Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Captain V. H. ‘Fergie Bey’ Fergusson, Cameronians and Egyptian Army, who was awarded the O.B.E. for service during the operations against the Alib Dinka, 1919-20, transferred from Egyptian Army to the Civil Department of the Sudan Government in 1920, and was appointed District Commissioner of the Bahr-el-Gazel Province. Fergusson was the first officer to penetrate the Nuer country and start a native administration, including cotton growing in 1921, but was brutally murdered by Nuer tribesmen, 14 December 1927

British War Medal 1914-20 (Capt. V. H. Ferguson [sic]); Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, East Africa 1918 (Capt. V. Fergusson. Equatorial. Bn. E.A.); Khedive’s Sudan 1910-21, 1 clasp, Aliab Dinka, unnamed, minor edge bruising, otherwise very fine or better (3) £1,000-£1,400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from an Africa Collection.

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O.B.E. London Gazette 27 January 1921:

‘In recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with Military operations against Aliab Dinkas, Sudan.’

Vere Henry Fergusson was born in July 1891, and was the son of Colonel W. S. Fergusson of His Majesty’s Body Guard. Fergusson was educated at Wellington College, and resided at 39 Sackville Street, London. He failed the entrance examination to Sandhurst, and joined the ranks of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry in 1909, transferring as corporal to the 8th Hussars in 1911. Fergusson was commissioned second lieutenant in the Cameronians in March 1913, and seconded to the West African Frontier Force in July 1914. He served on the staff of General Sir Charles Dobell throughout the Cameroon Expedition of 1914, and transferred as captain to the Equatorial Battalion of the Egyptian Army in June 1916 (entitled to 1914/15 Star trio).

Fergusson was posted to Uganda to work in conjunction with East African troops against Turkhana and Abyssinian troops in April 1918. He transferred from the Egyptian Army to the civil department of the Sudan Government in 1920, and was appointed district commissioner in Bahr-el-Gazel. Fergusson was the first officer to penetrate the Nuer country and start a native administration, including cotton growing. His subsequent life, and death, is recorded in great detail (largely from his letters) in The Story of Fergie Bey published in 1930. Selected extracts from which are as follows:

‘April 1918 - Leaving Omdurman early in April, he went to Mongalla, where he was ordered off at once to Uganda... Torit was reached at the beginning of May. At Losso Post he found a Sergeant Major and twelve men, and moved them to form a block house to stop the Abyssinians from attacking friendly tribes. At the end of the month there was a successful skirmish, and a village was taken. One of my posts was attacked last night, and the sentry shot a man not half a dozen yards off. About the middle of the month [May] he had a summons from Uganda, asking him to operate against the Nangiyia Mountains.

I got an urgent note, ordering me to go as fast as possible to Menge - a five days march - where the natives had rebelled, killed four policemen and captured our Post. I set off by moonlight, and got to Menge in two days, marching night and day, with only four hours sleep. We attacked the hills at once, with excellent effect. I have now stopped strafing them, and released all prisoners after giving them tobacco and a good feed. At the end of the Patrol of January 1919: after interrogating all prisoners we let them go, with a good supply of goats, and sent messages to the Chiefs to come and see us....

January 1919 - The Aliab Patrol

There has been great fighting in Mongalla Province, about thirty miles from here, where twenty of my old Equatorial soldiers were killed and many wounded, having been attacked by Dinka spearmen at night, and killed before they had time to get out of bed. One of my Chiefs, too, has risen up. We’ve got the Camel Corps, Mounted Infantry, machine guns etc coming down. They should arrive this month, and then we’ll have a big strafe. I have been asked by the Civil Secretary to act as Political Officer to this big patrol that’s coming on here. I am ‘at it’ the whole day up to 11pm, writing reports, getting in information, decoding telegrams, and passing them on. This will be my seventh Patrol out here. The force operating from our side is 500 rifles and some machine guns; and from Mongalla 800 rifles and ten machine guns. The natives are boasting of Major Stigand’s murder, to show their contempt for the Government; and they dug up and exposed bodies of the dead after the last fight.

We’ve been trekking all over the country, getting soaked to the skin, but my Column has done well; and since the show began, we have captured over 4,000 cattle, killed about 300 of the enemy and destroyed numerous villages - a good deal more to show for our money than the main Column. I expect to leave for Khartoum on 21 June, and be at home before the end of July.

Back at Khartoum in December 1920 he was immediately asked to return to the Equatorial Battalion and take command of it; but he had found his work, and decided on remaining with the Political. My dinner at the Palace was very pleasant, and Sir lee and Lady Stack very kind. I was given the place of honour, next to the Sirdar, and we had a great talk. He was awfully pleased about our last Patrol (the punitive expedition against the Aliab Dinkas, for which Vere got his O.B.E.)....

14 December 1927:

At 7am about three thousand Nuers arrived at the Lake Jorr Post, and several of them went to the “Kerreri” asking for an audience. Vere told them to wait with the others he would see them all at his camp near the merchant’s shop after breakfast. When the business of apportioning work was finished, at about 11am, Vere went to his camping ground, on the river side of the merchants shop, and began talking about ivory to Andreas Panayiotopolulos. It seemed as though there was plenty of time, still so early in the day, to discuss trifles of the kind....

Suddenly there was an ominous movement among the Nuers. They were all coming on towards the District Commissioner’s group, and he though no more of ivory as he looked up to see what was happening. Almost before he had time to realise, that what he saw meant a hostile demonstration, the attack began. A young Nuer, - a mere boy, but counted as a man and a warrior because his forehead had already been cut and healed - greatly daring, threw his spear at Awaraquay [Fegusson].

There may have been a moment’s pause; that huge assembly may have drawn breath, waiting to see if the boy would fall to the ground, blasted by the anger of Awaraquay, for even yet they hardly believed him to have been an ordinary mortal. How could he have moved fearlessly and unprotected among them, even in their most turbulent times, if there were not in him some inherent magic on which he could always count to keep him safe from exhibitions of enmity? Suppose the spear did not touch, and suppose it were thrown back, pinning that sacrilegious youth to the ground? - But no! Awaraquay was not invulnerable. The boy was not an expert; he struck towards the heart, but the spear slanted downwards, merely grazing the skin; still, the scarred skin had been punctured. Awaraquay pulled the spear from his clothing and hurled it back; but the boy easily evaded it and the weapon fell harmless. Behold, he was as other men! The signal had been given. Immediately another spear was thrown - this time by a malformed dwarf, a hunchback; and the second one found its mark. It entered Vere’s body on the left side, under the arm and level with his heart, piercing through his body and coming out at the right side under his armpit.

He had time to cry, “I’m done. Run for the boat!” - his last word, his last thought for others - and, as he fell forward, another spear was hurled from behind, and entered between his should blades, coming out of his chest. Death was instantaneous. When he fell, every Nuer who could reach stick his spear into the body that could no longer feel.’

Sold with a copy of The Story of Fergie Bey (Awaraquay), Told by Himself and Some of His Friends, published in 1930, and copied research, including several photographic images of the recipient.