FOSTER, Thomas Barham
| Service Number: | 367 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | Fourth (Imperial) Bushman Contingent, Victoria |
| Born: | Sale, Victoria, Australia, 27 July 1875 |
| Home Town: | Inglewood, Loddon, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Disease, Umtali, Zimbabwe, 22 August 1900, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Boer War Memorial (Queen Victoria Square) |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Private, 367 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Private, 367, Victorian Imperial Bushmen | |
| 1 May 1900: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 367, Fourth (Imperial) Bushman Contingent, Victoria | |
| 22 Aug 1900: | Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Trooper, 367, Fourth (Imperial) Bushman Contingent, Victoria, Died of Disease. |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Maurice Kissane
Thomas Barham Foster had ten siblings. He was born in Sale in 1875. He worked a miner on the Victorian Gold Fields. His father, William Henry Foster (1832-1894) was a Police Magistrate in Ballarat. His mother, Catherine Foster (1836-1895) died when Tom was aged 20 years.
Hence Tom was orphaned before his 21st birthday. He was still classified as a minor. Then when Tom was 24 years old he enlisted as a Private in the 4th Victorian (Imperial Bushmen's) Contingent. PTE FOSTER, Thomas Barham [367]. He enlisted to fight for Queen and Empire. Tom had demonstrated that he could ride and shoot, plus he was medically fit and not married.
Hence he made the cut and was accepted for service.
Tom sailed from Port Melbourne on the SS Victorian on 1/05/1900. He disembarked at Beria in Portuguese East Africa on 25/05/1900. Tom was in D Squadron which did not entrain to Umtali via Bamboo Creek until 18 June 1900. Disease had by then began to take its toll. Tom arrived in Umtali in Rhodesia on 23 June 1900. D Squadron was eventualy to entrained to Marandellas. The Bushmen Contingents were being formed into Rhodesian Field Force Regiments there.
Some thirty men were invalided back home from Marandellas due to the ill effects of malaria and dysentry. As per "That Ragged Mob" page 264 edited by Dr Robin Droogleever. 1st Ed. 2009. That work has the history and biography of members of Tom's unit.
Droogleever states on page 264 that Tom died from Enteric Fever and Dysentry in Marandellas Hospital on 22 August 1900. LTCOL P L Murray RAA records that Tom died at Umtali on that date. However, D Squadron 4VIBC was in Marandellas at the time of Tom's death.
Marandellas, Rhodedia is now Morondera, Zimbabwe.
Tom's final resting place has not yet been confirmed.
He is entitled to the QSA medal with Rhodesia clasp.
Lest We Forget.
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