Thomas FOSTER

14 May 1915

CRAVEN AND THE WAR – TWO CASUALTIES

Another Skipton Territorial, writing on May 7th, states, "It is grand to have a bit of Skipton twist and some Woodbines,” and asks for a tin of milk, of which they see little in the trenches. He goes on:– “No doubt by now you will have heard that young Scott died of his wounds. We have had another two casualties. One poor fellow from Barnoldswick called Bowker is doing nicely, but the other, poor Tommy Foster, got hit through the head and died before he landed at the hospital. I was talking to him one minute and he was shot the next. It is a very bad job, especially for his wife, because she has four children, the oldest only seven.

14 May 1915

RUMOURS OF ANOTHER CASUALTY – Skipton Man said to be Killed

During the past week there have been persistent and apparently well-founded rumours regarding another local casualty. The victim on this occasion was said to be Thomas Foster (29) of the 6th Battalion Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment, who is reported to have been shot through the head while in the trenches.

Foster, a married man with four children, had for two years resided at Foulridge, (where he was employed on the railway). Prior to that he lived in Skipton - where his parents are still domiciled – and at one time was employed in the dye-works attached to Belle Vue Mills.

For ten or twelve years he was a member of the old 3rd Volunteer Battalion, Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment, but was understood to have severed his connection with it at or about the time the Volunteers were superseded by the Territorial Force. While at Foulridge, however, he resumed his connection by joining the 6th Battalion, with which he departed for the front a month ago.

The first intimation that Foster had met with a mishap was contained in a letter from a comrade to relatives in Skipton. In this communication the writer definitely stated that Foster had been shot in the head and died subsequently, and that a Barnoldswick man bad been wounded, but was doing nicely.

Another member of the Battalion, also writing to relatives in Skipton, states: “One of my pals was shot through the head. We heard he is dead. That is poor Tom Foster, but we cannot help these things.” This testimony seems convincing enough, though, at the time of writing, neither Foster's wife nor his parents had been officially notified of the sad occurrence.

Authentic information is anxiously awaited in Skipton, where Foster was well-known.

21 May 1915

ANOTHER SKIPTON CASUALTY – Pte. A. Simpson Injured

On Wednesday morning Pte. Alfred Simpson, of the 6th Battalion Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment, wrote to his parents, who reside in Brougham Street, Skipton, informing them that he had been wounded in the left forearm and was at present in hospital in France. It was a brief communication, containing little more than the bare announcement, and an intimation that the bullet had not, when the letter was dispatched, been extracted.

Pte. Simpson, who was 21 years of age, was a member of the Skipton Bull Dog Troop of Boy Scouts; and a holder of the King's Scout certificate and an ambulance certificate. On severing his connection with the Scout movement he joined the Headquarters Companies of the 6th Battalion Duke of Wellington's, but subsequently obtained an engineering appointment at Bristol. On the outbreak of war he returned home and once more joined the Battalion with which he departed for the Front from Doncaster.

In a recent letter Pte. Simpson refers to the death of Private Foster, notification of which was received in Skipton last week. He says:– “I saw a sight yesterday (May 10th) that touched me a bit. You will very likely know Mrs. Foster, who lived down by Mr. Boothman's workshop. Well, her son, aged 26, has been killed in the same trench as myself. He was just stepping up to have a shot at a German who was chopping wood and was shot through the head and died on the way to the hospital. He leaves a wife and four children. You can guess what we felt like. A shell dropped in our trench this morning. It must have been a miracle, for it did not burst.”

12 May 1916

FOSTER – In loving memory of Private Tom Foster, killed in action in France, May 8th 1915

We loved him in life,
He is dear to us still.

From Father, Brother and Sisters.

11 May 1917

FOSTER – In loving memory of Private Tom Foster, who was killed in France, May 7th, 1915.

Sleep on, dear brother, in an unknown grave,
Your life for your country you nobly gave;
No friends stood near to say good-bye,
But safe in God’s keeping you now lie.