Children of Ethel and Henry Foster

THE ANSON BATTALION.

Hard Fighting in Gallipoli.

At the monthly meeting of the Lyme Regis Town Council on Monday the following letter, dated July 4th, was read from the Rev. Henry C. Foster, Chaplain of the Anson Battalion of the Royal Naval Brigade:—

"I think it may interest you and the inhabitants of Lyme Regis to know that the men whom you so lavishly entertained a few months ago have fought most gallantly out here on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Many have been killed and many seriously wounded, until the battalion has been practically wiped out.

"Of the thirty officers who visited your town and had such a pleasant time then fifteen have laid down their lives, and most of the others have been seriously wounded. One has already received the D.S.O. It may be of interest to you also to learn that we received the personal thanks of General D'Amade for services rendered to the French right on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of May during a heavy attack.

"Thus the Anson Battalion has justified its existence and given a good account of itself in the hour of danger."

"A.F.B.103 received. (28.6.15. To 25th Casualty Clearing Station, Imbos (Enteritis). 30.7.15. To Base details, Mustapha. 2.8.15. Embarked for England from Alexandria. Invalided home)."

The Rev. Henry C. Foster, M.A., a Goole curate, who, since the outbreak of war, has been acting as a naval chaplain, returns to Goole this week-end to resume his ordinary clerical duties. His return has been sanctioned by the Admiralty Board, owing to the Vicar of Goole having to take a complete rest. Mr. Foster was in the Antwerp bombardment with the 2nd Naval Brigade, also for several months in Gallipoli, being the first English chaplain to land.

STOCKSBRIDGE VICAR.

MARRIES DAUGHTER OF GOOLE WESLEYAN MINISTER.

The marriage took place yesterday morning at Little Coates, Grimsby, of the Rev. H. C. Foster, M.A., vicar of Stocksbridge, Sheffield, and former curate at Goole Parish Church, and Miss Nina Williams, daughter of Rev. David Williams, superintendent Wesleyan minister at Goole. The ceremony was performed the Rev. E.F. Fagan, while the bride was attended by her sister, Miss Enyd Williams, and her brother Flight-Cadet Ivor M. Williams, R.A.F., was the best man. The Rev. H.C. Foster, as chaplain in the R.N.R., was present at the defence and retreat from Antwerp. He was the first Anglican clergyman to land at Gallipoli.

STOCKSBRIDGE.

INFLUENZA.—The influenza epidemic is yery rampant again in the district. Among the sufferers is the vicar, the Rev. H.C. Foster. The services at the Parish Church were conducted on Sunday last by Mr. E. Bramley.

By the way, I hear that under the new Vicar, the Rev. H.C. Foster, Church matters at St. Oswald's are making excellent progress. Owing to the great success of the recent bazaar a debt of nearly £500 has been paid off. I am told that the Vicar's thoughtful sermons are much appreciated by the congregations of the two churches. The population of the district around Holy Trinity, Millhouse Lane, is rapidly increasing, and this very comfortable church should be a centre of great usefulness. Mr. Foster is a man of action, a pastor who visits his flock, which is one of the urgent needs of the Church to-day.

The R.N.D. at Gallipoli.

St. Oswald's Vicarage, Sheffield.

Sir,—May I ask for a little space in your columns to say how delighted I was to see that someone had at last taken up the cudgels on behalf of the dear old R.N.D. I has been my privilege to go about lecturing in and around Sheffield in order to try and tell, in a humble way, the immortal story of how the men of the Royal Naval Division backed up the 29th Division in that glorious achievement of the great landing on April 25th, 1915, on the peninsula of Gallipoli. But "Royal Marine" is quite correct when he says that we hardly ever see our name mentioned in that connection.

And yet few divisions had a more remarkable history than our own. Of the three brigades forming the Division, two were recruited from R.F.R., R.N.R. and R.N.V.R. ratings, led by R.R.V.R. officers, a few retired R.N. and Guards' officers, while the third brigade consisted of Royal Marine Light Infantry. It will thus be seen that we had in our midst "all sorts and conditions of men," and Rupert Brooke, Arthur Asquith, and Freyburgh (the Guards' officer and Channel swimmer) were among our officers. There was not a landing-place in Gallipoli where this famous Division was not represented, and one trembles to think how the 29th Division would have fared on that never-to-be-forgotten morning of April 25th, had there been no R.N.D. to act as reinforcements and beach-landing parties.

And our men did wonderful things when it is remembered that many were practically untrained for land-fighting. We do not want to "blow our own trumpet," but among over one thousand decorations awarded to the R.N.D. there were three Victoria Crosses, 17 D.S.C., 137 M.C., 42 D.S.O., and 555 M.M.

If, however, any have forgotten us now, I do not think those in authority will ever forget. I have neither time nor space to quote more than the words with which General Sir Ian Hamilton concluded his final dispatch: "And so I bid them all farewell with a special God-speed to the campaigners who have served with me right through from the terrible yet most glorious earlier days—the incomparable 29th Division; the young veterans of the Naval Division." It has always been our pride that we were placed next to the famous "29th." We served at Antwerp, Gallipoli, Salonika, and France, and were nicknamed "Winston's Wandering Wonders," but I think our men gave a good account of themselves wherever they served. I hope "Royal Marine" will come here and see me, because it might be possible to form an Association for all old members of the R.N.D.—Yours, etc.,

HENRY C. FOSTER,

               Chaplain R.N., 1914-1916,

      Chaplain 1st R.N. Brigade, R.N.D.

CHURCH OF S. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, RANMOOR.—TO-DAY (FRIDAY), at 8 p.m. INSTITUTION and INDUCTION of the Rev. HENRY CLAPHAM FOSTER, M.A., by the Right Reverent the Lord Bishop of Sheffield and the Venerable the Archdeacon of Sheffield.

A Distinguished Cleric.

It will be of interest to a large number of readers of the Merthyr Express to learn that the Rev. Henry C. Foster, the vicar of St. John's, Ranmoor, Sheffield, has been made an honorary canon of Sheffield Cathedral. The new Canon is the husband of the eldest daughter of the Rev. David Williams (Dewi Mai) and Mrs. Williams, both of Tredegar. Mrs. Williams being the elder sister of Mr. D. John Vaughan. Canon Foster has had a brilliant scholastic and ministerial career, and distinguished himself during the war. He was the first Anglican chaplain to land in the Gallipoli Peninsula, and had to minister to hundreds of wounded men. He was mentioned in despatches in 1916, and was invalided home. He is the author of "At Antwerp and the Dardenelles."

Ranmoor Players in Vicar's Thriller

A STRONG wind wailing round the walls of a deserted house in the mountains . . . . rain buffeting against the window panes . . . a mysterious visitor full of strange threats.

These are just three of the ingredient thrills of "It Came to Pass," a comedy-thriller in one act, by Canon Henry C. Foster, Vicar of Ranmoor, Sheffield,

The play, which was presented with two other short plays in the Ranmoor Parochial Hall last night by members of the Parish Church Men's Club Dramatic Society, is the second to have been written  by Canon Foster, the first one being a full-length comedy in three acts.

The play is to be repeated to-night and to-morrow night.

Although the audience seemed thoroughly to enjoy the play, Canon Foster, when seen by a "Telegraph and Independent" report was very modest about it.

TO SAVE ROYALTIES

"I wrote it specially for the Dramatic Society," he said. "They have to pay such a lot in royalties and I thought it would help them to earn more money."

Canon Foster has used the experience he obtained when he wrote his other play, "The Elusive Waltz," which was produced about seven years ago by the Holden Players at St. Oswald's Church, where he was formerly Vicar.

The B.B.C. asked him to send it to them with a view to having it broadcast, but he neglected to do so.

He is anxious to write a play in Yorkshire dialect for the Ranmoor Society.

When chaplain in the Royal Naval Division in 1918, he wrote and produced a revue.

"Quiet Wedding," a play by his cousin, Miss Esther McCracken, is having a successful run in London. Canon Foster has also tried his hand at story writing.

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The first Vicar of Stocksbridge was the Rev. H. C. Foster, who writes of his acceptance of the living, "I remember very well standing on the hill near Stocksbridge vicarage on a grim February morning; I had an important decision to make. The year was 1917 and the Bishop had just offered me the living of Stocksbridge. I was to be its first vicar. As I looked down on what (in those days) we called the village I wondered if I could ever settle there. The whole place looked cold and depressing and large black smoke columns curled up into the sky. Very carefully and prayerfully I thought over it and finally decided to accept. Never once have I regretted that decision and some of the happiest years of my life were spent at Stocksbridge."

Chaplain of St. Monica's

The Rev Herbert Philip Steer, vicar of Westbury-on-Trym since 1948, will succeed Canon Henry Clapham Foster as chaplain of St Monica’s Home of Rest, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol diocese announce today.

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AT GALLIPOLI

Canon Foster retires at the end of next month after a distinguished career in the ministry spanning 50 years. Ordained deacon at York in 1909 he was the first Church of England chaplain to land at Gallipoli in 1916.

He was connected with churches in the North for 41 years, latterly in the Sheffield diocese. Mentioned in dispatches in the First World War, his senior appointments in the church were vicar of Stocksbridge of St. Oswald, Millhouses, Abbeydale (Sheffield), and of Ranmoor (Sheffield), for the 20 years from 1931 to 1951, before he moved to St. Monica’s.

He has been an honorary canon, later canon emeritus after left, and chapter clerk of Sheffield Cathedral, and honorary chaplain to the Bishop of Sheffield. He was also rural dean of Hallam for eight years. Canon Foster is 74.

[ . . . ]

Local people will be glad to hear of the successful debut of Miss Dorothy Foster at the People's concert, in the Newcastle Town Hall, on Saturday night last. Miss Foster is the daughter of Mr. Henry Foster, the respected owner of the Brickworks at the Backworth C Pit. She is a soprano of rich, full voice, and sang "Poor wandering one" (Sullivan), with admirable effect, and her trilling was reminiscent of Madame Georgina Burns at her best. She was heartily encored, and afterwards sang, "Forget" (Power), very exquisitely. Miss Foster has an attractive and pleasing platform manner, and with her voice she will yet bring credit to the North.

SMITH—FOSTER

A wedding took place, yesterday, at St. Paul's Church, Whitley Bay, the bridegroom being Mr. Herbert Wasteneys Smith, second son of Mr. William Wasteneys Smith, of Backworth Hall, Northumberland, and the bride Miss Mary Foster, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Foster, of Tudor Lodge, Newcastle, and grand-daughter of the late Birket Foster. The service was conducted by the Rev. H. Waller, of Holy Trinity Church, North Shields, and the Rev. F.E. Smith, vicar of St. Paul's, Whitley Bay.

The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a gown of ivory satin, the skirt prettily draped, showing a petticoat of needle-run lace, and the bodice almost entirely composed of the lace, the corsage finishing with a cluster of orange blossom. A Brussells tulle veil was worn over a wreath of orange blossom. The four bridesmaids—Miss Phyllis Foster, sister of the bride, Miss Zoe Wasteneys Smith, sister of the bridegroom, Miss Winifred Piper, niece of the bridegroom, and Miss Betty Burnell—wore dresses of soft ivory satin, with quaint pannier skirts, finished with waistbands and bows of pale rose satin. They wore also white tagal hats, prettily veiled with tulle over the crowns, and high mounts of pink roses at the back. Mr. Roland Wasteneys Smith, brother of the bridegroom, was best man.

A reception was held in the Whitley Park Hotel, before Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Wasteneys Smith left for Scotland.

The wedding-gown, bridesmaids' dresses and hats, Otterburn travelling coat, the gown worn by the bride's mother, and Miss S. Wasteneys Smith's frock, were made and designed by Fenwick, Newcastle-on-Tyne.