Edward Foster VC

Name: Edward Foster

Conflict: First World War

Gazetted: June 27, 1917

Service: Army

Place/date of birth: Streatham, London/February 4, 1886

Rank when awarded VC (and later highest rank): Corporal

Date of bravery: April 24, 1917

London Gazette citation:

No. 13290 Cpl. Edward Foster, E. Surr. R.

For most conspicuous bravery and initiative.
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.

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Other decorations: N/A

Place/date of death: Tooting, London/January 22, 1946

Grave/memorials: Streatham Cemetery, Tooting, London

Origin of VC to the Lord Ashcroft collection: Purchased at auction, Sotheby’s, London, 1988

Current location of VC: Displayed on rotation at The Lord Ashcroft Gallery: Extraordinary Heroes exhibition, Imperial War Museum