FERGUSON, Robert James
| Service Number: | 1762 |
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| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 11th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Echuca, Victoria, Australia, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Echuca, Campaspe, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Memorials: | Echuca War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Apr 1915: | Involvement Private, 1762, 11th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Argyllshire embarkation_ship_number: A8 public_note: '' | |
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| 19 Apr 1915: | Embarked Private, 1762, 11th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Argyllshire, Fremantle |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Helen Harmer
The War Service record of Robert James Ferguson contains two enlistment forms.
The first one is dated 22.9.1914, where he was appointed to the 16th Battalion 3rd Infantry Brigade and a medical exam was noted on Sept 22, 1914, at Blackboy Hill Camp. This form notes that he was discharged on the 2.10.14. Also in his service record is a letter signed by him, dated October 1, 1914, that reads “I hereby beg to render my resignation as a private in the Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force, owing to being sick and not feeling capable of standing the strain of being trained under present conditions”.
The second enlistment form is dated the 18.1.1915, giving his address as 12 St George’s Terrace Perth. That same day, he took the oath of allegiance, passed his medical exam and was appointed to the 4th Reinforcements of the AIF, 11th Battalion at Blackboy Hill, near Perth, Western Australia. He was a labourer. His mother, Mrs H. Wilkins, lived Mitchell St, Echuca, Victoria. Aged 31 years at enlistment, he was described as being 5 feet 9 ½ inches tall, with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He was a Presbyterian.
Robert departed on HMAT Argyllshire A8 from Fremantle. On the 4.6.1915, he was transferred to B Company and on 19.6.15 was taken on strength from 4th Reinforcements in the Dardanelles. He was admitted to hospital with influenza on the 19.8.15 from Gallipoli, transferred to Mudros on the 21.8.15, and embarked on the hospital ship MS Ulysses from Lemnos. On the 22.8 he was transferred from the 2nd Field Ambulance to Hospital, then 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station. He disembarked in Alexandria on 25.8.15.
On the 4.9.15 he was admitted to the 2nd general hospital at Ghezereth with tonsillitis, then transferred to number 2 convalescent depot at Mena in Cairo. On the 11.9.15, he was transferred to the convalescent hospital at Helouan, then the A & NZ convalescent hospital with pains in his back. On the 9.10, he was discharged to duty at Zeitoun. On 3.11.15, he embarked on HT Aeneas at Suez and invalided to Australia, arriving on the 31.10 15. The reason for his return was stated as “change for six months”.
On the 11.12.15 he was struck off strength, declared physically unfit for further service on the 31.3.16 and discharged from Number 5 A.G.H., requesting his discharge from the AIF the same day. On the 25.4.16, his discharge was formalised.
NOTE:
The First World War Nominal Roll includes 4 Robert Fergusons and 2 Robert James Fergusons.
· No. 7578 Robert James Ferguson Lance Corporal enlisted 10.8.15. 1AMTS RTA 31.5.1919
· No. 2022 Robert Ferguson: Returned to Australia12.7.19. Died aged 42 in the Repatriation Ward, Perth hospital on 23 Oct 1930, leaving a wife Annie Ferguson, daughter Marjorie, son Jack, and daughter Bobbie. A newspaper notice from the Perth Sub-branch of the RSL confirms that he was a Bombadier in the 4th D.A.C. (Divisional Ammunition Column).
· No. 2040 Pte Robert Ferguson 9th ASC enlisted 19.9.14, RTA 30.1.18
· No. 5087 Pte Robert Ferguson 15th Battalion enlisted 25.11.15 RTA 1.7.17