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Pte. Thomas Donald Ferguson . Australian Army
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WH Ferguson . British Army Cameronians WH Ferguson served with the Cameronians British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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WH Ferguson . British Army Royal Northumberland Fusiliers WH Ferguson served with the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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CQMS William C. Ferguson . Canadian Army Royal Canadian Regiment Recently I returned from a farm in East Germany which in 1944 was a branch camp of Stalag IXC, Zweiglage, Wildetaube. This sub camp was for sick and injured POWs. Whilst there I had sight of a log book which was left behind by CQMS W C Ferguson who I believe was in the Royal Canadian Regiment. I am trying to trace the family as there is much in the log book which could be of immense interest to them. I am already in touch with the RCR who are trying to help.
Does anyone know of Bill Ferguson or his family.
I met these Germans concerned whilst on holiday in Madeira last January. They speak no English and were pleased to find an English person who could speak German and I promised to try to help. They invited me to stay for a few days.
As an amateur musician one page include bugle calls, the meaning of which
must have escaped the German guards, interested me.
Below I give a list of most of them:-
- Smoke gets in your eyes: Cigarette issue
- They cut down the old pine tree: Forest party
- Quartermaster's stores: Food parcel issue
- Drink to me only with thine eyes: Beer issue
- Trees : Wood issue
- Pack up your troubles : Kit bags
- A hunting we will go : Delousing and kit search
- Bless 'em all : Room leaders
- Laurel and Hardy theme song: D.U.'s
- Home sweet home : Private parcels
- Oh you nasty man : G. Flow
- Come to the fair : Entertainments
- Gaumont British News : Prop. (Molsdorf)
- Shoe shine boy : Boots in (Molsdorf)
- Post horn gallop : Parcels at the station
(Molsdorf)
- Let's put out the lights : 15 mins to lights out
- Be like the kettle and sing : Hot water issue
- Old King Cole : Coal issue?
- I cover the waterfront : Water (Molsdorf)
- Three blind mice : Eye cases for hospital
(Molsdorf)
- Popeye the sailor : Spinach issue
- Volga boatman : Piano moving gang
- Take me to the ball game : Sport
- 15 men on a dead man's chest : Parcel carrying fatigue
- Here comes the man with the mandolin: Mandolin band
- Faith of our fathers : RC church
- Onward Christian soldiers : C. of E.
- Oh! Canada : Chain gang
- Tea for two : Tea issue
- Two lovely black eyes : Boxing
- A letter from lousy Lizzie : Mail
- Wagon wheels : : Unload wagon
- The love bug will bite you : M.O.'s inspection for lice
I am trying to trace relatives and/or friends of those who were in this
small sub camp at Wildetaube near Greiz in East Germany in 1944.
I have the names of 15 who were there including some from the UK, US,
Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
- Joe B Simpson, 40 Gilbert Street, New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand
- Fred Wallace, Lloydminster, Alberta
- E B Sambridge, 70 the Crescent, South Tottenham, London N15
- Jack Dannatt, 12 Sloane Street, Mavickville, NSW
- J C Arnold, 265 Roundway, Tottenham, London N17
- Bruce G Hamilton, 1028 - 18th Ave. S., Nashville, Tenn.
- W R Evans. 48 Bland Street, Ashfield, Sydney, Australia
- E J Greenway, 46 Paradise Road, Clapham, London SW4
- Andy Skyme, Penshaw Villa, Blaina, Monmouthshire, England
- Norm Beaton, 9 Fisherfield, Port Skee, Isle of Skye
- Jim Oakley, c/o Mrs B Holt, 55 Park Close Road, Alton, Hants, England
- F J Collins, 126 Lollard Street, Kennington, London SE11
- S Watt, 36 Ainslie Place, Perth, Scotland
- Bill Weddell, 51 Winnington Road, Longfield Ave., Enfield, Middlesex, England
- H Heaton, 14 Poplar Grove, Westloughton, Bolton, Lancs.
Any help would be appreciated.
UPDATE:
Bill Ferguson has been located. He is now 93 years of
age and sounding hale and hearty on the telephone. One of John's
letters was forwarded to him and he rang up very excitedly from California
where he now lives. He, his son and the son's wife are coming to stay with us
in Tunbridge Wells in April en route for East Germany to revisit the farm
where he was released on 16 April 2005. The German TV company MDR is planning
to make a 1/2 hour documentary including the official handover of the diary
to him on 16 April, the 60th anniversary to the day, in Wildetaube.
Among the pages in the diary is a group photograph:
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Sgt John Ferguson. . R.A.F.V.R. (d.10th Oct 1942)
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Flt/Eng. Ronald S. Fermor . Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve from Havant, Hampshire I am researching Havant, Hampshire, in WW2 and came across this harrowing account in the Hampshire Telegraph, dated 20 April 1945.
A Havant airman, who was one of 1,000 prisoners forced to take part in a march of 500 miles across Germany, has returned home after being freed by the Americans. W/O Ronald Fermor RAFVR, of Staunton Road Havant, was for two-and-a-half years a prisoner at Stalag 344. On January 26th, 1,000 men were marched away from the camp. They were given one Red Cross parcel to last for ten days and the contents were frozen in the tins. They had no food all the way and were given only one small black loaf to seven men.
Fermor saw nine men shot for stealing mangolds from a clump by the roadside. He himself sold his shirt to a German woman for a small piece of bread. They lived on mangolds, potato peelings and grass and once took corn out of a manger to eat. For three months they withstood terrible conditions of starvation and cold, their boots frozen to their feet, sleeping in the snow with no covering but their coats. Hundreds dropped down, unable to continue. By mid-March 40 of the remaining 180, including Fermor, were too ill and weak to walk further. These were left at a Stalag with French prisoners and for nearly three weeks they lay on wooden forms, too weak to move. When the Americans arrived on March 30th to tell them they were free, some of them cried like children.
As soon as they were strong enough they were flown home. W.O. Fermor reached home on April 11th for thirty days leave before returning to hospital.
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SC Fern . British Army SC Fern served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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SC Fern . British Army SC Fern served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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WA Fern . British Army Royal Armoured Corps WA Fern served with the Royal Armoured Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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F/Lt. Raymond John Fern. . Royal Air Force 434 Sqd. (d.11th March 1944)
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Lt. Antoine Fernand . Belgium
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P/O. Edmund Pius Fernbank DFC.. Royal Air Force 192 Squadron from Oak Lane, Minster, Isle of Sheppey My father, Wing Commander E.P.M. Fernbank DFC was acting C.O. OF 192 Sqd.
I have photographs of the squadron reunion in the 1950's, of his crew, and of the reunion with Professor Jones in the 1980's.
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F/Lt. John Alexander Fernie . Royal Air Force 75 Squadron from Manchester After taking part in many missions and sustaining a small injury my Father, John Fernie was transferred to Western Canada towards the end of the war to train the Canadian pilots. The war ended and he immigrated to the US to enjoy great success as an artist up until his death in 2001. During many Sunday dinners at our home in Connecticut we were told stories by my Father and his visiting fellow RAF men many who ended up with BOAC. I have always felt very lucky to have heard first hand the stories of great bravery from members of the greatest generation. As a boy many of my summer vacations were traveling back to the UK and taking road trips to the old airfields. He is remembered and missed daily.
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Stoker John Lawson Fernie . Royal Navy
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Stkr1. John Lawson Fernie . Royal Navy HMS Nelson from Gilmerton John Fernie served on board HMS Nelson from 11th July 1941 onwards.
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JW Fernyhough . British Army JW Fernyhough served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Sgt. Alexander Ferrar . British Army 2 Seaforth Highlanders from Elgin
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Alexander Ferrar . British Army 2nd Btn. Seaforth Highlanders
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Pvt Michael B. Ferraro . United States Army from New York
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WO Harold M. "Gunner" Ferrell . United States Marine Corps D Co. 1st Battalion 4th Marines from Texas Harold Ferrell was a survivor of the Oryoku Maru and POW in Camp Fukuoka 17 in Japan and transferred to POW camp in Manchuria
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T/Sgt Samuel Clinton Ferrell . United States Army Air Forces 338th Bomb Squadron 96th Bomb Group from 614 3rd Ave., Montgomery, WV TSgt. Samuel C. 'Sam' Ferrell graduated from Gauley Bridge High School in Gauley Bridge, West Virginia in the late 1930's. He then enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts Degree Program at the West Virginia Institute of Technology, paying $400 for his tuition and completing his degree in 1943.
He was subsequently promoted to TSgt based upon his advanced education, and was assigned as a Squadron Flight Engineer on the B-17G.
Sam & his crew picked-up their factory fresh B-17 from Seattle, WA, and flew it to MacDill Field, Tampa, FL for the fitting out of weapons and classified equipment.
From MacDill, the crew flew overseas, but the season of the year and the route flown are unknown.
Sam served at Snetterton-Heath for his entire tour. He completed all 35 combat missions, and as such made it known that he was a member of the Lucky Bastard Club.
He recalled thick flak over Berlin, Regensburg, and La Havre prior to the D-Day invasion. He also related to me how the tail gunner received fatal injuries from a flak burst near the tail of the aircraft, and said "there wasn't much we could do for him..."
He also related a loss of brakes upon landing from the brake de-boost valve being damaged by flak, resulting in the aircraft over-running the runway, and of trying to release a stuck 500lb. bomb over the English Channel, almost falling off of the catwalk in the process.
The first aircraft received so much damage over a period of time that the attrition of damaged caused the aircraft to be cannibalized. Sam & his crew picked-up another B-17G from a ferry crew, and he completed the remainder of his tour from the UK base. Upon cessations of hostilities, Sam served as a French Interpreter, as he was fluent in 7 languages.
Sam was discharged from the USAAF in 1946, but re-entered the newly-formed USAF in 1948. He served as a gunnery instructor, then entered the communications field where he served de-encrypting messages during the cold war. After receiving his 6th Honorable Discharge, he worked in crypto linguistics for an unverified branch of the U.S. Intelligence apparatus, fully retiring in 1975. He never spoke of what he did, or what he was involved with post-USAF service of 24 years.
Sam was a product of southern West Virginia in his upbringing and education during the Great Depression. His father (my Grandfather) was injured in a coal mining accident in 1937, and died of those injuries 2 years later on 1 April 1939. Sam's mother was a home-maker, living to the age of 100.
Sam remained single all of his life, and dedicated to his extended families. He enriched the lives of those he came in contact with, and never, ever asked for anything in return. He insured that his niece's and nephew's always had good medical and dental care, access to an education, and interactivity with others irrespective of age.
He is a wonderful example of The Great Generation who grew-up with austerity, fought in a horrendous war, and worked to maintain the peace for the United States of America.
TSgt. Samuel C. Ferrell Jr. passed away Christmas Day 2006 in his home in Montgomery, WV. He was 85, and is very much missed. His examples of understanding, patience, and love are facets that we all can continue to strive for, just as he did!
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Cpl. Charles Raymond Ferrier . British Army
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Sgt. James Cant Ferrier . British Army My Father, Jimmy Ferrier served in WW2, I am looking for war time info.
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Sub Lt. John Ferrier . Royal Navy HMS Dasher After HMS Dasher sank, the survivors were billetted with local families. One was my maternal grandparents, and I am told that two sailors stayed with them. My mother had Mr Ferrier sign her autograph book. My mother only told the story of HMS Dasher after she was given a copy of John Steele's book. Her father had told her NEVER to talk about it again, and she didn't. She had told us of the existence of the autograph book, but it was only after her death that it turned up.
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Ord.Tel. Douglas Alan Ferris . Royal Navy HMS Dorsetshire from Rochdale My father, Alan Ferris, was in the Royal Navy for 12 years, having volunteered in 1938. His role was as a radio officer and telegrapher. Dad never spoke of the war until much later in his life and he told me all about the sinking of the Bismarck in 1941, his memories were still vivid of the sailors in the sea and being picked up as prisoners. Dad could not swim, I'm sure it would have been difficult if his ship had sunk.
Dad was on HMS Dorsetshire from April 1939 to October 1941 and was transferred from the Dorsetshire to HMS Southern Pride just months before the Dorsetshire was sunk. He always said how lucky he was.
He mentioned, and I have photos of him with, some friends in China, Ron Lawson, Kennedy and Jeffries. If anyone knew Ron Lawson, there is a great photo of him in dad's war time photo album. Also pictures from naval visits to Buenos Aires in 1940, Sydney and Darwin.
On one trip to Fremantle, Dad met my mother, after which they wrote to each other until they married in Singapore where Dad was based after the war as a instructor in wireless telegraphy.
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George Ferris . Royal Canadian Air Force 50 Squadron from British Colombia
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Cpl. John Joseph Seaton Ferris . Australian Army
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Pte. John Matthew Ferron . British Army Royal Army Ordnance Corps (d.1st April 1945) John Ferron was 21 when he died and is buried in the Calcutta (Entally) Cemetery, Kolkata in the family grave, on right of entrance.
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Cpl. Frederick John Few . Royal Air Force 221 Squadron from Portsmouth, Hampshire (d.9th May 1942) My husband's uncle Fred Few lost his life in 1942. We are trying to find out how he died, we know it was in Malta but not any more than that. Unfortunately other family members who have information have all died.
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