| Surname: | Foster |
| Initials: | A E |
| Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Army Number: | P/3217 |
| Notes: | MFP. Awarded the Victory and War Medals. First served abroad (5) East Africa, 19/8/1916 to 18/11/1917 and (1) France, 6/3/1918. Formerly served 4 years in the Cinque Ports Artillery. 26/2/1916 enlisted in the MFP, age 23.10 years, occupation P C Ramsey Borough Police, born Westgate on Sea, address: mother 24 Dover Street, Canterbury and 78 Belle Vue Road, Ramsgate. Served Home 26/2/1916, Army Reserve 27/2/1916 to 12/6/1916, Home 13/6/1916 to 18/8/1916, East Africa 19/8/1916 to 18/11/1917, En Route 19/11/1917 to 8/12/1917, Home 9/12/1917 to 5/3/1918, BEF 6/3/1918 to 13/9/1919, Home 14/9/1919 to 12/10/1919, 13/10/1919 to class Z reserve. 3/10/1916 at Kilindi, 15/2/1917 Malaria, 17/6/1917 invalided to South Africa, 18/11/1917 to England, 9/3/1918 at Rouen, France, 19/3/1918 with PM 1 Army, 30/8/1919 at Brussels. 15/9/1919 awarded £2 on the Crystal Palace Demobilization Acquittance Roll. Albert Edward Foster. Extract from the Thanet Advertiser 28 December 1945. LAST OF THE OLD SCHOOL. RAMSGATE POLICE RETIREMENTS. With the retirement on Monday of four of Ramsgate's police officers, the old borough force that we knew in the days just after World War I will die out. The four popular members of the force - now the Ramsgate Division of the Kent County Constabulary - who will make their last reports after over a quarter of a century of public service are P/S Frederick Thomas Rogers, of 81 Crescent Road; P/S William Arthur Buddle, of 21 Nethercourt Gardens; D/C Albert Foster, of Nairobi, Dane Crescent; and P.C. John Frederick Kemp, of 410 Margate Road. The public generally will wish these "last survivors" of the old school a long and happy retirement, which they wall deserve. D.C Foster was born at Westgate and was a pupil at St. Saviour's School. Apprenticed to a building firm as a plumber he helped in the erection of Westgate Town Hall. Like Sgt. Rogers, he joined the Ramsgate Borough Force as a temporary constable in 1914. Called up a year later he served in the Military Mounted Police, firstly in East Africa and then in France. Rejoining the Ramsgate police in October, 1919, he served as a police constable until, in March 1942, he went into plain clothes. Since that time he has done much valuable work in the detection of quite a number of wrongdoers have been brought to book through his resourcefulness. Altogether he has seven commendations by the magistrates and the Watch Committee to his credit. Both Sgt. Rogers and D.C Foster were members of the renowned tug-of-war teams seen by enthusiastic crowds in the grand days of the police sports at Chatham House ground. (Article has a picture of D.C Foster in Police uniform with helmet.) |