Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Cyril Foster joined the Army in April 1918, he served in the 28th Battalion and was the 22nd Battalion reinforcement since his brother Stanley had joined the 28th Battalion in 1915 at the beginning of the war.

Cyril required permission from his widowed mother to depart the country as he was not 19 years old.

He joined the 28th Battalion in France on the 24th of August 1918.

In late August, the Australian 2nd Division advanced to the Somme River, and on 29 August, as the 7th Brigade attacked around Biaches, the 28th was assigned the task of capturing the Amiens–Peronne railway bridge.

The following day, they forced their way across the river around Peronne, and during the subsequent Battle of Mont St Quentin–Peronne, they joined the 7th Brigade's advance towards Aizecourt-le-Haut.

They continued fighting until early October 1918 when they were withdrawn from the line, just after an attack on the Beaureviour Line, around the village of Estrees.

The fighting throughout 1918 had heavily depleted the Australian units, which had been unable to make good their losses, and on 5 October, the entire Australian Corps was withdrawn for rest and reorganisation.

The battalion remained out of the line until the war ended in November, after which they began to demobilise. The process was slow as personnel were repatriated back to Australia in drafts and consequently the battalion was not disbanded until March 1919.

Throughout the war, casualties amongst the 28th totalled 787 killed and 2,241 wounded. The battalion received 17 battle honours for its war service, which were bestowed in 1927

Cyril was shot in both arms in France on the 3 Oct 1918, 2 days prior to all Australian Forces were withdrawn from the Western Front for Rest and reorganisation, they were not required to return to the front prior to end of war on the 11 Nov 1918, he was one of the last Australians to be wounded in WW1.

He was initially treated in France and then transferred to a hospital in Plymouth for further treatment 0n the 6 October 1918, he then transferred to the 1st Australian Auxilary Hospital in Harefield.

Cyril embarked HT “City of York” on the 14 January 1919 for his voyage home to Australia.

He arrived in Fremantle on the 18 February 1919, he discharged from the AIF on the 10 March 1919.

Cyril managed to experience all of this and survive his 11 months in the Australia Imperial Force and discharged at 19 years 10 Months old.