Fergus Herbert Elgin Mackain (1886 - 1924) - Canadian artist/illustrator Sculptor & Photographer

 With thanks to Ciaran Conlan for find this artist for us

Fergus Herbert Elgin Mackain was born on 28th March 1886 Saint John New Brunswick Canada, 

Fergus worked his way to England at the start of the war and joined the British Army. He served initially in the Fusiliers 30th (Reserve) Battalion, British Army Army Service Corps, before transferring to the 23rd Battalion (First Sportsman's).  Fergus served on the Western Front and was wounded during the Battle of Delville Wood (15th July – 3rd September 1916). 

After the war, Fergus returned to live with his family in America.  He died on 3rd July 1924 in Asheville, Buncombe, North Carolina (Oteen Veterans Hospital).

A letter to his six year old son

 When Fergus Mackain wrote this illustrated letter to his 6 year old son in New York, he had been in France for about one year. During that time he had been wounded at the Battle of Delville Wood, and had survived the bitterly cold winter of 1916/17, when men literally froze to death in the trenches.

His battalion, the 23rd Royal Fusiliers, experienced intense fighting at Vimy Ridge, and the following month they billeted at La Comte, Enquin-les-Mines, and Camblain-Chatelain. That was when the United States entered the war to fight alongside their allies in France.

The illustrated letter was reproduced in “Scribner’s Magazine” in December 1917.

A book of Fergus’s WW1 sketches - “A Tommy’s Life in the Trenches” has been put together and published by John Place, (whose Grandfather fought on the Somme) and William Mackain-Bremner (Grandson of Fergus's cousin). They have collected and published for the first time all the postcards drawn by Private Fergus Mackain during WW1, together with contextualizing commentary to the Western Front scenes depicted. Also included are reproductions of actual messages sent during the war on the back of Mackain's postcards. The book features more than 200 colour illustrations.

This artist was found by Historian Ciaran Conlan via Hillebrand Rifles Facebook page. 

Sources:  Find my Past

http://www.fergusmackain.com/p/illustrated-letter.html

https://adventuresinhistoryland.com/tag/book-review-a-tommys-life-in-the-trenches-private-fergus-mackain/

https://adventuresinhistoryland.com/tag/book-review-a-tommys-life-in-the-trenches-private-fergus-mackain/

https://canadiangreatwarproject.com/person.php?pid=138541

http://www.fergusmackain.com/p/greetings-set.html

https://www.amberley-books.com/a-tommys-life-in-the-trenches.html

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=206865831674413&set=pb.100070529913600.-2207520000