053 – Private Albert Edward Foster

Private Albert Edward Foster

Earlier in this brochure was the story of Russell Dawson who may have been motivated to enlist to be with his sons at the Front.  What motivated Albert might well been to have either followed in his father’s footsteps or to take his place at the Front now that he had returned due to illness.

Albert, a seaman enlisted on 6 May 1918. At the time he claimed that he was 18 years old having been born on 21 February 1900.  The military authorities must have had doubts about his age and went to the trouble of getting an Extract on Search from the Registrar General which came back with a different birth date, indicating that Albert was in fact underage. The military authorities then acted and Albert was then discharged on 4 October 1918 for having made ‘a misstatement as to age’ on his attestation papers.