Item Description
Original Items: One-of-a-kind Set. Private First Class Thomas J. Ingram served in the 3rd Infantry Division and fought in Europe. After the armistice he was assigned to the 3rd Army Composite Regiment which was comprised of men from the first six divisions of the 3rd Army. This unit was stirictly used for parades. They paraded twice in Paris, once in London, New York, and Washington D.C. They came home with General Pershing aboard the USS Leviathan. This collection of Private Ingram's Army issue uniform and other gear was recently acquired from the Bob Ford collection, with Mr. Ford having acquired the group directly from Thomas J. Ingram in 1982.
Included in the set are the following items:
- Army tunic with 3rd Infantry Division insignia on left shoulder, private chevron, overseas service chevrons, Company C Collar disc and original buttons.
- M1917 Helmet with wonderful vibrant hand painted 3rd Infantry Division insignia to the front. Under the rim it is painted Thomas Ingram Co' C. 3rd Army Comp. Rect. The helmet is complete with liner and chinstrap.
- 2 Wartime photos of Ingram wearing this very uniform.
- Unit photograph of the 3rd Army Composite Regiment.
- Overseas garrison cap with pin back U.S. insignia.
- Sunday September 14th , 1919 New York Times front page showing the parades (where Ingram marched) in NYC.
- Multiple letters from Ingram to Bob Ford discussing the collection and his service all dated in 1982.
- Small New Testament Bible named to Ingram and his various companies in the war.
- Shaving kit.
- 2 x after action maps of battle campaigns he fought in which are - Meuse-Argonne Offensive and the Battle of Saint-Mihiel.
- Numerous small clippings with various German women's names and contact information undoubtedly from his time on occupation duty, even one from an English girl (the dog!).
- Watch on the Rhine newspaper dated 1919.
- Full color edition of 1919 Original Army of Occupation "March on the Rhine" Poem from VII Corps.
- Cassette tape with what we were told is an interview with Ingram and original collector Bob Ford.
Overall a wonderful Great War set with cull provenance from one of the AEF's most decorated Infantry Divisions.
The 3rd Infantry Division (nicknamed The Rock of the Marne). At midnight on 14 July 1918, the division earned lasting distinction. Engaged in the Aisne-Marne Offensive as a member of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) to Europe, the division was protecting the French capital of Paris with a position on the banks of the Marne River. The 7th Machine Gun Battalion of the 3rd Division rushed to Château-Thierry amid retreating French troops and held the Germans back at the Marne River. While surrounding units retreated, the 3rd Division, including the 4th, 30th and 38th Infantry Regiments, remained steadfast throughout the Second Battle of the Marne, and Colonel Ulysses G. McAlexander's dogged defense earned the 3rd Division its nickname as the "Rock of the Marne". During the massive attack, the 3rd Infantry Division's commanding officer, Major General Joseph T. Dickman, famously cried out "Nous Resterons La" (We Shall Remain Here). Their Blue and White insignia also earned them the nickname The Blue and White Devils." The rest of the division was absorbed under French command until brought back together under the command of Major General Joseph T. Dickman and by 15 July 1918 they took the brunt of what was to be the last German offensive of the war. General John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, Commander-in-chief (C-in-C) of the AEF on the Western Front, called this stand "one of the most brilliant pages in the annals of military history". During the war two members of the division were awarded the Medal of Honor.
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