William Skene Ferguson was the son of James Wilson and Betsy Duncan Ferguson, of Edinburgh. He enlisted in the Royal Scots and volunteered for airborne forces.

Sergeant Ferguson successfully completed glider pilot training and was posted to A Squadron, 2 Flight, The Glider Pilot Regiment, and took part in Operation Market Garden (Arnhem).

Sgt Ferguson died, age 29, on 31 March 1945 of dysentery and malnutrition at Stalag IXB (Wegscheide Bad-Orb), and was first buried in Wegscheide POW cemetery, 42 kilometres south west of Fulda, Germany. He was re-interred to Durnbach War Cemetery on 30 September 1947. Plot  Ref: 3.D.23.