillery Brigade, Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was the brother of Pte. Willie Waggitt (see 15^th July) who would serve with Tunstill’s Company.