Ferguson Henry Betts

A Private with the 2nd Battalion, Ferguson died on 21st of March 1918 at the age of 31. 

Ferguson was born at Norwich on 26 April 1887, a son of William Mitchell and Emma Betts. In 1891 his family lived at 7 Cardiff Road, Norwich. He was baptised at Saint Thomas, Heigham, Norwich, on 28 November 1894, and his family lived at 26 Denbigh Road. In 1901 his family lived at 22 Wellington Road, Norwich, and Ferguson was a butcher’s assistant. 

On 29 May 1911 Ferguson married Lily Florence Huggins at Great Yarmouth Parish Church. Ferguson was a butcher, living at Lowestoft, and Lily lived at Great Yarmouth. In 1911 they lived at 23 Kimberley Road, Lowestoft, and later at 110 Carlton Road.

Ferguson enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 34363, and was posted to the 2nd Battalion in France. Ferguson was transferred to the Lincolnshire Regiment, service number 40410, and was posted to 1st Battalion. By March 1918 he had been posted to the 2nd Battalion. 

On 19 March 1918 the 2nd Battalion were at Heudicourt. On 21 March the battalion received orders to man battle positions. C Company was attached to the 1st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, and A, B, and D Companies moved to the ‘Yellow Line’, but the move was hampered by heavy enemy gas shelling and a thick fog. They held their positions throughout the day and repelled repeated enemy attacks. Around 12 noon a party of Germans managed to get around the battalion’s left flank and were engaged by the men of battalion headquarters and men of the Brigade Machine Gun Battalion. About 50 Germans were taken prisoner.   

Ferguson killed in action on 21 March 1918. 

The battalion’s casualties from 21 March to 2 April 1918 were:
Officers: one died of wounds; three missing; one wounded and missing; eleven wounded
Other ranks: 31 killed; 238 missing; 9 wounded and missing; 95 wounded