[1][2] Ingouville-Williams was born in Purbrook, Hampshire, to General Sir John W. C. Williams, an officer of the Royal Marines, and Georgiana Isabella, the daughter of a wealthy landowner.

[10] After completing his tour as his battalion's commanding officer (CO), he was, after being promoted to the full rank of colonel in March 1908,[11] placed on a period of half-pay.

[12] He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in June 1910[13] and went on to serve as commandant of the School of Instruction for Mounted Infantry in March.

After training in England, he took the 34th to the Western Front in January 1916 and led the division at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in summer 1916.

On 22 July, Ingouville-Williams and his aide-de-camp personally inspected the ground on which the division was expected to fight the following week.