Ing, George
Lieutenant George Ing MID - 5th Machine Gun Battalion
George Leslie Ing was born in Perth WA in 1893 to Arthur and Laura Ing. the family had move to Western Australia from Essex England in 1890 and brought their two children with them, Arthur and Laura. George was their first Australian born child.
George was educated locally at Fremantle Boys School and after leaving school he took work as a Grocer, the same as his elder brother Arthur. During this time the family were living at 186 Hampton Road South Fremantle (now 108 Hampton).
On the 15th June 1915 George enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 7 & 3/4 inches tall;
Weight - 151lbs;
Chest Measurement - 37-40 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Dark.
Upon his successful enlistment, George was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the 2nd Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion AIF.
He did not have long to train with this group in WA as on the 22nd July 1915 George and his reinforcement group boarded the transport ship HMAT Demosthenes in Fremantle Harbour and then set sail for Egypt.
After arriving in Egypt in August the reinforcement group went to the same camo that the 28th Battalion were training at. The 28th Battalion were sent to Gallipoli in September 1915 as were George's reinforcement groups. Unfortunately his records are incomplete for 1915 so we don't know when he arrived at Gallipoli but he seems to have survived his time there safely.
After the Gallipoli evacuation the 28th Battalion returned to Egypt and George was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He trained with them in Egypt for the next few months but when the 28th Battalion departed for France in March 1916, George remained in Egypt and was taken on strength of the 14th Machine Gun Company.
He trained with this group in Egypt till mid June 1916 when they embarked for France. After arriving at Marseilles the 14th Machine Gun Company were entrained north for the Armentieres sector.
After just a week or two in the front line, the 14th Machine Gun Company, as part of the 5th Australian Division fought at the Battle of Fromelles. they sustained heavy casualties and during the action George was wounded in the knees. Fortunately the wound was slight and after some medical treatment, he rejoined the 14th Machine Gun Company on the 9th August 1916.
On the 26th August 1916 George was commissioned and became a Second Lieutenant. He remained with the 14th Machine Gun Company and they spent the next few months in the Fromelles sector. In October 1916 they were sent to the Somme Battlefield and would remain there through to February 1917.
On the 29th December 1916 George was granted a fortnight's leave to England, rejoining his unit in mid January 1917. On the 20th January 1917 George was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.
On the 1st March 1917 George fell ill and was sent to hospital and was diagnosed with scabies. He returned to his unit after a few weeks.
The 14th Machine Gun Company supported their infantry during the Hindenburg Line campaign around the outpost villages and at Bullecourt through April and May 1917.
After their Bullecourt action, the 5th Australian Division was given a three month rest period out of the line. Much training and sporting activities took place during this time and George also took the opportunity for a weeks leave in Paris. He only had a few weeks back with his unit when George was sent to the Machine Gun School. He spent most of the month there.
In September 1917 the 5th Division made their way to Belgium to take part in the Third Battle of Ypres. George served with his unit in the opening phase of the action but on the 23rd September 1917 he was granted two weeks leave to the UK, thereby missing his units actions at Polygon Wood. His brother Arthur had been killed at the Battle of Menin Road on the 20th September while serving with the 28th Battalion.
George returned to the 14th Machine Gun Company on the 11th October 1917 and served for the next few weeks around Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele. He came through this period unscathed.
From December 1917 through to March 1918 the 14th Machine Gun Company continued to support the Brigades infantry in Belgium as they held parts of the line between Ypres and Messines.
On the 21st March 1918 the Germans launched their large offensive which broke through the British line further south in France. As a result the Australian Divisions in Belgium were then sent south to help stop this German advance. The 5th Division were sent to the Somme region.
It was at this time when the four Machine Gun Companies of the 5th Division were formed into one unit. The 8th, 14th, 15th, and 25th Machine Gun Companies now formed into the 5th Machine Gun Battalion.
From April to July 1918 the 5th Machine Gun Battalion supported their infantry in operations around the Somme River and Villers-Bretonneux.
On the 1st August 1918 George went on a fortnight's leave to the UK, returning on the 20th August 1918. When George was on leave the August 8th 1918 advance had commenced, when Australian, British and Canadian units broke the German line. The next several weeks were taken up with many advances.
George rejoined his unit just prior to their action at Peronne. On the 1st and 2nd September 1918 George and his unit supported the infantry attacks on Peronne. He was recommended for the Military Cross for his bravery. The recommendation reads;
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during the operations in the vicinity of Peronne on 1st and 2nd September 1918. Under the heaviest artillery and machine gun fire, and although hampered by half his section becoming casualties, he managed to push his guns forward to the front line of the attack and there selected suitable positions for same with a total disregard to personal danger, thereby setting a magnificent example to his men, and by his courage, materially assisted the infantry.
It appears the award of Military Cross was not given to George and instead he was Mentioned in Dispatches.
George continued to serve with his unit for the next few weeks. On the 29th September 1918 George was sent to England for a stint at the Machine Gun Training Depot at Grantham. George then remained in England for the rest of the war in various training units.
On the 18th July 1919 George boarded the transport ship Orsova and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle in August 1919.
George was discharged from the AIF on the 27th October 1919.
Since his departure overseas, his mother had moved to 19 Nelson Street South Fremantle (now 7 Nelson), and this is where George first settled after returning home.
George resumed work as a Grocer/Produce Merchant and was then living in Solomon Street.
On 20th June 1923 at St Paul's Church in Beaconsfield he married Jessie Mildred Sargent and they had a son called Peter in 1924.
In the 1930's the family moved to 15 Riverside Road in East Fremantle.
When George enlisted in World War Two, the family were living in Maylands. George (W27738) served in the 10th Garrison Battalion from 1941 to 1942 and then the 29th Garrison Battalion in 1943. Through these three years of service, George was mainly in the Fremantle, Rottnest and Swanbourne areas. He was discharged medically unfit in 1943.
After World War Two the family moved to Claremont.
George Leslie Ing died on the 16th November 1963 in Nedlands. He was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery plot ZU 0482.