De Ruvigny Roll of Honour Vol 2 page 123
Cambridge University Roll of Honour entry Page 359
Card in Biddlestone Chapel: Tony Henfrey
In Biddlestone Chapel, near Alwinton, is an In Memoriam card which reads:
+
Of your Charity
Pray for the Repose of the Soul of
William Forster,
(Royal Fusiliers)
Killed in action in France on October 7th 1916
aged 23 years.
William Forster was born on the 28th November 1892, at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, second son of Charles Davison Forster of 89 Jesmond Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Clerk of the Peace for Northumberland, and his wife Annie Mary, daughter of Thomas Thornton, of St John's Wood, London N.W.
He was educated at West Jesmond Council School, Downside and then went to Trinity College at Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. and L.L.B. in 1913.
William was an articulated clerk with the company Messrs Coward and Hawkesley, Sons and Chance of London. He actually was articled to F.H. Chance, of 30 Mincing Lane, E.C
Source : Solicitors' Roll of Honour page 192.
He joined the Royal Fusiliers on the 6th February 1916, as a Private in the 29th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, then transferred to the 8th Battalion, and was sent to France in August 1916.
William was killed in action on the 7th October near Guendecourt.
De Ruvigny Roll of Honour
He is remembered in Jesmond J1.21, in Coquetdale in Alwinton on A12.01, in Netherton on N4.02 and in Thropton on T16.10 and in Biddlestone Chapel.
He is mentioned in The Valley Remembers; Upper Coquetdale WW1 Project; 2014; © A.F.C. Hunter; page 25
