William Arthur's Story.
EARLY LIFE
William Arthur Forster was born in Macclesfield in December 1890 and baptised at St Peter's Church, Windmill St, Macclesfield on 25 January 1891, the son of Emma and Joshua Fred Forster, a railway goods guard of 53 Brock Street, Macclesfield. In 1901, ten-year-old William was living at the same address with his parents and brother Harold, aged two.
After leaving school, William found employment as a silk tie cutter. In 1907 he enrolled for evening classes at Macclesfield Technical School to further his education.
WW1 SERVICE
William served with the 9th Cheshire Regiment. On 6 November 1917 he was officially reported to have been missing since 20 September 1917 and was later assumed to have been killed in action on or after that date. After the war his body was identified and reburied in a Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery.
COMMEMORATION
Private William Forster is buried in Grave Ref. VII. B. 25. of the Duhallow Advanced Dressing Station Cemetery near Ypres, Belgium. His father asked for the inscription "MAY WE ALL MEET IN HEAVEN" to be engraved on his headstone.
In Macclesfield, Private William Forster is commemorated on the Park Green war memorial, where his name is incorrectly spelt 'Foster', and the Town Hall, St Michael's Church and Macclesfield Sunday School war memorials.
SOURCES
GRO (England & Wales) Index: Births
Census (England & Wales): 1901, 1911
Cheshire Parish Baptism Registers (Find My Past)
Soldiers Died in the Great War (Find My Past)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Lives of the First World War website
War Office Weekly Casualty List (Find My Past)
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.