Military History

Embarked Fremantle per HMAT 'Ceramic' A40 for Egypt 23.11.1915.
Roll Rank Sapper.
Roll Unit 6th Field Company. Australian Engineers.
Pidgeon disembarked with 6th Field Coy. Engineers at Suez. He was promoted to L/Cpl 12.1.1916 at Ferry Post. He was appointed to Temp/ Cpl. 8.3.1916. Pidgeon’s Unit joined the BEF at Alexandria and embarked for France per HT ‘City of Edinburgh’ 18.3.1916. They disembarked at Marseilles 27.3.1916. Pidgeon was detached to Officer Training School in England 14.7.1916. He joined the School of Instruction at the Engineers Training Centre (Royal Engineer Cadet Coy., Degawny) 31.7.1967. Following this course, he was appointed as 2nd Lieut. 20.10.1916. He proceeded overseas from Degawny to his Unit in France 22.1.1917. Pidgeon marched in to Etaples and was attached to 2nd Div. Engineers HQ 28.1.1917. He was taken on strength with 5th Field Coy. Engineers 20.1.1917. Pidgeon fought on the Western Front in the Arras offensive. He was involved in the 2nd Battle of Bullecourt, where he was KIA on 4.5.1917.(Reported West Australian 28.5.1917).
Pidgeon was buried at Vaulx Vraucourt British Churchyard Ex Plot 1 Row A, Grave 3 (Cemetery 5 ½ miles N.E. of Bapaume). His remains were re- interred to Vaulx Hill British Cemetery, Plot 1, Row K, Grave 23. Vaulx, Picardie, France.
Final Rank Lieut. 5th Field Coy. Australian Engineers.
Medical Condition Deceased, KIA.
Awards and Medals 1914-15 Star, British War Medal. Victory Medal.
Notes Ivan was known by his family and friends as William or Bill
Photos  HMAT 'Ceramic'. Photographer Josiah Barnes, photograph source AWM PB0284
              Engineers constructing a jetty at Ferry Post, Ismailia 1916.  Photographer unknown, photograph source AWM P0098.008
              5th FCE putting down wire entanglements. Photographer unknown, photograph source AWM C04440
              Ruined village of of Boursieres (Boursies) in the Bullecourt sector 1917. Photographer unknown, photograph source AWM E01303
              Vaulx Vraucourt Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.  Photographer unknown, photograph source CWGC
              I.F.W.Pidgeon. Image source West Australian Newspaper 16.5.1917 p7

Information Source
AWM PB0284. HMAT 'Ceramic'. Photographer Josiah Barnes, photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
AWM P0098.008. Engineers constructing a jetty at Ferry Post, Ismailia 1916.  Photographer unknown, photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
AWM C04440. 5th FCE putting down wire entanglements. Photographer unknown, photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
AWM E01303. Ruined village of of Boursieres (Boursies) in the Bullecourt sector 1917. Photographer unknown, photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
AWM Embarkation Roll-Ivan Farquhar William Pidgeon
AWM Roll of Honour- Ivan Farquhar William Pidgeon
CWGC. Vaulx Vraucourt Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.  Photographer unknown, photograph sourced from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/68003/VRAUCOURT%20COPSE%20CEMETERY,%20VAULX-VRAUCOURT
NAA: B2455, Pidgeon
St Matthew’s Fallen
West Australian Newspaper
Wise H. and Coy. Western Australian Post Office Directories.SLWA

Caversham House, Caversham, WA.

Associated Images