harkerr@btinternet.com Posted 29 January , 2007 Share Posted 29 January , 2007 We have discovered in some old family papers a newspaper cutting featuring the above item, unfortunately there is no date on the cutting. We have no information who Lieut Foster was or what the relevance to our family was, unless he was an officer some of the family served under. My Grandfather was in the RFA serving with the 62nd Div Ammunition Column, his half brother was in the West Yorks Regmt. However the family lived only a few miles from Colsterdale where the Leeds Pals trained so it may only be an acquaintance made at that time. It would be interesting to know what became of Lieut Foster, particularly if he survived or not. Any information would be of interest Many Thanks Richard Harker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelPack Posted 29 January , 2007 Share Posted 29 January , 2007 Hello Richard Not a good result: http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=411026 Regards Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harkerr@btinternet.com Posted 29 January , 2007 Author Share Posted 29 January , 2007 Hello Richard Not a good result: http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=411026 Regards Mel Hi Mel Thanks for that. It dates the wedding anyway as October is mentioned in articles on the rear of the cutting. So it must have been October/early November 1915. When did the Leeds Pals go to France? I notice he is buried at Pool(e) near Leeds so he must have been wounded and returned home. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mruk Posted 29 January , 2007 Share Posted 29 January , 2007 Hello Richard, If you can get your hands on a copy of Laurie Milner's 'Leeds Pals' then you'll find another photo of 2nd Lt. Leonard Foster amongst a group of officers on page 77. He is also listed on the nominal roll of officers who disembarked on the 'Ascania' on March 8th, 1916. [France] The battalion had just returned from Egypt and this was their initiation to 'the misery of trench warfare'. Cheers, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esskay Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 [quote It dates the wedding anyway as October is mentioned in articles on the rear of the cutting. So it must have been October/early November 1915. Ancestry shows the likely marriage and if it is - confirms 4th quarter of 1915: Leonard Foster 1915 Oct-Nov-Dec Hill Leeds Yorkshire - West Riding Martha A Hill 1915 Oct-Nov-Dec Foster Leeds Yorkshire - West Riding Cheers Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esskay Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 There is an L. Foster recorded on a Leeds Council Employees memorial - at Leeds Town Hall - wonder if it's him? http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites...rd.jsp?id=72557 Cheers Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mruk Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 Hello Sue, All the way from Australia I was in Leeds Town Hall last week and couldn't find the memorial because they've had something of a refurb. I'll try again in the next couple of days and see if any units or battalions are mentioned. There's a beauty there to the South African War, and one to those lads who fought Franco's Regime in the Thirties, but the memorial to the Great War must be tucked away somewhere. I've even sent an E-mail to the Town Hall Manager but had no reply. It's nice to know there must be one there. Cheers, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteWolf Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 Leonard Foster was born near Settle in a place called Long Preston. Son of Mr & Mrs John William Foster, who were Fancy Drapers. He was one of four children having a brother and two sisters. Leonard (25), worked as an Architect & Surveyor for the Leeds City Corporation and was still living with his mother at outbreak of war in Harehills, Leeds. On the 3rd September 1914 Leonard like so many others went to the Leeds town hall and enlisted, as a Private, into the “Leeds Pals” He gained his commission on the 26th July 1915, whilst the “pals” were training at Ripon, with the rank of 2/Lt he was posted as Commanding Officer of “5” Platoon, “B” Company. On the 9th October 1915, Leonard married, his girlfriend, Martha Avery Hill, of Headingley. They were married at St Matthews Church, Camp Road. Just 2 months after his marriage (December 1915), he set sail for Egypt, with the Battalion never to see his family again! “Yorkshire Evening Post” - Saturday July 8th 1916 reported:- “2/Nd Lt Leonard Foster is the latest of the “pals” officers, who is announced to have been wounded. He is in hospital in France” He was transferred to the Empire Hospital, in London due to his wounds being so severe. he died in hospital, on the 13th August 1916. He was buried on the 16th August 1916, at St Wilfreds Churchyard, Pool in Wharfedale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon R Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 Who was your relative in the 62nd Div. Ammo. Col.? n.b. Pool, West Yorks Poole, Dorset Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteWolf Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 Who was your relative in the 62nd Div. Ammo. Col.? n.b. Pool, West Yorks Poole, Dorset Pool West Yorkshire I have corrected my post above sorry for the confusion Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon R Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 Got you, still a good bit of work on Leonard Foster though, some good info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Noble Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 Hi. You will find pretty much what you need to know on Lieutenant Foster here, just go to 'soldiers' and search under 'F'. http://www.leedspals.co.uk/ Regards, Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteWolf Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 Leonard is one of the 19 men from the Great War that are remembered on the village’s War Memorial, which is on the main street opposite the garage. There’s a link below to the Yorkshire Indexers site, but you need to be a member to view the page (but it is free to join) link here Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harkerr@btinternet.com Posted 30 January , 2007 Author Share Posted 30 January , 2007 Leonard is one of the 19 men from the Great War that are remembered on the village’s War Memorial, which is on the main street opposite the garage. There’s a link below to the Yorkshire Indexers site, but you need to be a member to view the page (but it is free to join) link here Andy Hi All Thanks for some interesting and amazingly detailed information. The question remains what did he mean to some member of my family-I doubt if we will ever know. Sorry for the confusion ove the spelling of POOL! I've driven through Pool many times and for some reason was sure it had an "e" on the end! For whoever asked, my Grandfather Gunner John William Harker served in the 62nd DAC, have you an interest? Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon R Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 Really only so far as the 4th West Riding (Howitzer) brigade goes - both 1st and 2nd lines (49th and 62nd divs. respectively) and those of the Ammo. Col., the first line (at least)of which was nominally raised from Burley-in-Wharfedale and which has many 'Foster' connections. I will prod my refs. tonight and see if I can pick both men out. Or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteWolf Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 Another Pal has just added This THREAD which seems to also carry Leonard's name on the City of Leeds Engineers Dept. Roll of Honour. Tis strange how things come together on the same day Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon R Posted 31 January , 2007 Share Posted 31 January , 2007 I've confused Capt. F.A. Arnold-Forster with the Foster above - this one being O.C. 4th West Riding (Hoiwtzer) Ammo. Col. TF @ Burley-in-Wharfedale, so no relation. I can't find any Harkers at all in any list/sequence for the Wharfedale area - broadly the area that 1/4th WR (How) RFA and 2/4th (WR) (How) RFA (plus ammo. cols.) recruited from 14-18. An unusual name for this particular part of West Yorkshire. What was Gnr. Harkers regt. number? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harkerr@btinternet.com Posted 31 January , 2007 Author Share Posted 31 January , 2007 I've confused Capt. F.A. Arnold-Forster with the Foster above - this one being O.C. 4th West Riding (Hoiwtzer) Ammo. Col. TF @ Burley-in-Wharfedale, so no relation. I can't find any Harkers at all in any list/sequence for the Wharfedale area - broadly the area that 1/4th WR (How) RFA and 2/4th (WR) (How) RFA (plus ammo. cols.) recruited from 14-18. An unusual name for this particular part of West Yorkshire. What was Gnr. Harkers regt. number? Hi Simon His Regt. number was 796073, enlisted 31/5/15 for 2/3rd W.R.Bgde R.F.A. In his 1918 diary he claims to be in "E.sub.sec. 62nd Divisional Ammunition Column" He was from Lofthouse in Nidderdale where the name was and still is very common! Do you have any further info? Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin Posted 31 January , 2007 Share Posted 31 January , 2007 Richard You wrote( in his 1918 Diary), Would you have his diarys for the Great War Period? And would you be interested to transcribe and post the entry's here? It would be of GREAT INTEREST to me and the other Pal's. Regards Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harkerr@btinternet.com Posted 1 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Richard You wrote( in his 1918 Diary), Would you have his diarys for the Great War Period? And would you be interested to transcribe and post the entry's here? It would be of GREAT INTEREST to me and the other Pal's. Regards Kevin Hi Kevin Sadly only the 1918 one. Am attempting to attach transcription, I hope this works Richard Nope. I'm getting the following error message, can anyone advise? The total filespace required to upload all the attached files is greater than your per post or global limit. Please reduce the number of attachments or the size of the attachments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon R Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Ok, there may be some wizardry with his regt. number I can perform and his date of enlistment etc - maybe some wider background info./context I can provide. re: file size, try cutting it right down to less than 100kb - try posting lots of small images in separate posts rather than one huge one in a single post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Foster Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 I have just picked up on this topic and it is of personal interest to me. My Great Great Grandfather Robert Foster lived in Long Preston and my Great Grandfather, and Grandfather Where born there. Robert had a brother called John that is all I know from that side of the family. I think there most be a family connection with Leonard for two reasons no 1, Long Preston is a small village in the Yorkshire Dales and No 2 the name Leonard appears in the family tree from memory 2 or 3 times generation to generation. My Great Grandfathers nephew also called Leonard Foster from Long Preston, M.G.C service No 35073 killed 01/11/18 ( for those interested check out the website, I have been involved with, "Cravens Part In The Great War" or www.cpgw.uk for further details on Leonard and many other men from my part of the world ) It looks as though I'm going to have to do some family tree work to see if indeed Leonard Foster from Leeds is a distant relation. Thanks Richard for inadvertently setting me on intriguing quest. Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteWolf Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Hi Chris In your excitement with the find you missed part of your web address Try this Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Noble Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Hi Richard. In relation to the 'half brother', what is his name. Getting confused with this thread. Half brother served with West Yorks. Any more info? Regards, Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harkerr@btinternet.com Posted 1 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Hi Richard. In relation to the 'half brother', what is his name. Getting confused with this thread. Half brother served with West Yorks. Any more info? Regards, Chris. Hi Chris Half Brother was Pvte George Metcalfe, West Yorks Regt No. 31431, later Labour Corps No. 11162, born 1877? Thats all I have I'm afraid. Cheers Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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