LIVES OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
The E.J. Boys Archive

1008, Private Thomas FOSTER — 17th Lancers

Birth & early life

Born in Clerkenwell, London, c.1833.

Enlistment

Enlisted at London on the 18th of February 1852.

Age: 19.

Height: 5' 9".

Trade: Labourer.

Service

Wounded in the thigh by a grape-shot at Balaclava and sent to Scutari on the 26th of October 1854.

Invalided to England aboard the "Neptune" on the 10th of January 1855.

He was among the wounded soldiers seen by Queen Victoria on her visit to Brompton Barracks, Chatham, on the 3rd of March 1855.

(Click on image to enlarge)

Rejoined the regiment at Cahir from the Brighton Depot on the 1st of June 1856.

Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.

The musters for July-September 1858 show him as being "On Field Service" during the whole of this period.

Served in the field at Rajghur and Mungrowlee with Captain William Gordon.

Died at Lockhira, India, on the 26th of February 1860.

Medals

Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.

Mutiny medal without clasp.

The Returned Medal book states "Mutiny medal returned to the Mint. No trace of issue."

Further medal information archived.

Commemorations

Likenesses

Thomas Foster appears in full dress in a photograph taken, it is believed, especially for Queen Victoria, as the original is now in the Royal Library at Windsor. (See copy in the 17th Lancer file.) This was taken at Brighton, [probably] in August 1855. Foster is identified as standing on the extreme right.

(Click on image to enlarge)

[PB: In 2015 Roy Mills made a remarkable discovery of where exactly this photograph (and a comparable one for four men of the 4th Light Dragoons) was taken (in front of Moulscoomb Place, Brighton, just outside Preston Barracks). I wrote a blog about his find in June 2015: "Oh, the rapture on spotting where these two charger photographs were taken".]

Death & burial

Died at Lockhira, India, on the 26th of February 1860.

Next of kin: Father, Thomas Foster, living in Brownlow Road, Clerkenwell.