Before William embarked for Liverpool to fight for the Allied Forces in 1939, he got married to his wife, Anne Muriel Foster on October 27th, 1939 at the age of 26. Together they had two children named William and Susan. On his medical examination sheets prior to him being taken on strength, it was noted that he had blue eyes, medium toned skin and brown hair. He was 5”10, weighed 153 lbs and had 3 scars; one from an appendectomy, one on his right elbow and the last one on his left ankle. He also wore glasses, due to the fact he had 20/60 vision in both eyes and suffered from short sightedness. However, this did not impede his committed military career.

In the fateful year of 1944, William received wonderful news while stationed with the Allied Army in Italy that his son was born in May and was named after himself. A week later, he was also identified for a promotion from Lieutenant to Captain as soon as the unit was transferred out of the field. Unfortunately, William never made it. On July 17th, 1944 he was struck on strength to the Loyal Edmonton Regiment in the fields of Italy. On August 28th he was wounded in action. William Mills Foster died later from wounds on October 18th, in Italy, thousands of kilometers away from his family and his home - at the age of only 32. 

According to the colonel of Foster’s regiment, The Loyal Edmonton Regiment, Foster was taken on the strength of a tank-busting platoon shortly before his death. On August, 28tht of 1944, he and a group of men were deployed to search for tanks in Nazi occupied territory in Italy. When none were found, the platoon headed back to their camp, but came across a group of German soldiers and took them as prisoners. Soon after that, the platoon was spotted by a German observation post and they were fired on. In this attack, Seven soldiers were killed and many others were injured, including Lieutenant William M. Foster. William was taken to an unidentified military Ally hospital in the region, but tragically died less than 2 months later, on October 18th, 1944 from his injuries sustained in action. He was first buried in the second grave of the Canadian Infantry Brigade Cemetery in Cesena, Italy. Later on he was moved and reburied in the Cesena British Empire Cemetery, in the ninth grave of row E, in the third plot.

 His sacrifice was noble and will be remembered. 

Let’s bring his memories home together. 

William Mills Foster a servi dans l'armée pendant 5 années. Il s'est enrôlé dans l'armée le 1er septembre 1939 à Winnipeg, au Manitoba. Quand il s'enrôle, il est encore à l'école. Son unité était le Loyal Edmonton Regiment, R.C.I.C. Il a combattu le 1er Septembre  1939 à Winnipeg unit P.P.E.L.I. e ASF, le 17 d’avril 1940 à Guelph unit #3 luf,(R)H.U, le 12 mai 1940 à Halifax, le 13 mai 1940 à Borden, et le 22 mai 1940 à Liverpool. Il a aussi reçu beaucoup de médailles pour ses efforts dans l'armée. Ces médailles consistent en l’étoile de 1939 - 45,l’ étoile d'Italie, la médaille de la Défense et médaille de guerre avec barrette. 

Il est malheureusement décédé le 18 novembre 1944. Il est décédé des conséquences de très sérieuses blessures reçues au combat. William Mills Foster n'avait que 32 ans lorsqu'il est décédé. Sa fille n'avait que deux ans. Comme il est décédé en Italie, loin de sa famille à Ottawa, l'armée canadienne a dû informer son épouse en lui envoyant une lettre. Nous pouvons tous imaginer à quel point il a été difficile pour Anne Muriel de recevoir cette lettre et de devoir ensuite faire circuler la nouvelle de la mort de son mari. William Foster a été enterré dans le cimetière de guerre de Cesena, en Italie, dans une tombe de catégorie 2. Le cimetière de guerre est devenu un lieu de commémoration pour tous les soldats tombés pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, y compris notre soldat canadien qui a étudié à Glebe Collegiate. Le cimetière militaire de Cesena se trouve dans la commune de Cesena, dans la province de Forli, à un kilomètre au nord-est de la gare de Cesena, sur la route provinciale de Cervia.William Foster a écrit dans son dernier testament qu'il laissait tous ses biens à sa femme Anne Muriel Redman Foster. 

'If we do preserve it, we honour them, and when we in our turn pass on, we will know that behind us lives a generation of free men and of free women to be the keepers of this great heritage of ours - Canada.'

- Ian A. McPhee, former student at GCI, 1937.