Ferguson, Andrew Olgivie

1015 Private Andrew Olgivie Ferguson - 10th Light Horse Regiment & 3rd Light Horse Machine Gun Squadron

Andrew was born on the 8th December 1885 in Fremantle to John Maxwell & Susan Ferguson, being one of fourteen siblings and half siblings.

Sadly his mother Sarah died in 1889 and his father then remarried.

His father, Captain John Maxwell Ferguson was a MP for North Fremantle in the early 1900's. John Ferguson had arrived in WA in the 1860's and set up a successful timber and milling business in Fremantle. the family had lived in Arundel Street Fremantle and he had his head office of his business in Phillimore Street Fremantle.

In 1903 he was a member of the Legislative Assembly representing North Fremantle. However he was defeated by Harry Bolton in 1904.

The family then moved to Claremont Avenue in Claremont and John was heavily involved with Scotch College. The Ferguson's then moved to Mt Lawley.

Andrew had initially been educated in Fremantle and after leaving school he worked for his father and then as a clerk for the Department of Fisheries. Prior to the Great War went to Broome for work as a Pearler.

On the 11th February 1915 Andrew enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 7 & 1/2 inches tall;

Weight - 145lbs;

Chest Measurement - 35-37 inches;

Complexion - Fair;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - Brown;

Distinctive Marks - Scar at side of left eye.

After his successful enlistment Andrew was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.8 Depot Training Company. Andrew was then taken through the basics of infantry work. He requested to be assigned to the Australian Light Horse and would then have to pass the riding tests to show his horsemanship skills.

After passing his riding tests Andrew was assigned to the 6th Reinforcements to the 10th Light Horse Regiment. From April 1915 Andrew trained with this reinforcement group in WA for the next two months.

On the 25th June 1915 Andrew and his reinforcement group left Fremantle Harbour aboard the transport ship HMAT Karoola. The ship then set sail for Egypt, arriving there in July 1915.

Andrew spent the next several weeks in Egypt and then joined the 10th Light Horse Regiment on Gallipoli on the 2nd October 1915. He served with his unit at Gallipoli for the remainder of the campaign. Andrew would have served in the snow and colder conditions than compared to a few months previously.

In December 1915 the Australians at Gallipoli were evacuated and the 10th Light Horse returned to Egypt in January 1916. Andrew served with his unit in Egypt till March 1916. He was then transferred to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade Reserve Regiment. He served with this group until the 22nd July 1916 when he was posted to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade Machine Gun Squadron.

Andrew served with this unit at the Battle of Romani in August 1916. After the Turkish defeat at Romani, the Australians advanced further into the desert. On the 30th October 1916 Andrew fell ill and was sent to the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance. He remained with them for a week and then rejoined his unit.

Andrew saw further action at Magdhaba in December 1916 and Rafa in January 1917. He came through these actions safely and the Australians and British forces were soon near Gaza. In April 1917 Andrew took part in the unsuccessful attempt to capture Gaza. He survived this action and then next several weeks of patrol action safely.

On the 1st June 1917 he was sent ill to the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance at Shellal. He was diagnosed with debility but recovered quickly and rejoined his unit the following week.

In August 1917 Andrew was given the job of Driver for the 3rd Light Horse Machine Gun Squadron which meant he was largely on transport duties for the next several months, though was with his unit for their operations around Beersheba in October 1917, Jerusalem in November 1917 and Jericho in January 1918.

On the 13th February 1918 Andrew reverted to the rank of Trooper at his own request. On the 24th February he was then given leave to Cairo for two weeks.

He returned to his unit in March 1918 and served with them for the next two months, seeing action in the Jordan Valley, with a large action being fought at Es Salt in May 1918.

Andrew again came through this action safely and continued to serve with his unit in the Jordan Valley for the next few months.

On the 24th July 1918 Andrew was evacuated to hospital with an abscess on his hand. He was initially sent to the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance but was then sent to the 36th Stationary Hospital at Gaza. On the 3rd August 1918 he was then transferred to the 44th Stationary Hospital at Kantara. He had a few weeks there and was then sent to the 14th Australian General Hospital at Port Said.

Andrew would miss the final successful campaign as he was still recovering through September and October 1918 and was with the Machine Gun Training Squadron at Moascar. Andrew rejoined the 3rd Light Horse Machine Gun Squadron just prior to the Armistice in November 1918.

Andrew then served with the 3rd Light Horse Machine Gun Squadron in Egypt for the next several months. His unit also saw action during the Egyptian Uprising in 1919.

On the 10th July 1919 Andrew left Egypt and returned to Australia aboard the transport ship Oxfordshire. Andrew arrived in Fremantle on the 4th August 1919. He then disembarked and was sent to the No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle for a medical checkup. He was then discharged from the AIF on the 3rd October 1919.

Upon his return from the war Andrew resumed his duties with the Department of Fisheries. This work again took him to Broome.

His father John died in Mt Lawley on the 2nd august 1924.

Andrew was married on the 21st December 1929 to Beatrice Mary Agnes Veronica Moll. Beatrice had grown up in Fremantle.

They would live up north in Broome where Andrew was working as a Pearling Inspector, before later returning south to Perth. During this time Andrew was continuing to work for the Fisheries Department.

In 1967 from his house in Wood Street Swanbourne, Andrew wrote to the authorities for his Anzac Medallion.

Andrew died on the 30th March 1968 in Swanbourne aged 82. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery and his ashes placed into the family grave at plot Anglican DA 0504.

During the Great War his brother Allan Wedderburn Ferguson who had been born in Fremantle also enlisted and had been assigned to the Engineers, but before leaving WA sought a discharge as he was due to return to his Engineering firm in South America. Allan's discharge was granted so he never served overseas with the Australian Imperial Force. He lived the rest of his live in South America.

An elder brother John who had been born in Perth had seen service in the Boer War and also during WW1 at Gallipoli with the field artillery and then the 10th Light Horse. He returned to WA in 1916.