Oscar Frank Foster was born in 1921 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, the youngest of eight brothers and one sister, the son of Fred Foster and Margaret “Maggie” Isabella (Hunter). His mother died when he was only ten years old. Frank completed Grade 8 at the Glenrose School, which was a common time of departure in those times. He likely spent the next four years or so working in the family farm near Prince, Saskatchewan before enlisting in the Royal Canadian Engineers on 6 November 1941. He was sent to No. 42 Canadian Army Educational (Basic) Training Centre in Joliette, Quebec for basic training in December and then on to the A5 Royal Canadian Engineer Training Centre in Camp Petawawa, which he described in a letter home as being “good old Petawawa about a thousand miles from no wear [sic]”, in March 1942.
Frank arrived in the United Kingdom on 7 January 1943 and began training with the Canadian Engineer Reinforcement Unit (1 CERU) where his training continued, including a driver course in January of 1943. By April, he completed both his basic and advanced engineer courses. In May, he was posted to the 1st Canadian Reinforcement Base Depot as a reinforcement for forthcoming operations.
It is likely that as part of the reinforcement stream, Frank participated in several exercises in preparation for the upcoming amphibious operation. Most of the training over the next couple of months was based at the Combined Arms Training Centre in Scotland. Sappers practiced assault landings, beach clearance, mountain warfare, enemy mines and a myriad of other subjects needed to support a rapid advance. In June, the 1st Division’s Engineer HQ and units were taking part in what would be their final amphibious exercises when they learned they would soon go into action. Field Companies worked closely with their affiliated brigades, with the 1st Field Company supporting the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade.
While the Division Engineer HQ worked out the loading tables for men, equipment, supplies, and reinforcements that would be needed to support an assault. Troops began exchanging their woollen battledress for tropical clothing and trained to waterproof their vehicles. Every soldier was on edge with tensions rising and rumours spreading about where and when they would see action. Would it be Greece? Crete? Sicily? As training wrapped up, they changed into their tropical clothing and loaded on ships. Oscar would have been among the soldiers given a 48-hour leave in groups of 50 at a time starting on 5 June.
The final embarkation took place on 11 and 12 June when the two assault brigades of the 1st Canadian Division took part in an assault landing Exercise STYMIE II in Scotland as a final practice of what they would face in the upcoming assault. Once the landing was complete by LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank), the remainder of the exercise was cancelled due to poor weather conditions and damaged landing craft. All personnel were re-embarked on the ships and the convoy remained near the Ayrshire coast waiting for decent weather to re-attempt the exercise. Troops made frequent trips back to shore by use of LSTs. Once ashore, they conducted physical training and route marches to maintain readiness. When weather permitted, troops were allowed to end their training days with a swim or sunbathing.
The total strength of Canadian units that would embark on Operation HUSKY was over 26,000 officers and men with tanks, guns, and enough supplies to sustain three weeks of fighting. The main invasion force would sail in two convoys with the combat units divided between the "Fast Assault Convoy" carrying the landing force and the "Slow Assault Convoy" carrying the follow-on troops. The Slow Assault Convoy sailed first in two groups on 19 and 24 June 1943 carrying troops, equipment and supplies not needed for the initial assault. Taking different sea routes for reasons and security and safety, the two slow convoys would meet near Algiers and late and meet the Fast Assault Convoy off Malta on D minus 1. The ‘Fast Assault Convoy’ sailed down the River Clyde on 28 June 1943 and started its long journey to the Mediterranean. Frank likely traveled in the Slow Assault Convoy and would have landed in Pachino on 11 July. He was taken on strength of the 1st Field Company on 24 July.
Life as a reinforcement was not simply a ‘waiting to be called’ sort of task. At first, soldiers were initially put to work unloading and organizing stores and equipment on the beaches and helped move it forward as required. Sappers worked in groups under a junior NCO and applied their skills as needed to assist rear echelon troops.
Meanwhile, Frank’s eventual unit landed in the assault wave alone with the 3rd Field Company, as planned on 10 July at Pachino. Luckily, the beaches weren’t very well defended and were easily captured by the Allied forces. The greatest challenge of the landing came from conducting earthworks to allow the mass of vehicles to exit the beaches. The Company cleared multiple small minefields in the surrounding area. An excerpt from the war diary on the night of July 10th, 1943, “The unit was treated to one of the most amazing demonstrations of Ack Ack fire as evening drew on and attempts were made to bomb vessels on the beach.” This went on for another day and the company took on tasks aimed at repairing of the nearby airfield. By 12 July, all three Field Companies were advancing into the hills with their affiliated brigades. It was the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade who first met with German troops at Grammichele on 15 July. Alone the battle was fierce, the Sappers were fortunate in not taking any casualties. They in fact spent "a hectic evening slugging dirt into a huge road crater".
The rest of the advance was slow due to German obstacles, mines and booby-traps. The 2nd Brigade took the lead on 15 July, and the 3rd Brigade took the lead from them on 17 July Meanwhile, Frank and his fellow sappers would likely have been following behind the leading troops improving the way ahead. The 1st Brigade moved on Assoro, while the 3rd Brigade moved on Leonforte. These objectives were taken and the next objectives, Agira, Regalbuto, and Catenanuova, were assigned. Resistance from reinforced German troops became increasingly stiffer as they found the noose tightening. On July 26th, the 2nd Brigade took over the attack on Agira, which gave the men of the 1st Field Company a chance to recover and improve roads leading to the front.
During the first few days of August, the 1st Field Company was working in support of the advance east of Regalbuto. The town was finally cleared by noon on 3 August and the sapper platoons were assigned route repair tasks. Lieutenant Jefferys' 3 Platoon was assigned the route south of the town, including filling craters and building a 70-foot Bailey bridge three miles south of Regalbuto. The work did not progress quickly due to continuous shelling by the Axis forces and two minefields conveniently laid on the bypass route chosen for the bridge site. On 4 August, while the bridging equipment was being moved forward, the minefield clearance task began. Frank was working beside Lieutenant Jefferys on one of the many booby-trapped mines in a field. The next morning at 0730 hours, a Dispatch Ricer informed the company HQ that they were both killed when the mine detonated. They were buried in a temporary grave near the place where they were killed and later reburied in the Agira Canadian War Cemetery.
Frank received the 1939-45 Star, the Italy Star, the Defence Medal, the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp, and the War Medal 1939-45. His temporary grave was located three miles south of Regalbuto, west of roadside hill 100 yards from a nearby building. Later, he was moved with the rest of the Canadian soldiers killed in Sicily and reinterred in the Canadian Military Cemetery at Agira, Sicily. Frank’s estate was left to his father, Fred Foster, who was living in British Columbia when his son was killed. Four of Frank's brothers also served during the Second World War.
Note: This tribute to Sapper Foster was compiled from publicly available records, histories and family records.