Joseph FOSTER

77424, Gunner, b. 1884, Denholme d. Wed. 3rd October 1917 (aged 33).

Although being born in Denholme, Joseph had grown up in Clayton and his family were well known within the community.

The 1911 census shows Joseph, aged 27 working as a Stone Sawyer by trade, in a sawmill and living with his father, Jonas, mother Sarah Anne and his 2 brothers and 4 sisters at 16 Wolseley St.

Joseph was called up for service on 26th April 1916. His attestation papers show his address as 6 Granville Street, and his occupation as a woolcomber.

One of only a few soldiers from Clayton to serve in the Royal Garrison Artillery, Joseph was a Gunner with the 149th Siege Battery. This unit was similar in many respects to the Royal Field Artillery but tended to be more concerned with either the heavy munitions side of the war, or as depot companies.

Having arrived in France in 1916 Joseph served there for over a year before being caught up in the muddy hell of Passchendaele for the majority of the battle. He was seriously wounded in action in the course of a gas attack during the very peak of the campaign, and was quickly shipped back to Etaples, the base for the British Expeditionary Force in France where he died of a Gas Shell wound.

A good many hospitals were in this area and it explains today why there are over 10,000 burials in the Etaples Military Cemetery where Joseph is buried. It was common for men to reach the hospitals in Etaples just in time to die – sometimes this event was after a week of being injured.

Joseph is buried at Etaples Military Cemetery.

In correspondence with his father relating to his pension and medals, the address is 6 Granville Street, Clayton, indicating that the whole family moved from Wolseley Street to Granville St. after the 1911 census.