Tributes to Peterborough Second World War submariner and great grandfather

Philip Anthony Foster - better known as Tony - served across the globe during the war, before moving to Peterborough and working at Baker Perkins for three decades.

Great grandfather Tony passed away aged 99 at the start of the month - just a few months before his 100th birthday in January.

Tony was a member of the Burma Star Association, International Submariners Association, and Royal Navy Association and lived in the same Dogsthorpe home from when he left the Royal Navy until his death.

Today daughter Tamsin Foster told the Peterborough Telegraph: He was born in Newark but he grew up in Peterborough.

“He joined the Royal Navy when he was about 15 years old.

“He served until 1952, and was a Petty Officer Leading Torpedo Operator when he left.

“He served all over the world - the first submarine he was on was H33, a type of First World War submarine, but he served the longest on the submarine HMS Tactician and the cruiser HMS Liverpool. Its twin is HMS Belfast, moored in the Thames today as a museum.

“Shortly after VE day, to raise money for the King George VI Memorial Fund, he sailed a surrendered German U-Boat, the U-776, up the east coast - people would make a donation to have a look round.

“When he and the other crew first joined the boat, the U-Boats had just been surrendered. They still had great cans of Frankfurters in the galley, and they were a real treat for the crew, who had never had them before, and it made a tasty change.

Tony saw action in the Mediterranean, Indian ocean, and Atlantic. A few years ago he received the Ushakov medal from the Russian Embassy for his involvement in the North Atlantic convoys. He was also awarded campaign medals: the Atlantic Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, and the Burma Star.

In 1949, he moved to a new build home in Dogsthorpe with wife Barbara, and after leaving the navy in 1952, he worked as a technical writer for Baker Perkins until his retirement in the 1980s.

He retained an interest in the Navy, and Tamsin said she remembered Tony talking to local Sea Cadets, and sharing his experiences on a trip to the Royal Navy museum, HMS Alliance, in Portsmouth.

Tony would also lay a wreath at the Peterborough War Memorial on Remembrance Day, something which Tamsin said made the family very proud.

While Barbara died a number of years ago, Tony is survived by three children, three grand children and three great grandchildren.

Tamsin said: “He loved playing chess with Tommy, his youngest great grandchild.

“He would have been annoyed not to make it to his 100th birthday.”

A family funeral will take place next Monday at Peterborough Crematorium.

A fundraising page to raise money for the Royal Naval Museum has been set up in Tony’s memory. To donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/tonyfoster