John Robert Ing was born in Long Crendon in Autumn 1917 to parent John R and Dorothy Ing (nee Warner), where he lived with his family until his marriage. He excelled in all forms of sport at school and captained the school for two seasons when playing in the Anthony-Birrell Cup competition. Prior to the war he was an employee of Major Dyer of Lord Williams’s School, Thame.

He was familiarly known as “Jack” and married Miss Doris Squires in 1938. They settled in her family home at 44 Hampden Avenue, Thame where they had one son, John E, born in 1943. Doris continued to live in Hampden Avenue after WW2. She remarried twice, to Goldspink and to Evans and died in 1992.

John joined the 1st Battalion, Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry when it was brought up to strength following the losses at Dunkirk. They served initially in Northern Ireland. In 1942 they were brought back to England and in 1943 started to train for the forthcoming invasion of Europe.

The 1st Battalion landed in Normandy on 24th June 1944, and the following day took part in “Operation Epsom” which was intended to take the town of Caen. It proved to be a formidable town to capture and was initially unsuccessful.

The 1st Oxford & Bucks moved to positions around the Odon bridgehead where it suffered from heavy German artillery fire and then were held in reserve for few days. On 14th July 1944 they were ordered to attack and take the village of Cahier. John was killed in the fighting for Cahier on 16th July 1944.

538804 John Robert Ing, Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry, is buried in Brouay Cemetery, Calvados, France. He is remembered in Thame on the war memorial and on St Mary’s church memorial board. He is also remembered on Long Crendon war memorial.