Edward Foster (VC)

He fought through enemy trenches and captured two enemy guns

Edward Foster was born in south London in February 1886. Before the First World War he worked as a dustman and married Alice Donovan. He enlisted on 27 July 1915 in the 13th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, the locally recruited Wandsworth battalion. Known as Tiny despite his imposing height and build, he went to France with the battalion in June 1916.

On 24 April 1917, during the attack on Villers-Plouich, two entrenched German machine guns stopped the British advance. Corporal Foster commanded two Lewis guns. He entered the enemy trench and brought his weapons into action, but one was lost during the fighting. He rushed forward with grenades, recovered it and resumed the attack with both guns. His fire killed the opposing gun team and enabled him to capture the German weapons, allowing the advance to continue.

King George V presented his Victoria Cross at Buckingham Palace on 21 July 1917. France also awarded him the Medaille militaire. Discharged on 24 October 1918, he returned to Wandsworth Council, which promoted him to dusting inspector. His work took him around Wandsworth, Putney and Roehampton. He attended the burial of the Unknown Warrior in 1920 and remained involved with veterans' gatherings and the British Legion.

Foster died in hospital on 22 January 1946 and was buried in Streatham Cemetery. His family and former regiment later supported the erection of a new headstone. His final military rank was corporal.

Official Victoria Cross citation

For most conspicuous bravery and intitiative. During an attack the advance was held up in a portion of a village by two enemy machine guns, which were entrenched and strongly covered by wire entanglements. Cpl. Foster, who was in charge of two Lewis guns, succeeded in entering the trench and engaged the enemy guns. One of the Lewis guns was lost, but Cpl. Foster, with reckless courage, rushed forward and bombed the enemy, thereby recovering the gun. Then getting his two guns into action, he killed the enemy gun team and captured their guns, thereby enabling the advance to continue successfully.

Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette of 26 June 1917. 27 June 1917, Numb. 30154, p. 6382