Sapper Arthur Milne Foster

SAPPER ARTHUR MILNE FOSTER

5985 – 1st Tunnelling Company

Arthur Milne Foster was born at Ballarat, Victoria in 1875 the son of Robert Milne and Julia (nee Herring) Foster. He became a miner and in 1902 married Amy Alice Eld in Queensland. In 1913 the family was living at Fletcher Street, West End, Townsville and his occupation was tailor.

On March 23, 1916 at forty-three years of age the father of five children applied to enlist in Townsville, Qld and passed the preliminary medical examination.

Mrs Amy Foster gave her written consent in a brief letter on March 25, 1916 for her husband Arthur Milne Foster to join the Expeditionary Forces.

The Application was accepted by the recruiting officer on March 27, 1916 and reveals he was 169cms (5ft 6½ins) tall and weighed 66.8kgs (147lbs) with a chest expansion of 84-92cms (33-36ins). Attestation documents give further information that his complexion was fair with grey eyes and brown hair. Good vision was recorded and Methodist was his religion. Mrs Amy Foster, Fletcher Street, West End, Townsville, Qld was nominated as next-of-kin and allotted three fifths of his pay to support his family.

Basic training was received at 11 Depot Battalion, Enoggera, Brisbane, Qld from March 31, 1916. Home leave was granted before a transfer to the 1st Military District (Qld) Miners’ Corps began on May 8, 1916 until sent to their Seymour Camp, Victoria for further instruction. Assigned the rank of Sapper with the regimental number 5985 and placed in the December 1916 Reinforcements for service abroad.

At 1.30pm on October 25, 1916 the transport HMAT A38 Ulysses departed Melbourne, Victoria with 516 Reinforcements aboard. They watched the Australian coastline disappear from view on October 30, 1916 with the port of Durban reached at 11.30am on November 13, 1916. Windy conditions sailing around the Cape brought them to Cape Town at 7am on November 19. Next port of call was Sierra Leone but a delay kept them until December 14, 1916 as it was not safe to proceed. After 65 days at sea arrived at Plymouth, England on December 28, 1916, with the troops disembarking at 1.30pm and detrained to the station at Tidworth.

The following day marched in to Aust. Details Camp at Perham Downs to receive further training for the front.

The SS Onward left Folkstone, Eng for France on January 29, 1917 and the troops marched in to the Aust. General Base Depot where Sapper Foster was allocated to the Aust. Tunnelling Details which carried out associated tunnelling work. But after about nine weeks on April 8, 1917 was unable to continue with the 1st Tunnelling Company, left Etaples and returned to England on the ship PB.

Two days later marched in to No 2 Command Depot, Weymouth diagnosed with Lumbago and debility making him permanently unfit for general service but fit for home service. An inspection of his Kit at Monte Video camp found it incomplete and referred to Ordinance.

Sapper Foster returned to Australia embarking from Devonport, Eng on the transport H.T. Miltaides on May 4, 1917 for discharge as medically unfit. Next-of-kin was advised of his return on June 1, 1917.

He disembarked in the 2nd Military District (NSW) at Sydney on July 4, 1917 then overland to Brisbane, Qld for discharge.

In the 1st M.D. (Qld) was discharged medically unfit due to Lumbago and debility but fit for home service on September 4, 1917.

On April 25, 1918 his War Pension was reduced from $1.50 (15/-) to 75cents (7/6d) per fortnight with graduating reductions for his five dependant children.

Service for his country was recognised with Sapper 5985 Arthur Milne Foster, 1st Tunnelling Details receiving the British War Medal (24252) and the Victory Medal (23450).

In 1919 his address was in Sturt Street, Townsville, Qld with the occupation of Tailor and in 1925 residence was Vaughan Street, Townsville with the same occupation.

Arthur Milne Foster died on April 1, 1925. The Townsville Daily Bulletin issued on Thursday April 2, 1925 published the following article and notice: