Flt Lt Robert Ferguson

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Robert Ferguson was born in Ayr, Scotland in 1924. His father was an engineer with British Rail and drove the famous Royal Scot locomotive. Much of his father's mechanical aptitude and interest was passed on to Bob. As a youngster he was interested in all things mechanical, and this obviously made him inquisitive of aircraft and flying. Later he would attend the Technical College of Scotland, and much of what he learned there was of great help after he enlisted in the RAF in February on 1942. After reporting to the Aircrew Reception Centre in London, the young Scot was then assigned to No.3 Squadron A Flight ITW (an initial training wing) in Aberystwyth, Wales. After completion of this first six weeks training, Ferguson was sent to North Coventry for Elementary Flght Training School. It is in Coventry where he experienced flight for the first time. Battle School training followed, as did a trip to Canada on the Queen Elizabeth. In Alberta, Ferguson completed both elementary and advanced flying courses. He was then transferred to Moncton, New Brunswick to await his return to Great Britain and the real thing. Initially stationed at Harrigate, he was soon reassigned to Wigtown, Scotland. While with No.26 Operational Training Wing he crash landed a Wellington bomber flying on a single engine during a night flight. Sustaining a head injury in the crash, he was judged fit to continue flying. Shortly thereafter he was assigned to No.90 Squadron, a unit flying the Lancaster heavy bomber. Ferguson completed thirty bombing missions as a Lancaster pilot. His recollection after fifty years is, 'that it was bloody dark, bloody cold and bloody dangerous.' Ferguson saw many of his fellow flyers injured, killed and captured during these night bombing missions. The RAF was basically given the assignment for these night missions, while American bombers flew the daytime missions. In early 1946 Ferguson suffered a black-out, which was traced back to his early head injury during the crash landing of the Wellington. This resulted in a medical discharge from the RAF. Following the war Bob worked as an engineer for English Racing Automobiles, an organisation which was well known because of the great record of its driver, the legendary Stirling Moss. Later Bob was reassigned to work on experimental prototype aircraft, and in 1957 he joined the UK operation of General Motors. In 1967 Bob joined United Airlines and had the opportunity to work in the United States. He retired from UAL ion 1989, and resides in California at the time of writing.

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