{"id":1021,"date":"2015-09-30T02:33:17","date_gmt":"2015-09-30T02:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/strathroycaradoclions.ca\/?page_id=1021"},"modified":"2016-12-10T22:36:17","modified_gmt":"2016-12-11T03:36:17","slug":"ferguson-william-kennedy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rememberourvets.ca\/index.php\/ferguson-william-kennedy\/","title":{"rendered":"Ferguson, William Kennedy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Enlistment<\/strong> #R97090 (posthumously promoted to rank of Pilot officer, thus being allocated a new service number: J-85171)<\/p>\n

Sergeant Pilot<\/strong> – the rank of Pilot Officer was awarded posthumously:<\/p>\n

\"11<\/a><\/p>\n

Although William ‘Bill’ Kennedy Ferguson’s name is on the Strathroy cenotaph, he never lived in Strathroy. \u00a0His family re-located from Peterborough<\/a> to Strathroy in the year following his death in France, and brought \u00a0their memories of him with them<\/a>. It was three years after his death, and they were already living in Strathroy, that his family learned\u00a0where he was buried\u00a0and the circumstances of his death.<\/p>\n

“William Kennedy Ferguson was born on February 29, 1920 in\u00a0Peterborough, Ontario to William Lauder Ferguson and Mary Sophia Hannah Ferguson. He had dark hair, and was called \u201cBill\u201d by his family and friends. He was the oldest of six children. His younger siblings were Robert, James, Mary, Jean and Donald. His father William worked for a carpet company in Peterborough for several years, and in 1943, he purchased the Strathroy Woolen Mills from the Butler Family. The rest of the family moved to Front St. East, Strathroy the following year.<\/strong> William went to grade school in Peterborough and he attended Peterborough Collegiate Institute.<\/p>\n

He enjoyed playing basketball and baseball, and was very involved in the Y.M.C.A. After completing his education, he worked in the insurance business. William was not married.<\/p>\n

William enlisted in the Prince of Wales Rangers (Peterborough Regiment) in August 1940 and was posted to “A Company”\u00a0with a\u00a0service number\u00a0C461060. On March 1st 1941 (one day after his 21st birthday) he travelled from Peterborough to Toronto and volunteered in\u00a0the R.C.A.F<\/strong>. and was enlisted as an Aircraftman Class 2 (lowest rank in the RCAF). \u00a0Is new service number was R97090, a number he maintained until his rank was changed (along with his service number) after he was killed.<\/p>\n

He was awarded his pilot’s wings at No. 2 SFTS Uplands, Ontario on December 19, 1941 and posted overseas soon after. \u00a0He was posted as a Sergeant Pilot in #401 Ram Squadron<\/a> in June 1942.<\/p>\n

\"Ferguson<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Ferguson<\/a><\/p>\n

[Source: “The Last Flight of Sergeant Ferguson Crash In Bayeux”, Francois Ox\u00e9ant, derameau@comever.com, www.crashin bayeux.com]<\/p>\n

He flew a Spitfire F IX<\/a> powered by a Merlin 61 engine. This particular aircraft serial EN183 coded ‘YO-V’ was first flown on November 9th, 1942 and issued\u00a0to the #401 squadron on November 26, 1942.<\/p>\n

“Bill”\u00a0was killed in action on January 15, 1943\u00a0during a mission 2\u00a0miles east of\u00a0Bayeux, France<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0He was conducting low level machine gun attacks (strafing) on the locomotive of an enemy train (Ramrod Attack<\/a>) when his Spitfire<\/a> aircraft #EN 183<\/a>\u00a0was shot at and brought down by Flak near saint-Martin-des-Entre\u00e9s, Normandy, France. \u00a0His plane is reported to have been shot off course and to have hit some nearby trees before crashing.\u00a0It is reported that the aircraft had 40.25 flying hours at the time of his crash, but William Ferguson had over 230 flying hours recorded in his log book.<\/p>\n

\"Ferguson<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Crash<\/a><\/p>\n

[Source: “The Last Flight of Sergeant Ferguson Crash In Bayeux”, Francois Ox\u00e9ant, derameau@comever.com, www.crashin bayeux.com]<\/p>\n

He was 22 years old when he died and he is the only serviceman buried in the St. Germain Cemetery<\/a> in the small village of St. Martindes- Entrees in France<\/a> (see photos below). When the local resistance movement filled the cemetery with mourners, the Nazis had them hand over their papers and eventually, on Valentines day arrested dozens of town folk. Some were held and beaten. 10 others were sent to concentration camps. Five did not return. This speaks highly of the local citizens and their commitment to support the efforts of the Allies, and this Canadian pilot in particular!<\/p>\n

Sergeant Ferguson was posthumously commissioned and promoted to the rank of Pilot Officer.<\/p>\n

In 1994 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of D-Day, the people of this village<\/a> renamed their main street \u201cRue W.K. Ferguson\u201d in William\u2019s honour. Family members were present for the ceremony.”<\/p>\n

\"10<\/a><\/p>\n

[Sources: Strathroy Museum<\/a>\u00a0& fallenheroesphotos.org<\/a>]<\/p>\n