Private Howard Addington Foster - An Uncertain End

Born: April 22, 1876

Enlistment: Canadian Expeditionary Forces, September 7, 1915 at Sussex, New Brunswick, 64th Battalion, R.I.N. 709464

Information for this biography was gathered with the help of Great-Granddaughter of George Heron, Elaine Mendicino.

Howard Foster enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in September of 1915 and shortly transferred from the 64th to the 104th Battalion, deploying to Liverpool, England on July 5, 1916.

On November 28, 1916, Howard transferred from the 104th to the 3rd Canadian Division, 8th Brigade, 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles and landed in France the next day.

The 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles were assigned to field duty to take an active part in the war the following month where Howard stayed until his death.

There are conflicting circumstances around his death. On September 26, 1918, the 5th CMR War Diary read that, at 10:30pm, the 5th CMR arrived by train to Croissilles and marched on the road between the train station and the town, when enemy long-range guns opened fire and killed two men, wounded 8 and killed 2 horses. It is unclear whether Howard was one of the eight men wounded.

On September 27, 1918, the CEF Burial Registers read that, during military operations on the road between Croissilles Station and Croissilles, he was wounded in both legs and left arm by enemy shell fire and also suffered a concussion. His wounds were reportedly dressed by a comrade, he was removed by a field ambulance and evacuated to the 38th Casualty Clearing Station.

It is also reported that, on the same day, the 5th CMR was part of the support troops for the Canal-du-Nord campaign, where Howard sustained gun shot wounds to the left thigh and face and was transported to the 38th Casualty Clearing Station near Damp Woods.

Regardless of which incident Howard was injured in, on September 29, 1918, he died of his wounds at 42 years old and was buried in Sunken Road Cemetery, Boisleux-St. Marc, eight kilometres south of Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France.