Cherries for the Police Mess

On Tuesday, July 31, 1917, page 3 of the Gaffney Ledger had a news story about a news story about an American who had died near the town of Ammetes. The Canadian Light Horse was stationed near Divion in France at this time.

Mrs. G. T. Clark, of 813 N. Gra-nard [sic] street, has received information of the death of her brother, Zebulon Vance Ingram, at Calais, France. Mr. Ingram was a member of the Nineteenth Dragoons, an organization sent over to the front from Canada at the beginning of the war. He was wounded about two months ago and has been in the hospital since that time. At the outbreak of the war Mr. Ingram was living in Canada, being engaged in farming. He left his home at Alexander about eight years ago and went to the Dominion. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Ingram and was about thirty-four years old.

The Gaffney Ledger
Gaffney, South Carolina
Tuesday July 31, 1917
Page 3

Zebulon  Vance Ingram, a member of the Canadian Light Horse died, not from a gallant cavalry charge, or from an accident involving a horse. He died as a result of picking cherries for the “police mess”. He had climbed a tree to collect cherries on July 7th and a branch broke resulting in a fall and injuries. He was to die on the 20th after being transferred to hospitals in Dannes Camiers and thence to Calais, where he finally succumbed to his injuries.

His Circumstances of Death Card outlines the accident that befell him:

 While in a cherry tree at Amettes at about 7:30 PM July 7, 1917, picking cherries for the police mess, a branch of the tree broke and he fell to the ground, sustaining a fracture and dislocation of the spine.  He was immediately taken to the 58th Casualty Clearing Station, Lillers and later evacuated to No. 18 General Hospital, Dannes, Camiers, and thence to No. 35 General Hospital, Calais, where he succumbed top his injuries some time later.

Trooper Ingram joined with the First Contingent and was attested at Valcartier, Quebec on September 23, 1914. He is one of two soldiers identified with relatives from the United States of the 880 identified casualties buried at the Calais South Cemetery.