Foster, John George
671 Private John George Foster - 10th Light Horse Regiment & 8th Mobile Veterinary Section
John George Foster was reportedly born in Fremantle WA in the early 1890's (according to his service record) through there was no birth registration recorded. However ancestry family databases lists his birth in New South Wales on the 30th August 1891 to George and Louisa Maddocks.
At some point John and his sister moved to Western Australia with their mother and set up residence in Fremantle. John had two half brothers born in WA, William in 1896 in Fremantle and Robert Cameron in 1899.
John and his sister were reportedly taken from their Mother in 1897. She was living in Canvas Town Fremantle (east of Monument Hill). The Daily News of the 2nd November 1897 stated that the children where found wandering, as their mother 'had been leading an immoral life at Canvas Town.'
John was then sent to be raised in an industrial school/orphanage. He then appeared to have taken up farm work at Dardanup. His mother Louisa died in Fremantle in 1904.
It appears then that John was sent to Dardanup to gain experience in timber work as he was working as a Mill Hand prior to the Great War.
On the 14th November 1914 John enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 6 inches tall;
Weight - 143lbs;
Chest Measurement - 33-37 inches;
Complexion - Fair;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Brown.
After his successful enlistment, John was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the Light Horse Depot training squadron. He was taken through his riding abilities and after passing the tests John was sent to the 1st Reinforcements to the 10th light Horse Regiment.
He did not have long in WA as on the 17th February 1915 John and his reinforcement group boarded the transport ship HMAT Surada in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt.
Arriving in Egypt in March 1915, the 10th Light Horse were sent to the recently vacated infantry lines at Mena where they were soon joined by the 8th & 9th Light Horse Regiments and so formed the full complement of the Third Light Horse Brigade. Training occurred for the Light Horse through March and April and soon word came back about the Australian and New Zealand Infantry landing at Anzac Cove. Wounded soldiers brought back the tales of the campaign and no doubt the Light Horse was eager to be done training to have a crack at the Turk.
John was now a part of the main body of the 10th Light Horse Regiment. In May 1915, the Light Horse Regiments were sent to the Gallipoli battlefield, minus their horses, as they would go into the lines as infantry. The majority of the 10th Light Horse sailed for the Dardanelles, reaching there on the 19th May. John and the 10th spent their time between the outposts of the Northern sector and Walkers Ridge, spending much time at the vital position at Quinn's Post.
On the 30th May 1915 the 10th Light Horse attacked Turkish positions at Quinn's Post but John came through unscathed.
John also served through the action at the Nek on 7th August 1915 and came through unscathed and then saw action in the Hill 60 battle of August and September 1915. He also survived this battle but on the 9th September was hit by Turkish shrapnel in the right thigh. He was bandaged up and then sent to the beach hospital and from there to a hospital ship which took him to Malta. John was initially admitted to St Andrew's Hospital and then after ten days was transferred to All Saints Hospital.
John remained on Malta till the 2nd December 1915 when he boarded the transport ship Manitoba and set sail for Egypt. After arriving in Alexandria John was sent for further medical care and recuperation. He was slowly regaining his fitness and in February 1916 rejoined the 10th Light Horse Regiment. On the 11th March 1916 he was hospitalised with an abscess but in April 1916 he rejoined his unit.
John served with the 10th Light Horse through the rets of 1916, seeing action at Romani in August 1916 and Magdhaba in December 1916 and Rafa in January 1917. He also saw service with them through Gaza in April 1917.
In May 1917 John was detached for duty with the 8th Mobile Veterinary section. After three months serving with this unit John was permanently transferred. This unit looked after the horses, camels and mules that were part of the desert campaign. As there were 15 Light Horse Regiments in action, John and his unit were kept very busy. Though not in the front line they were close to the action and would have come under artillery fire and German bombing planes.
In December 1917 John was hospitalised ill with eczema. He was initially sent to the 31st General Hospital at Port Said and was then transferred to the 14th Australian General Hospital.
He had a few months in hospital and on the 24th February 1918 was sent to a rest camp and then an isolation camp. It wasn't until the 3rd June 1918 that John was returned to the Australian Veterinary Corps Training Depot. On the 23rd June 1918 he rejoined the 8th Australian Mobile Veterinary Section.
John then remained with his unit until the 29th September 1918 when he was evacuated ill with debility. John was initially sent to the 47th Stationary Hospital before being transferred to the 31st General Hospital. On the 28th October 1918 John was returned to the Australian Veterinary Camp. He was still here when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.
John then spent the next few months between the rest camps and hospital as in January 1919 he fell ill with malaria. After a month in hospital he was sent to the rest camp on the 10th February 1919. He was then returned to the AVC Details Camp. He remained here until June 1919 when he had another bout in hospital. After he fell ill John was sent to the ship Dongola on the 24th July 1919 and was returned to Australia, disembarking in Fremantle on the 17th August 1919.
Due to suffering from malaria, John was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital annexe at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks which was dealing with malaria patients.
John was discharged from the AIF on the 5th December 1919.
In 1921 John married Eileen Mary O'Neill in Dardanup and a daughter also called Eileen was born in Bunbury in 1922, though sadly his wife Eileen died in 1922, not long after giving birth.
In 1929 John re-married to Cecilia Evelyn Harris and they would have four children, Ronald in 1930, Marion in 1933, and Audrey and Edward in 1935. The family were then living in Midland Junction.
On the 12th February 1941 John enlisted for service in World War Two. (W27575) He was once again accepted for service. He was initially assigned to the 10th Garrison Battalion but in April 1941 was transferred to the 5th Garrison Battalion. He spent a month with this unit but was then transferred again in May 1941 to the Western Command Ordnance Depot.
John was based at Swanbourne, then Midland Junction and then Bushmead which is located near Perth Airport. Though the war ended in August 1945, John served in the Army till 1948 when he was discharged.
After his discharged he returned to the family home in Midland Junction.
John died on the 7th November 1969 aged 77. John was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Roman Catholic OC 0659.