Thomas Charles Foster MC

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Thomas Charles Foster, MC


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Thomas Charles Foster, one of four sons of Jersey residents who fought in the Great War was awarded the Military Cross in 1918

Thomas Charles Foster

Thomas Charles Foster was the eldest son of Thomas and Elizabeth Foster, of First Tower. He was born in 1879 and died in 1946.

His younger brothers Frederick (1891-1918) and Henry (1880-1918) were both killed in action, and Charles, who was a Regimental Sergeant Major in the Royal Engineers, won the Distinguished Conduct Medal and Croix de Guerre.

Thomas Foster was a Battalion Sergeant Major in the Royal Field Artillery at the outbreak of war and by 1915 had been commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. By 1918 he had risen to the rank of Acting Captain and was serving with 58th Brigade Royal Field Artillery.

The Edinburgh Gazette of 1 August 1919 records the circumstances which led to his award of the Military Cross.

'On 27 September 1918 he went forward through continuous shell fire to reconnoitre the possible crossings of the Canal du Nord near Marquion, in order that the brigade might come into action on the east of the cavalry. He returned to headquarters brigade with full information and piloted the brigade safely into action. He afterwards organised the arrangements for the supply of ammunition between the ammunition dump and the guns, and kept all batteries fully supplied throughout the engagement. Throughout the day he repeatedly behaved gallantly under fire, disregarding his personal safety and unhesitatingly pursuing bis duty for the welfare of the brigade.'

Thomas Foster continued in the Army after the end of the war and eventually reached the rank of Major.

Biography

This biography is taken from a website devoted to the men of the 58th Brigade


Thomas Charles Foster was from Jersey and was born on 23 Mar 1879. He was serving as a BSM and was commissioned as a 2/Lt on 13 Jun 1915. He first went to France on 24 Oct 1916 with 80th Bde RFA. He had joined C/58 by 20 Jun 1917 when he was wounded by a shell but returned to duty the next day. After the death of one of his men, Ernest Inch, on 29 Sep 1917, he wrote to the dead man’s fiancée, Miss R Colliss, to express his sympathy.

He went on 14 days leave on 7 July 1918, and then on 27 September 1918 he made a useful reconnaissance of potential crossings of the canal, along with a Lt Norton. For this, he was awarded the Military Cross, his citation being

“On Sep 27th, 1918, he went forward through continuous shell fire to reconnoitre the possible crossings of the Canal du Nord near Marquion, in order that the brigade might come into action on the east of the cavalry. He returned to headquarters brigade with full information and piloted the brigade safely into action. He afterwards organised the arrangements for the supply of ammunition between the ammunition dump and the guns, and-kept all batteries fully supplied throughout the engagement. Throughout the day he repeatedly behaved gallantly under fire, disregarding his personal safety and unhesitatingly pursuing his duty for the welfare of the brigade.”

After the Armistice, he went to England on 13 Dec 1918 as the conducting officer for coal miners going home for demobilisation, after which he had 14 days’ leave. He had a further 14 days’ leave to UK between 31 Mar and 18 Apr 1919. He and his wife Mary (born 18 Nov 1885) had two children, Stella Mary Elizabeth Foster (born 7 Dec 1915) and Monteith Alastair Charles Foster (born 26 Dec 1922). They lived in Jersey during the German occupation in World War 2, their address being given as Le Chalet, Havre des Pas, St Helier on their registration cards of 7 Jan 1941. He died on 8 Apr 1946, leaving his presentation sword to his son Monteith.

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