William F. Ferguson
William F. Ferguson.
Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces
Serial: O-681366
715th Bomber Squadron
448th Bomber Group, Heavy
Entered the Service from: New Jersey
Died: January 5, 1944
Missing in Action or Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery
Cambridge, England
Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart
Introduction
Second Lieutenant William F. Ferguson was born in Pennsylvania in 1916 to William L. and Bertha Ferguson. His father was a dentist. In 1902 the Ferguson family lived at 1714 Tucker Street in Philadelphia PA. The family had moved to New Jersey by 1925. His father had passed away by April 1930, leaving his mother, Bertha Getsch Ferguson to support the family, which by then included William, 13, Russell J., 10, and Jeanne, 4. Grandmother Elizabeth Getsch also lived with them, in their rented home on Mantua Boulevard in Mantua Township, Gloucester County NJ. Bertha Ferguson supported her family by working as an operator at a hosiery mill. William Ferguson attended Pitman (NJ) High School, and had married in the mid 1930s. A son was born around 1938. He worked as a hosiery knitter at a hosiery mill. The Fergusons lived in Magnolia NJ, and had last lived at 18 Evergreen Avenue in Pitman NJ prior to entering the army in April of 1942.
William Ferguson qualified for flight duty, and won his wings and commission in May of 1943. He was shot down on January 5, 1944 over Europe and listed as missing in action. His death was confirmed after the war had ended.
William F. Ferguson was survived by his wife, Maxine, and his six year-old son, who were then living at 4430 Burwood Avenue in Pennsauken NJ, and his mother, Mrs. Harry Kreutzberg, of 27 Leconey Avenue in Palmyra NJ. His loss was reported in the January 24, 1944 and his death in the September 25, 1945 Courier-Post evening edition.
Magnolia Aviator Reported Missing
Camden Courier-Post —
Lieut. William F. Ferguson, Magnolia aviator, was among U. S. fliers missing following mass raids over northwestern Germany and southern France, on Jan. 5, in which 37 American craft failed to return.
Word that Ferguson was missing was received by his wife, Maxine, who lives with the couple's six-year-old son, at 4430 Barwood avenue, Pennsauken.
The raid in which the flier took part was one of the heaviest against the Axis industrial and shipbuilding areas. During the action American fliers shot down 95 planes, including 62 blasted by bomber gunners and 33 by U. S. fighter planes.
Ferguson, whose mother, Mrs. Harry Kreutzberg, lives at 27 Leconey avenue, Palmyra, entered service in August, 1942, and won his wings and commission in May, 1943.