Reginald was the son of Dr Reginald Edward and Florence Anne Ingram-Johnson of The Strand Hotel Rangoon, Burma, although he was born in South Moor, Durham. Reginald attended Corchester School in Corbridge and Rossall School in Fleetwood, before going on to study medicine at the College of Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne (leaving his studies to enlist in the Army). Reginald was also a member of the South Moor cricket team.
Reginald enlisted in the Army on 7th November 1914. He trained in South Shields with 3rd Battalion Durham Light Infantry, and was then attached to 2nd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment. He departed for France on 28th June 1915, and was fatally injured on 8th July of the same year whilst leading a fatigue party. Reginald died of his wounds on the 10th July 1915 aged 20 years old.
Obituary, Medical Gazette Vol XVI, p. 8: ‘Ingram-Johnson came to us from Rossall, in the Michelmas term of 1913. Short though his stay was at the College, it yet sufficed to show him to us as a good sportsman and kindly gentleman. Blessed with a nature so winning and sympathetic that he ever seemed to appreciate the difficulties and troubles of others, he had always a cheery word and smile for everyone. As a sportsman we know only of his keeness and all too little of his abilities. He was an excellent soccer centre-forward and at cricket played regularly for one of the best teams in the Northern Counties. Although, so we believe, he was at first prevented fromjoining the Army on account of ill-health, he pluckily persevered in his efforts, and was at length successful in obtaining a commission in the Durham Light Infantry. Transferring from this regiment, he went to France with the Lancashires in the early summer of this year, and it was while serving with them that he met his untimely death. Through the medium of a short appreciation such as this it is hard to do adequate justice to his character. In conclusion let us say that than him who thus so nobly aquainted “The golden drops of youth” there breathed hardly a truer friend or more fine-hearted gentleman.”