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 her 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."

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.

THE FIRST VICAR OF STOCKSBRIDGE.

Goole Clergyman Appointed.

A HERO OF GALLIPOLI.

The Rev. Henry C. Foster.

The Rev. Henry C. Foster, of Bank House, Goole, a senior curate of the Goole Parish Church, and for some time past priest-in-charge of the parish, has been offered by the Bishop of Sheffield, and has accepted, the new living of Stocksbridge, which has been carved out of the parish of Bolsterstone. The first Vicar of Stocksbridge is a Northumbrian and was born at Backworth, Newcastle-on-Tyne. He is a grandson of the late Birket Foster, an eminent water-colour artist, whose work was very popular in the middle of last century. He was educated at St. John's College, Oxford, where he took his B.A. in 1909, and was ordained deacon in the same year. He took his M.A. in 1914. He studied theology at St. Michael's College, Llandaff. His first curacy was in the parish of Guisborough, near Middlesborough, 1908-1912, and he then came to Goole. He was priest-in-charge of Old Goole from 1912 to 1914, and in September of the latter year he was given a commission as acting Naval Chaplain, and was attached to H.M.S. Victory. He was with the Royal Naval Division at Antwerp, and again at the landing on Gallipoli. He had the melancholy distinction of conducting the first burial service on the terrible beaches of Gallipoli, and during his several months' service there he enjoyed a series of narrow escapes from death. The gallantry and devotion he displayed in the discharge of his sacred duties under conditions of extreme danger and difficulty, secure him honourable mention in dispatches. Ultimately he was invalided from the Peninsula, and for a time acted as Chaplain to the Royal Naval Depot at the Crystal Palace, preaching on Sundays in the main building to a congregation of four thousand men. Owing to a breakdown in the health of the Rev. E. Sinker, who subsequently resigned, the Bishop of Sheffield secured the recall of Mr. Foster, who took charge of the parish of Goole for twelve months, until the institution of the Rev. C.E. Curzon, the present Vicar. During his ministry at Goole, Mr. Foster has displayed qualities of organisation and leadership which promise extremely well for the success of his incumbency. The new living of Stocksbridge is worth about £300 a year, and the parish contains a handsome and commodious modern church, with accommodation for 800 people. Mr. Foster is admirably adapted by training and experience for work in a purely industrial parish like Stocksbridge, and the parishioners are looking forward with eagerness to his arrival. The new Vicar may be assured of a kindly welcome, and of free scope for the development of his energies. The knowledge that he has served his country with gallantry and distinction at the front pre-disposes the 6000 parishioners of Stocksbridge in favour of their first Vicar. Mr. Foster expects to be instituted in May or June.

STOCKSBRIDGE'S NEW VICAR.

Induction Ceremony.

CLERGYMAN'S WAR SERVICE.

Chaplain in Gallipoli.

Saturday last will long be remembered by the people of Stocksbridge as a red-letter-day in the annals of the Church, when the Rev. Henry C. Foster, later senior curate of Goole Parish Church was instituted and inducted into the new parish by his grace the Lord Bishop of Sheffield to the living as the first Vicar of Stocksbridge, a parish newly formed from the old parish of Bolsterstone.

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The new Vicar was given a very hearty welcome at the ceremony on Saturday, the large church being full, and representatives of all the places were present. [ . . . : further detail of the ceremony]

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."

VICAR'S DENUNCIATION.—In the course of a very interesting sermon, on Sunday evening last, the Vicar of Stocksbridge (the Rev. H. C. Foster) strongly denounced the practice, prevalent in large workshops, of young men using filthy and disgusting language.

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-lace 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.

We all sympathise with the Vicar of St. John's, Ranmoor, the Rev. H.C. Foster, who, I have only just learned, has been seriously ill. I am informed, however, that he is making a good recovery.

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 Mat) 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 1918, 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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NEW CHAPLAIN

Canon Henry Clapham Foster (65), vicar of Ranmoor, Sheffield, has been appointed chaplain of St. Monica's Home of Rest, Westbury-on-Trym. He succeeds the late Rev. J.N. Bateman-Champain and takes up his new office at the end of May.

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 he 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 san, "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 Mss 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.