Sydney Foster

War Service

Sydney Foster was a Private in the 1st Battalion of the Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s) Infantry when he died on 8th October 1944. He is buried in the Faenza War Cemetery, Italy V. D. 13.
On 3rd September 1943 the Allies invaded the Italian mainland, the invasion coinciding with an armistice made with the Italians who then re-entered the war on the Allied side. Following the fall of Rome to the Allies in June 1944, the German retreat became ordered and successive stands were made on a series of defensive lines. In the northern Appenine mountains the last of these, the Gothic Line, was breached by the Allies during the Autumn campaign and the front inched forward as far as Ravenna in the Adriatic sector, but with divisions transferred to support the new offensive in France and the Germans dug in to a number of key defensive positions, the advance stalled as winter set in. The war cemetery at Faenza was formed during these months for the burial of those who were killed in the static fighting before the Allied advance was renewed in April 1945.
Pontefract & Castleford Express 10 November 1944 p4 (with photo)
“KILLED IN ACTION
News has been received by Mrs M Foster of 13, Jacksonville, Knottingley, that her youngest son Pte Sydney Foster (Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders) was killed in action in Italy in October. Before he joined the R.A. in 1941 he worked at Bagley’s Glassworks. He was afterwards transferred to the Highland Regt. A chaplain in the Central Mediterranean Force has written to Mrs Foster telling her that her son’s battalion had the hard task of dislodging the enemy from a hill, and that during the successful effort Pte Foster was killed on the hill top. He and others “fell within sight of what to us has been for long months the promised land, but in falling they made secure one more step to victory”.

Family Life

Sydney Foster was born on 20th December 1914 and was baptised on 20th January 1915 at St Botolph’s Church. He was the son of Bertie and Maria (nee Owen) who had married in the first quarter of 1897 and their marriage was registered at Pontefract.

Faenza War Cemetery