Booklet Number 22 FOUR FERGUSON BROTHERS NORMAN, 1881-1949 HECTOR, 1885-1917 DOUGLAS, 1889-1918 MALCOLM, 1892-1967 This booklet remains the property of Saint Andrew s Uniting Church. Please see a Guide if you would like a copy.
Cover Illustration: Abbotsford, the Ferguson family home at Enoggera 2 Saint Andrew s Uniting Church Corner Ann and Creek Streets Brisbane QLD 4000 2014
The Ferguson Family and Abbotsford James Ferguson of Brisbane and Eliza Jane née Abbott (known as Jeanne), fifth daughter of Thomas Abbott of Dungog, New South Wales were married at Crescent Lodge, Rockhampton on 3 October 1876. The Minister of the Rockhampton Presbyterian Church, Rev Alexander Hay officiated. Mr James Ferguson was the senior partner in the firm Watson Ferguson and Company, booksellers, stationers and printers. The Ferguson family home was Abbotsford at Enoggera, a magnificent colonial home with wide verandahs on all sides. It was situated on a large property or paddock used for the Saint Andrew s Presbyterian Sabbath School annual picnic for many years. The cover photograph could well be such an occasion. In 1924 the land was subdivided and a portion of the house was moved to Gizeh Street. It is now called Hoya. Portion of the larger paddock is now called Ferguson Park, near Gaythorne Railway Station. Nine children were born to Mr and Mrs Ferguson. Three sons died in infancy. Of the other five sons, four enlisted for service abroad in the Great War and Eric Abbott Ferguson, the eldest, remained at home and continued his father s business. The only girl in the family was the youngest child, Jean Abbott Ferguson (1895 1967) who later married Captain Henry Cottam (1882 1945). 3
Ferguson Monument, Grovely Two of the four soldier sons, Hector and Douglas, paid the supreme sacrifice. Norman and Malcolm returned to Australia. After the death of their father Mr James Ferguson in 1926, a monument was placed in the graveyard of St Matthew s Anglican Church, Grovely, in memory of Mr and Mrs Ferguson, their three infant sons and their two sons who did not return. Stories in this series have been written about each brother who served in the Great War 1914-1919, in the order they enlisted Hector, Malcolm, Douglas and Norman. The Enoggera house now known as Hoya. 4
Lieutenant Hector James Abbott Ferguson MC 1885 1917 Hector James Abbott Ferguson was born in South Brisbane on 14 December 1885, third son of James and Eliza Jane née Abbott. While attending Brisbane Grammar School from February 1900 to June 1902, he served in the school cadet corps. He gained qualifications as a mechanical engineer and for five years was employed at Wilson Engineering Works, Elizabeth Street, Brisbane. He was responsible for the supervision of the equipment of several meat freezing and other engineering works in Queensland. When he enlisted on 21 August 1914 in the Australian Imperial Force, Sapper Ferguson, single, age 29 years, service number 87, was amongst the first young men in the young Commonwealth of Australia to volunteer for service abroad. His unit, 1 st Division Signal Company sailed from Port Melbourne on 20 October aboard HMAT Karroo and arrived in Egypt in December 1914. Promoted Lance Corporal in April 1915, Hector Ferguson did splendid work at Gallipoli Landing from April 25 for which he was mentioned in Divisional Orders and he was promoted to the rank of Corporal. Except for a brief period of rest at Imbros to recover from wounding during July, he stayed on Gallipoli till 25 November when he was again promoted, this time to Sergeant. The 3 rd Brigade spent a couple of months in Egypt at the beginning of 1916 before going to Marseilles, France. He received a commission in March 1916 as Officer in Charge, 3 rd Section, 1 st Australian Division, Signal Company. Lieutenant Ferguson was transferred to No 1 Section in June 1917 and remained in command till killed in action on 21 October 1917, at Reninghelst, Belgium. 5
He had been engaged in heavy fighting at Anzac Landing, Lone Pine and Suvla Bay, Pozières, German Retreat, Bullecourt, Menin Road and Zonnebeke. He was awarded the Military Cross early in 1917. General Birdwood wrote, I know how the telephone and telegraph wires of our 3 rd Brigade were blown out during the heavy shelling and how you and your companion Tinkler led your men out and personally supervised the mending and re-erection of the lines. You were under heavy shell fire which lasted for about six hours, but during which you re-established communications. This was I think a fine piece of work on which I heartily congratulate you. In recognition of his brave and distinguished conduct at Menin Road on 20 September 1917, Lieutenant Ferguson was awarded a bar to the MC. for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He was in charge of a cable burying party and later of all communications forward from cable head. He showed great courage, energy and powers of organisation in maintaining communication, and personally led parties to repair lines under heavy fire. It was mainly due to his untiring efforts that the communications of the division were kept up during the operations. On sad days in mid-october 1917 Mr James Ferguson was advised by Rev Dr Merrington of Hector s death just days after his wife had passed away in Brisbane. 6
Sergeant Malcolm Abbott Ferguson 1892 1967 Malcolm Ferguson was the eighth and youngest son of James and Jeanne Ferguson (née Abbott). He was born at Enoggera, Brisbane on 7 March 1892. Malcolm Abbott Ferguson attended Brisbane Grammar School in 1908 and became a wool classer. At the age of 23, he enlisted for overseas service on 17 June 1915. Bombardier Ferguson embarked from Sydney on board HMAT Persic on 18 November 1915, with 13 th Battery, 5 th Field Artillery Brigade. He was promoted to Corporal in January 1916 and Sergeant from August 1917. 7
He served in Egypt, France and Belgium and was engaged in trench warfare at Armentières, Somme, Pozières, Mouquet Farm, Hamel, First German Retreat from Bapaume, Bullecourt and Passchendaele. These were terrible battlegrounds. Conditions cannot be described or imagined or understood. Nearly 7000 young Australians died at Pozières. In addition, almost 17 000 were wounded at Pozières. Thousands of soldiers suffered from shell shock, the condition associated with the rise of industrialised warfare. Sergeant Mal Ferguson was mentioned in despatches for his bravery but he was wounded in action in June 1918, suffering burns and gas poisoning. He was admitted to Southwark Military Hospital in June 1918 following severe gas poisoning and there followed a period of convalescence. He returned to Australia acting as sergeant major aboard the transport Miltiades from London on 8 February 1919 and was discharged on 13 April 1919. The war was full of sadness for Malcolm Ferguson. He would have learned while thousands were being killed and wounded around him on the Western Front, of his own brother Hector s death in Belgium and that his mother had died in Enoggera, both in October 1917. In August 1918 he attended his brother Doug s military funeral in England. At the time of his father s death in 1926, Malcolm Ferguson was living at Montville. Afterwards he lived in Sydney. In 1952 and 1959, his address was in Bronte Road, Waverley and in January 1960 he moved to Bondi Junction. There he died on 16 September 1967. 8
Second Lieutenant Douglas Abbott Ferguson 1889 1918 Douglas Abbott Ferguson was born at South Brisbane on 11 March 1889, fourth son of James Ferguson and Eliza Jane née Abbott. He attended Brisbane Grammar School in 1905 and became a mining and mechanical engineer. Like his elder brother Hector, he had been employed at James Wilson Engineering Works, Elizabeth Street, Brisbane for some five years before enlisting for overseas service in the Australian Imperial Force on 23 August 1915. Gunner Ferguson, service number 7305 joined the Fifth Artillery Brigade and embarked from Sydney on HMAT Persic on 18 November 1915, bound for Alexandria. In Egypt he joined the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force for training but transferred to the British Expeditionary Force for service on the Western Front, disembarking at Marseilles, France on 25 March 1917. In the ensuing months Doug Ferguson was engaged on the dangerous battlefields of the Somme Armentières, Pozières, Mouquet Farm, Hamel and Bullecourt. His war service then changed as he transferred to the Australian Flying Corps in July 1917 at Halton, Wendover in Buckinghamshire. His service form notes an offence on 14 October 1917 inattention on parade at 2 pm for which he was awarded 5 days C.C. (confined to camp). On 8 January 1918 he joined Royal Flying Corps School of Military Aeronautics, Oxford to qualify as a Flying Officer (Pilot) Cadet, with rank of Lieutenant. During final testing before going with his plane to The Front, Doug Ferguson was killed as a result of a flying accident through collision with another plane. 9
Doug s father, James Ferguson Esq., received an official letter from the Major in charge of base records: With reference to the report of the regrettable loss of your son, the late 2 nd Lieutenant D A Ferguson, Australian Flying Corps, I am now in receipt of advice which shows he was killed on 18.8.18 the result of an aeroplane accident at Leighterton, Gloucester. He was buried at 1.30 pm on 22.8.18 at Brookwood Cemetery, Brookwood, grave No 181413, section Australian Military Burial Ground (Non-Conformists). The following relatives and friends were present at the funeral:- Brothers No 35681 Gnr Norman Ferguson, 4 th Battalion R.B.A.A., Haytesbury, No 7471 Sgt M.A.Ferguson, 2 nd Battalion R.B.A.A. Mr Watson Gray, Rood Lane, Fenchurch Street London, and Lieutenant G. Walker, 7 th Square A.F.C. Leighterton, Gloucester. The deceased officer was accorded a Military Funeral, firing party, band, pallbearers and 2 buglers being in attendance. The coffin of good polished elm was draped with the Australian Flag and surmounted by several beautiful wreaths sent by the following:- Ferguson family, Queenslanders Swansmead, Roy Paterson, Mr and Mrs Watson Gray, Officers of 8 th Squadron, AFC Leighterton. Chaplain the Rev Wray, AIF London, conducted the service. 10
The Last Post was sounded at the graveside by 2 buglers of the South African Regiment. An oak cross has been erected on the grave. Administrative Headquarters, AIF London, were represented at the funeral. These were sad days for the Ferguson family of Enoggera. Doug s mother died in Brisbane on 11 October 1917 and shortly afterwards his brother was killed in action in Belgium. On the family monument at Grovely (page 4) below the part honouring Douglas Abbott Ferguson, these words are inscribed: Nor let us dream of them as lost or dead, Life is but brief at best and death s control Extends not over the heroic soul. In Memory of Second Lieutenant DOUGLAS ABBOTT FERGUSON Australian Flying Corps who died age 29 on 18 August 1918 Son of James I. and Jean Abbott Ferguson, of Abbotsford, Enoggera, Brisbane. Native of Brisbane. Remembered with honour BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY 11
Gunner Norman Abbott Ferguson 1881-1949 Norman Abbott Ferguson was born in Brisbane in January 1881, third son of James Ferguson and Eliza Jane (née Abbott). He attended Brisbane Grammar School from October 1896 till December 1897. His younger brothers, Hector, Douglas and Malcolm had already joined the Australian forces and were serving at the Front when Norman Ferguson, till then occupied as a planter in Brisbane, aged 35 years and single, enlisted on 15 December 1916. With Regimental number 35681, Gunner Ferguson embarked on His Majesty s Australian Transport Miltiades from Sydney on 2 August 1917, with Field Artillery Brigade, May 1917 Reinforcements. HMAT A28 Miltiades The HMAT A28 Miltiades weighed 7,814 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the G Thompson & Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 15 September 1917. 12
After further training in England, Gunner Ferguson joined the 13 th Field Artillery Brigade in France from 6 th February 1918. He was engaged in battle at Dernancourt, Villers-Bretonneux and Hazebrouck, sometimes acting as a bombardier. During these difficult months in 1918, he was admitted to hospital suffering the effects of gas fumes and re-admitted with measles. After discharge from the Military Hospital at Sutton Veny, England in December 1918, Norman Ferguson was granted extended leave for non-military employment whereby he could further his knowledge and experience in the paper and printing trade, before returning to Australia. He attended the premises of J Gray and Son, 28 Rood Lane, Fenchurch Street, London with pay and subsistence till July 1919. His return voyage on HMAT Bakara left England on 24 July 1919 and he disembarked at Sydney on 30 September. Discharge from the AIF at Brisbane was effective from 1 November. Norman Abbott Ferguson worked as an alluvial miner after his wartime experiences. His address in 1934 was Salamaua, New Guinea. At age 67 years, Norman Abbott Ferguson died suddenly on 13 February 1949 at Avenel, Muckadilla, Western Queensland. His body was cremated in Brisbane. 13
Select Bibliography The Queenslander, 1 May 1926, page 9 The Brisbane Courier. 7 October 1876; 20 February 1914; Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, 30 April 1926 Australian War Memorial Saint Andrew s Uniting Church, Presbyterian Church Brisbane Annual Reports 1901 1925 The Golden Book, Archives, Brisbane Grammar School The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, 17 February 1949 Western Star, Roma, 18 February 1949 National Archives of Australia, Military records World War 1 Scott Bennett, Pozières The Anzac Story, Scribe Publications, Melbourne, 2011 Compiled by N E Adsett, Brisbane, October 2014 14
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