MCFADZEN, Fergus George
| Service Number: | 358 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen |
| Born: | Nebo, Queensland, Australia, 10 March 1881 |
| Home Town: | Mackay, Mackay, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Nebo State School, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Natural causes, Sarina, Queensland, Australia, 12 April 1944, aged 63 years |
| Cemetery: |
Mackay Cemetery, Qld Methodist Section 2, Line 3, Plot 15 |
| Memorials: |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Private, 358, Queensland Imperial Bushmen | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 May 1900: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 358, 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 475 notes 4th QIB embarked 18 May 1900 aboard Manchester Port arriving Beira 14 Jun 1900. | |
| 17 May 1901: | Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 358, 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, National Archives Australia- Boer War Veteran Case File notes he was invalided due to a serious eye injury returned to Australia aboard Tongariro arriving Sydney 30 Apr 1901, discharged 17 May 1901. |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Claude McKelvey
Fergus George McFadzen was born on 11 Mar 1881 in Queensland, a son to John Thompson McFadzen and Esther Anne McFadzen (nee Dawkins) who were pioneers of the Nebo district near Mackay.
During his Boer War serviice he indicated that he happened to rescue Winston Churchill. In an interview with the Daily Mercury (Mackay) in 1944 he stated that he was on an operation to gather food from Boer farms when he came across an Englishman in a field, several miles from the British lines. The gentleman signalled him not to shoot, then introduced himself as Winston Churchill, a war correspondent for the Morning Post in London. He stated he took Chruchill aboard his horse as a pillion rider delivering him back to the British camp, see links on profile.
He was invalided from the war due to a seious eye injury, later going blind in that eye, returning to the Nebo district. He was given a British Army invalid pension which was later cancelled by Australia after Federation and had to battle to later get an Australian veteran invalid pension. He took issue with losing his initial pension in the Nebo area earning him a stay as a guest on St Helena Island (Prison) between 1906 and 1908.
He returned to the Nebo area marrying Nellie Eliza Edmonds on 12 Oct 1909 and they had eight children. He was the publican at Oxford Hotel at Nebo for a while and also worked with the ambulance service, retiring to Mackay.
(sources- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 486; National Archive Australia- Boer Veteran case file; Australian Boer War Memorial Database biography; various newspaper articles- see links on profile).
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