FOSTER, Percy William
| Service Number: | 83 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 36th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Harwood Island, Clarence River, New South Wales, 1887 |
| Home Town: | Mallanganee, Kyogle, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Wounds, Ipswich, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom, 22 October 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Ipswich Old Cemetery Grave BA. IA. 12.in WWI Field of Honour. INSCRIPTION -HE FOUGHT FOR HONOUR AND FOR KING MAY GOD HELP OUR HEAVY CROSS TO BEAR |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Casino and District Memorial Hospital WW1 Roll of Honour, Mallanganee WW1 Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 13 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 83, 36th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Beltana embarkation_ship_number: A72 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 83, 36th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Beltana, Sydney | |
| 22 Oct 1917: | Involvement Corporal, 83, 36th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 83 awm_unit: 36th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-10-22 |
Help us honour Percy William Foster's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
He was 29 and the son of Arthur and Isabella Foster, of Mallanganee, New South Wales, Australia.
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Percy William Foster was born in 1887 on Harwood Island, Clarence River, NSW to parents Arthur and Isabella Foster (nee Whitton).
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 6th January, 1916 at Liverpool, Sydney, NSW as a 28 year old, single, Labourer from Mallanganee, New South Wales. Percy Foster stated on his Attestation Papers that he had served for 4 months with Mallanganee Rifle Club.
Private Percy William Foster was absent without leave from Broadmeadows Camp, Victoria from midnight on 2nd April, 1916 to 1945.hrs on 5th April, 1916. He was fined £1 & forfeited 3 days pay.
On 13th May, 1916 Private Percy William Foster, Service number 83, embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Beltana (A72) with the 9th Infantry Brigade, 36th Infantry Battalion, “A” Company & disembarked at Devonport, England on 9th July, 1916.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
Private Foster was admitted to Fargo Military Hospital, Wiltshire on 29th July, 1916 with a fracture of tibia & fibula (lower leg). He was discharged from Fargo Hospital, Wiltshire on 3rd November, 1916 & rejoined his Unit from Bulford Hospital, Wiltshire on 14th November, 1916.
He proceeded overseas to France via Southampton on 22nd November, 1916.
On 29th January, 1917 Private Percy William Foster was wounded in action. He was taken to 9th Australian Field Ambulance then transferred to No. 2 Australian Casualty Clearing Station with a gunshot wound to thigh - severe. Private Foster was transferred to Ambulance Train 29 on 30th January, 1917 & admitted to 3rd Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne. He embarked from Boulogne for England on Hospital Ship Aberdonian on 1st February, 1917.
Private Foster was admitted to Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, near Southampton, Hampshire on 4th February, 1917 then transferred to 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, Kent on 11th April, 1917.
He was on furlo from 4th May, 1917 to 19th May, 1917 & was then to report to Training Depot at Perham Downs, Wiltshire.
On 20th May, 1917 Private Foster was marched in to No. 1 Command Depot, Perham Downs, Wiltshire. He was medically classified A3 – Fit for overseas training camp.
Private Foster proceeded overseas to France from Training Draft Depot at Perham Downs on 27th May, 1917. He was marched in from England to 3rd A.D.B.D. (Australian Divisional Base Depot) at Havre on 28th May, 1917. He was marched out to join his Unit on 10th June, 1917 & rejoined his Unit on 14th June, 1917 in Belgium.
He was appointed Lance Corporal on 12th June, 1917.
Lance Corporal. Foster was wounded in action (2nd occasion) on 21st July, 1917. He was taken to 11th Australian Field Ambulance with a gunshot wound to forearm then transferred to 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station on 22nd July, 1917. Lance Corporal Foster was transferred to Ambulance Train on 23rd July, 1917 to Rouen. He was admitted to 6th General Hospital on 29th July, 1917 then transferred to Convalescent Depot at Rouen.
He was marched out from Hospital on 21st August, 1917 to 3rd A.D.B.D. (Australian Divisional Base Depot) at Rouelles then marched out to join his Unit on 29th August, 1917. He rejoined his Unit on 1st September, 1917.
Lance Corporal Percy William Foster was to be Corporal (vice McNeill) on 14th September, 1917.
On 16th September, 1917Corporal Foster was detached to Divisional School.
Corporal Percy William Foster was wounded in action (3rd occasion) on 12th October, 1917. He was taken to 11th Australian Field Ambulance then admitted to 44th Casualty Clearing Station on 13th October, 1917. Corporal Foster was transferred to Ambulance Train & admitted on 14th October, 1917 to 2nd Australian General Hospital. He embarked for England on Hospital Ship St. Dennis on 18th October, 1917.
He was admitted to East Suffolk & Ipswich Hospital on 19th October, 1917 with a gunshot wound to right buttock and thigh.
Arthur Foster, father of Corporal Percy William Foster, died on 19th October, 1917. His death was registered in the district of Casino, NSW.
Corporal Percy William Foster died at 2.15 am on 22nd October, 1917 at East Suffolk & Ipswich Hospital, Ipswich, England from wounds received – 1. Gunshot wound to right buttock and thigh 2. Gangrene & Gas.
He was buried in Ipswich Old Cemetery, Suffolk, England.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/ipswich.html
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