Rupert Inglis
[1] He was the youngest son of Nova Scotian Sir John Eardley Wilmot Inglis (who died 8 months before Rupert was born) and Julia Selina Thesiger;[2] his father commanded the British forces during the Siege of Lucknow in 1857.
His mother, who was the daughter of Frederic Thesiger, the first Baron Chelmsford, Lord Chancellor, later wrote of her experiences during the siege including extracts from her diary.
[9] He also played against Marlborough College in July 1881 when he was the top-scorer in the first innings, helping Rugby win the match by two wickets.
[11] His debut came against Wales at Rectory Field, Blackheath on 2 January 1886 in a match which England won on tries scored.
He became curate at Helmsley from 1889 to 1890 and then at Basingstoke from 1892 to 1899 (being ordained priest by the Bishop of Winchester in 1894), before being appointed Rector of Frittenden, Kent in 1900.
[2][4] On 13 April 1905, he read the committal part of the service during the funeral of his uncle, General Frederic Thesiger, Lord Chelmsford.
[18] He arrived at Étaples on 5 July and spent his time there acting as a censor of soldier's letters home as well as giving spiritual guidance to the wounded and conducting Sunday worship.
On his return passage, he was shipped from Southampton on a crowded troop ship.When we got on board there wasn’t a seat to be had, and not much lying down room on the floor.
[2] By 18 December, he was camped in a wood near Vlamertinghe where he met a fellow chaplain, Neville Talbot, son of the Bishop of Winchester,[2] who had helped found the Toc H movement,[19] and nursed him through a bout of flu.
"[2] By this time, his letters home regularly complained about the conditions, both in the field hospital ("You would love to see this hut – the untidiness of it beats anything I have ever seen", "It's awfully difficult to get coal here – our allowance is 1 ½ lbs.
The men have generally had morphia given to them, but they do not often give an anaesthetic in a Field Ambulance, so it is very often very painful for the poor chaps having their wounds dressed and attended to.
A man often suffers a lot anticipating he is going to be hurt, and by talking to him and interesting him you can often take his mind off – about all sorts of things, cricket, football, boxing – Captain Moore always helps along and joins in.
His final letter home was dated 17 September 1916 in which he describes his work with the stretcher bearers, bringing the wounded soldiers to the dressing station.
Neville Talbot praised Inglis' bravery and gallantry: I cannot overstate the sorrow there is to-day in his Brigade.
[2] Apart from the letter from Neville Talbot, several other fellow officers sent tributes to Mrs. Inglis:[2] He was one of those whom it was only necessary to meet and then to love.None knew his worth more than we did, as he had lived with us for so long.
One of the bravest men I had ever met and we see many here, he gave his life to help others.He was a man in a million, and very many of us in the 16th Brigade, owe him more than we can say.Your brave husband did untold good work in removing the wounded out of danger while fighting was in progress.
He was so well known to all the men that his presence with the wounded was of great help to them.He was quite fearless, and always glad to rough it in a way that put to shame some younger men.He died nobly, doing his duty and setting a striking example to others.Inglis' name is among the 72,000 dead with no known grave commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
[21] On Remembrance Sunday 2009, Inglis' nephew, Hubert Ashton, preached at St. Mary's church, Frittenden.
