Decades after death, Calgary First World War soldier to receive military send off

A man holds a remembrance cross with poppies as they are used to build the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey, in London on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

CALGARY — Seventy years after his death, a Calgary soldier who was wounded in the First World War is to receive a military graveside ceremony.

Cpl. Gawen Foster, who was born in England, served with the 50th (Calgary) Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force and was wounded at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917.

Foster was shot through the left arm resulting in a compound fracture of both the ulna and the radius. He spent the remainder of his time in the army in hospitals at Boulogne, Bramshott, Leeds and Basingstoke before returning to Calgary in 1918.

His brother Ralph also joined the 50th Battalion, but he was serving with the 1st Canadian Tunneling Company. He died of trench nephritis in 1917.

Foster returned to Canada and left the military later moving to Portland, Ore.

He died in 1955, but his ashes were not claimed and remained in an eight-storey mausoleum at the Wilhelm’s Portland Memorial Funeral Home.

Foster’s remains are now back in Calgary and were interred in August.

“This is amazing story of one of our own having been stored in a mausoleum since 1955 and unclaimed by anyone, and now he is brought home to rest with others from his unit and the unit that propagates his unit,” said Capt. Derwin Costinak, padre of the Kings Own Calgary Regiment.

The Portland mausoleum has been cleaning up its warehouse and an American group attempting to arrange proper burials for veterans stored there reached out to a Canadian First World War researcher who contacted the Military Museums of Calgary.

With support from the Calgary regiment, arrangements were arranged and Foster’s remains were returned to Calgary.

The graveside service in the Field of Honour at Queen’s Park Cemetery is to include an honour guard and the playing of The Last Post.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2025.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press