WILLIAM KENNEDY FERGUSON was the eldest of 6 children. His father, William Ferguson, worked for a carpet company in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, until. he purchased the Strathroy Woolen Mills. The family then moved, the following year, to Front Street East in Strathroy. WILLIAM attended Peterborough Collegiate Institute after grade school. He was played basketball and baseball and was involved with the local Young Mens Christian Association (YMCA).

After working in the insurance business WILLIAM joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940. He served as a Pilot Officer in 401 (Royal Canadian Air Force) Squadron. During a mission over Bayeux on Friday 15th January 1943, his Spitfire EN-183 was shot down and he was killed.

He is the only Commonwealth burial in SAINT-MARTIN-DES-ENTREES (SAINT GERMAIN) COMMUNAL CEMETERY On the day he was buried there were many local villagers attending the funeral service. The Germans checked everyone's identity papers and went on to make many arrests. 10 of those arrested were sent to concentration camps. 5 did not return after the war.

On 6th June 1994, on the 50th anniversary of the Normandy landings, the village people renamed the main street in Saint-Martin-des-Entrees Rue W.K. Ferguson. Some of Pilot Officer WILLIAM KENNEDY FERGUSON's family were able to attend the ceremony.¹