Sergeant Ben Ingham
15368 11th East Lancashire Regiment
Killed in Action 1st July 1916, aged 24
Lived at 117 Accrington Road
Buried in Euston Road Cemetery, France
St.Andrews Memorial, Burnley

Burnley Express 5/8/1916 (P)

Ben was the brother of K/10958 Stoker 1st Class John Ingham, Royal Navy who also lost his life during the war.

THREE BURNLEY LAD’S CLUB HARRIERS. TWO KILLED : ONE WOUNDED.
(Burnley Express 1916)

Three close friends of the Burnley “Pals,” and ardent members of the Burnley Lads’ Club, are Private Arthur Brunskill, Sergeant Ben Ingham and Lance Corporal William Marshall. The two former have been killed and the latter wounded on the same day (1st July, 1916), Marshall is now in hospital at Liverpool. A chaplain has written to say he officiated at the burial of six “Pals,” two of whom were Brunskill and Ingham.
The three young men, who were unmarried, all joined the Lads’ Club as boys, and have been closely associated with the club ever since. All were capable gymnasts, and were members of the Harriers, all having won prizes in sports. They all joined the “Pals,” at the same time in September 1914 when the late Captain H. D. Riley, JP, gave the lead to his boys, and have been close companions all the time the Battalion was in Egypt and France.
Sergeant Ben Ingham, who was 24 years of age, was numbered 15368, and previously resided at 177, Accrington Road, Burnley. He had no Mother or Father (alive). He was formerly a weaver at Fold’s Mill, Trafalgar Street, Burnley. For very many years he was an active member of Burnley Lads’ Club, in which he took a great interest. He was also fond of sport, and was secretary for the Harries of the club, and had won many prizes. He was also a Sunday School Teacher of St. Matthews Church, and in the Lads Club he often took the service in the absence of Captain Riley. He has a brother who has been eight years in the Royal Navy.
His sister, who resides at 65 William Road, Burnley, has received the following from a comrade, “Dear Miss Ingham- Just a line to express our sorrow at loosing our Platoon Sergeant, who is your brother. We shall miss Ben, for he was such a good and cheerful fellow. He made life worth living when one would have given it up. I shall myself miss him, for he kept me up when I would have fallen. He died a very brave soldier, doing his duty to the very last. I remain, from the lads of the Platoon, Private W. Harling, PS He has run his course, and therefore laid up a crown of life everlasting, amen.”
Ben Ingham was severely wounded before the attack began- Lance/Corporal William Marshall said in a letter “I am sorry to say that Ben was badly hit, before we went over, in the head and leg, but I don’t know how he is going on--------.”