Ian Bruce Ferguson
Encyclopedia
Colonel
Ian Bruce Ferguson DSO
, MC
(13 April 1917 – 21 December 1988) was an officer in the Australian Army
who served in World War II
and the Korean War
.
, New Zealand
, the only child of D’Arcy Stuart Ferguson and Ethel May, née Rattray. His parents divorced and he lived with his mother. His mother later married Sydney Wren, who worked for Reuters
. His education was varied as he travelled with his mother and step father, attending schools in Wellington, Melbourne
, London
, Paris
and Dunedin
. After completing his education he working as a cadet journalist in Wellington. Upon the declaration of World War II, he was working with the newspaper the Sydney Sun.
battles of Bardia
and Tobruk in January 1941. He was posted to the 2/2nd Battalion in May and served with it in Egypt
and Syria
.
After the recall of Australian forces to help defend Australia, Ferguson having been promoted to captain took over command of 'B' Company, 2/2nd Battalion from Major Charles Green
arrived in Australia in August. After having some rest, the battalion sailed to Port Moresby
arriving in September was sent along the Kokoda Trail across the Owen Stanley Range
to Sanananda
as part of the Kokoda Trail campaign. Upon arrival in Sanananda in October–December, the 2/2nd Battalion could only muster eighty-eight out of 550 when placed into reserve. He spent the next nine months unable to take action with the battalion, due to contracting malaria
and dengue fever
. He was awarded the Military Cross
for leadership for actions at Templeton’s Crossing on 20 October.
Recovering from his illnesses he was appointed liaison officer at 6th Division headquarters in September 1943 and was promoted to temporary major that month, which became substantive in May 1945. He later attended the Staff School at Cabarlah, Queensland
and after completing the course he was posted to the 1st Australian Combined Operations Section in October 1944. He was attached to 7th Division's headquarters and helped plan the amphibious landings at Morotai
and Balikpapan
. Ferguson was Mentioned in Despatches for his planning.
in Japan
, where he commanded a company of the 67th Battalion at Kaita
, and later on Eta Jima island. He was appointed second-in-command of the 67th Battalion in 1947. He was later attached to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force headquarters in 1948. He married Alice Elizabeth, née Browne on 26 June a staffer of the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo
.
Ferguson was instrumental in reorganising the 67th Battalion, when it was redesignated the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
(3RAR). When 3RAR was ordered to the Republic of Korea in 1950 to join the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade as part of the United Nations
effort during the Korean War, he organised the re-equipping and organisation until Lieutenant Colonel Charles Green became the commanding officer.
. While commanding 3RAR the battalion participated in the withdrawal from North Korea
to south of Seoul
, suffered through the bitter winter months, the advances and attacks across the 38th parallel and the Battle of Kapyong
in April 1951, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
and the battalion was awarded the United States
Presidential Unit Citation, before withdrawal to the Han River and a further advance to the Imjin River. He was relieved of command of 3RAR on 5 July.
, and later the 13th National Service Training Battalion between 1952 to 1953. His promotion to lieutenant colonel was made substantive in October 1957. Ferguson was an instructor between 1959 and 1962 at the Royal Military College, Duntroon
in Canberra
. He was assigned to Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
between 1963 to 1966 in Bangkok
. He retired from the army on 14 April 1967 and was promoted the rank of colonel. After retiring from the armed forces he became secretary of the Union Club, Sydney between 1969 and 1974.
He died on 21 December 1988 in Canberra and was survived by his wife and their three sons. He was cremated with Anglican rites.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Ian Bruce Ferguson DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(13 April 1917 – 21 December 1988) was an officer in the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
who served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Early life
Ferguson was born on 13 April 1917 in WellingtonWellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the only child of D’Arcy Stuart Ferguson and Ethel May, née Rattray. His parents divorced and he lived with his mother. His mother later married Sydney Wren, who worked for Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
. His education was varied as he travelled with his mother and step father, attending schools in Wellington, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
. After completing his education he working as a cadet journalist in Wellington. Upon the declaration of World War II, he was working with the newspaper the Sydney Sun.
World War II
Enlisting in the Australian Army on 3 November 1939 he was allotted to the 2/1st Battalion. Identified for his potential he was transferred to the intelligence section of 16th Brigade headquarters. Arriving in the Middle East in February 1940 he was promoted to sergeant and later commissioned probationary lieutenant on 27 June. As the brigade intelligence officer, he participated in the Libyan DesertLibyan Desert
The Libyan Desert covers an area of approximately 1,100,000 km2, it extends approximately 1100 km from east to west, and 1,000 km from north to south, in about the shape of a rectangle...
battles of Bardia
Battle of Bardia
The Battle of Bardia was fought over three days between 3 and 5 January 1941, as part of Operation Compass, the first military operation of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. It was the first battle of the war in which an Australian Army formation took part, the first to be...
and Tobruk in January 1941. He was posted to the 2/2nd Battalion in May and served with it in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
After the recall of Australian forces to help defend Australia, Ferguson having been promoted to captain took over command of 'B' Company, 2/2nd Battalion from Major Charles Green
Charles Hercules Green
Lieutenant Colonel Charles Hercules Green DSO was a senior officer in the Australian Army. He served as a battalion commander in World War II, and again later during the Korean War, where he was killed in action while commanding the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment...
arrived in Australia in August. After having some rest, the battalion sailed to Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
arriving in September was sent along the Kokoda Trail across the Owen Stanley Range
Owen Stanley Range
Owen Stanley Range is the south-eastern part of the central mountain-chain in Papua New Guinea. It was seen in 1849 by Captain Owen Stanley while surveying the south coast of Papua and named after him. Strictly, the eastern extremity of the range is Mount Victoria , which was climbed by Sir William...
to Sanananda
Sanananda
-History:Occupied by the Imperial Japanese in 1942 during World War II and became a heavily fortified defensive area.Liberated by the Australian Army and US Army on 18 January 1943 during the Battle of Buna-Gona.-References:**...
as part of the Kokoda Trail campaign. Upon arrival in Sanananda in October–December, the 2/2nd Battalion could only muster eighty-eight out of 550 when placed into reserve. He spent the next nine months unable to take action with the battalion, due to contracting malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and dengue fever
Dengue fever
Dengue fever , also known as breakbone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles...
. He was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for leadership for actions at Templeton’s Crossing on 20 October.
Recovering from his illnesses he was appointed liaison officer at 6th Division headquarters in September 1943 and was promoted to temporary major that month, which became substantive in May 1945. He later attended the Staff School at Cabarlah, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and after completing the course he was posted to the 1st Australian Combined Operations Section in October 1944. He was attached to 7th Division's headquarters and helped plan the amphibious landings at Morotai
Battle of Morotai
The Battle of Morotai, part of the Pacific War, began on September 15, 1944, and continued until the war ended in August 1945. The fighting began when United States and Australian forces landed on the south-west corner of Morotai, a small island in the Netherlands East Indies , which the Allies...
and Balikpapan
Battle of Balikpapan (1945)
The Battle of Balikpapan was the concluding stage of the Borneo campaign . The landings took place on 1 July 1945. The Australian 7th Division, composed of the 18th, 21st and 25th Infantry Brigades, with support troops, made an amphibious landing, codenamed Operation Oboe Two a few miles north of...
. Ferguson was Mentioned in Despatches for his planning.
Interwar
With the cessation of hostilities in August 1945, he volunteered for service in the British Commonwealth Occupation ForceBritish Commonwealth Occupation Force
The British Commonwealth Occupation Force , was the name of the joint Australian, Canadian, British, Indian and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 21 February 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where he commanded a company of the 67th Battalion at Kaita
Kaita, Hiroshima
is a town located in Aki District, Hiroshima, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 29,904 and a population density of 2,165.39 persons per km². The total area is 13.81 km².-External links:*...
, and later on Eta Jima island. He was appointed second-in-command of the 67th Battalion in 1947. He was later attached to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force headquarters in 1948. He married Alice Elizabeth, née Browne on 26 June a staffer of the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo
Embassy of Canada in Tokyo
The Embassy of Canada to Japan is the main diplomatic mission from Canada to Japan, located in Tokyo. The embassy is Canada's third oldest "foreign" legation after Paris and Washington .The reason for the legation's creation had much to do with anti-Asian feeling in the Canadian...
.
Ferguson was instrumental in reorganising the 67th Battalion, when it was redesignated the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment is a parachute infantry battalion of the Australian Army, based in Sydney. 3 RAR was initially formed in 1945 as the 67th Battalion and has seen active service in Japan, Korea, Malaya, South Vietnam, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and Iraq...
(3RAR). When 3RAR was ordered to the Republic of Korea in 1950 to join the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade as part of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
effort during the Korean War, he organised the re-equipping and organisation until Lieutenant Colonel Charles Green became the commanding officer.
Korean War
He was appointed to command 3RAR on 8 November and promoted as a temporary lieutenant colonel when Charles Green was mortally wounded by a shell burst while resting in his tent, just after the Battle of ChongjuBattle of Chongju (1950)
The Battle of Chongju took place during the United Nations offensive towards the Yalu River, which followed the North Korean invasion of South Korea at the start of the Korean War...
. While commanding 3RAR the battalion participated in the withdrawal from North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
to south of Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, suffered through the bitter winter months, the advances and attacks across the 38th parallel and the Battle of Kapyong
Battle of Kapyong
The Battle of Kapyong , also known as the Battle of Jiaping , was fought during the Korean War between United Nations forces—primarily Australian and Canadian—and the Chinese communist People's Volunteer Army...
in April 1951, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and the battalion was awarded the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Presidential Unit Citation, before withdrawal to the Han River and a further advance to the Imjin River. He was relieved of command of 3RAR on 5 July.
Later life
After his experiences in Korea, he was appointed to command the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is a regular light infantry battalion of the Australian Army. 1 RAR was first formed as the 65th Australian Infantry Battalion in 1945 and since then has been deployed on active service during the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War...
, and later the 13th National Service Training Battalion between 1952 to 1953. His promotion to lieutenant colonel was made substantive in October 1957. Ferguson was an instructor between 1959 and 1962 at the Royal Military College, Duntroon
Royal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. He was assigned to Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization was an international organization for collective defense in Southeast Asia created by the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty, or Manila Pact, signed in September 1954 in Manila, Philippines. The formal institution of SEATO was established on 19 February...
between 1963 to 1966 in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. He retired from the army on 14 April 1967 and was promoted the rank of colonel. After retiring from the armed forces he became secretary of the Union Club, Sydney between 1969 and 1974.
He died on 21 December 1988 in Canberra and was survived by his wife and their three sons. He was cremated with Anglican rites.