Notes for: Charles William FOSKETT

1891 Living in parental home in Stanwick, Nth.
1901 Living in Stanwick, Nhants with Parents and siblings.
Went to Harris, Sask, Canada in 1908 to homestead. Enlisted in old regiment in England in which he was a bandmaster at outbreak of war.
Corporal 7815; 1st Bt Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Corporal.
Killed in the 2nd Battle of Ypres.
Commemorated on Foskett Lake, Canada
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From www.stanwickwarmemorial.co.uk
Charles William FOSKETT, 7815, Corporal,
1st Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry,
95 Brigade, 5 Division.

Baptised: 24 January 1887,
Re-enlisted in 1914, Went Overseas in 1915,
Next of Kin: - Wife – Mrs Annie Foskett (nee Rootham), Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
Parents: Mr & Mrs J & M Foskett.

He had three children, the youngest of which was born after he left to join the colours so he never saw him. Ironically, his eldest son was killed in the Second World War whilst serving with the Canadian Air Force.

He was brother to George Foskett , 47th Battalion, Canadian Infantry.

Formerly a resident of Stanwick who emigrated to Canada with his family in 1907. He was an Army reservist at the outbreak of the war and was recalled to the colours in England to rejoin his battalion.

He was extremely musical, he belonged to the Stanwick Church Choir and was a member of the Regimental Band. When on leave in England he would stay with his aunt, Mrs Clarke, in Grange Road.

Died: 30 October 1917, aged 33.
Named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, Panels 80-82.

Prior to his death his battalion was involved in many conflicts, especially in 1916 on the Somme (Delville Wood, Longueval, Guillemont, and Morval). At Passchendaele, on the 4th October, DCLI was involved in the Battle of Broodseinde.

On the date of his death the first DCLI was in reserve at Tor Top and Stirling Castle. The line was very irregular consisting mostly of short lengths of tenches and pits. The whole area was open, shell-torn and full of barbed wire entanglements. His battalion was carrying supplies up to the two front line battalions under heavy gun fire and in wet weather. Corporal Foskett almost certainly lost his life in these circumstances which would coincide with the report that he was “killed in Belgium leading men”.