{"id":78,"date":"2015-11-03T13:21:24","date_gmt":"2015-11-03T21:21:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca\/vicpdgreatwar\/?page_id=78"},"modified":"2015-12-09T15:42:17","modified_gmt":"2015-12-09T23:42:17","slug":"g-j-forster","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca\/vicpdgreatwar\/g-j-forster\/","title":{"rendered":"John George Forster (W.I.A.)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/h3>\n
\"Portrait<\/a>
Portrait of John George Forster 30 April 1915 – Daily Colonist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

John George Forster was born on 6 August 1883 at Kellavaghan, Ireland. He was the older brother of\u00a0Robert Forster<\/a> and the two would eventually migrate to Victoria, British Columbia. The brothers would become police officers in Victoria and later enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force at the outbreak of the Great War. He would serve with the 16th<\/sup> C.E.F. Battalion from 9 February to 25 April 1915, being wounded on 22 April 1915 during the Second Battle of Ypres. J.G. Forster would return to England where he would serve with the\u00a0chief of military personnel for the duration of the war. His medical record lists him as 5 feet and 10 \u00bd inches, having a \u201cfresh\u201d complexion, blue eyes, and dark brown hair turning grey. He was listed as belonging to the Church of England.[1]<\/a> John Forster \u201cwas highly regarded as a first-class constable\u201d by \u201cboth officers and men\u201d with an \u201cexceptionally powerful physique.\u201d[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

Before Deployment Overseas<\/h3>\n

John and his brother Robert were born in Kellavaghan, Ireland.[3]<\/a> He was the older of the two and they would later move to Victoria, British Columbia. Sometime after arriving, they became police officers. There is some discrepancy as to whether he had previously joined the 50th<\/sup> (Gordon Highlanders) prior to enlisting in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. According to the battalion roll call of the 16th<\/sup> C.E.F.\u2019s \u201cA\u201d Company, the Gordon Highlanders are listed as his \u201cprevious corps\u201d[4]<\/a> while his attestation paper he states to have not served in a prior military force.[5]<\/a> It is possible he was part of the reserve militia and did not serve extensively in any other military unit. Regardless, he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and went, with his brother and fellow police officers from Victoria, to Quebec. Upon arrival in Valcartier, Quebec, John Forster listed \u201cDavid Forster\u201d as his next-of-kin, but it is unknown as to the nature of their relationship.<\/p>\n