William Foster Lickers

Rank: 
Private
Regimental number: 
27220
Unit at enlistment: 
15th Battalion
Force: 
C.E.F.
Volunteered or conscripted: 
Volunteered
Survived the war: 
Yes
Wounded: 
Yes
Prisoner of war: 
Yes
Cemetery: 
Queens Lawn Cemetery, Soldiers' Plot - Grimsby, Ontario
Commemorated at: 
Mohawk Institute Honour Roll, S.S. No. 2 Roll of Honour, Ohsweken
Birth country: 
Canada
Birth county: 
Brant
Birth city: 
Six Nations, Brantford, Ontario
Next of kin address: 
Brantford, Ontario
Trade or calling: 
Rubber worker
Employer: 
Maple Leaf Rubber Company
Marital status: 
Single
Age at enlistment: 
27

Letters and documents

BX June 12, 1915

Belonged to Reserve

Mrs. W.H. Johnson yesterday morning received a telegram from Ottawa stating that Pte. William Foster Lickers, who was formerly reported wounded, is now a prisoner in Germany. At that time no record could be found as to the identity of Private Lickers. This morning, Major Gordon J. Smith superintendent of the Six Nations Indians, stated to The Expositor that Private Lickers is an Indian, he having volunteered from Toronto with the 48th Highlanders. He is a son of Mrs. James Johnson, who resides near 69 Corners on the Reserve. Private Lickers is well-known on the Reserve, though he has resided recently in Saskatchewan, when he went to Toronto to enlist.

BX June 17, 1915

Private Lickers Dead – Official Telegram Announces His Death, Previously Reported a Prisoner 

An official telegram from the adjutant general at Ottawa was received in the city yesterday afternoon announcing the death in Germany of Private William Foster Lickers of the Indian Reserve. No further details were contained in the telegram received by his mother Mrs. James Johnson, who resides at 69 Corners on the Reserve, but last week Mrs. Johnson had been informed that her son, had been taken prisoner and previously to that it had been announced that he had been wounded. In consequence, although no details were given in yesterdays telegram from the adjutant general, it is understood that Pte. Lickers had been wounded in the fighting in Flanders and had been taken a prisoner to one of the camps in Germany, where he has since succumbed to his wounds.

Out of respect to the memory of Private Lickers, who is well known on the Indian Reserve, where he resided prior to his departure to Saskatoon, the flag at the Six Nations’ Council House at Ohsweken is today flying at half-mast and the deepest sympathy is being expressed to the bereaved mother, who has given up her son in defence of the empire. His brother, Tom has volunteered his service with the fourth contingent, and is now a member of Captain Hick’s command.

Private Lickers enlisted at Toronto with the 48th Highlanders. He having been previously employed at Saskatoon for some months. He was 34 years of age and very popular with his friends on the Reserve, where he resided for many years. Pte. Lickers is the second Indian from the local Reserve to give up his life in the present war. Lieut. Cameron D. Brant, a great grandson of the Chief Joseph Brant, was killed several months ago, and the news of the death of Pte. Lickers, adds one more name to the honor roll of the Six Nations’ Indians.

BX July 2, 1915

Is A Prisoner

Official notification has been received here that Pte. William Foster Lickers, of the reserve, who had previously been officially reported killed, is not dead, but is a prisoner of war. The news has been broken by his mother.

This afternoon Mrs. A.B. Jones, Dalhousie Street, received a letter, from her brother-in-law, Sergeant C.S. Jones, stating that they, too, had received word that he was a prisoner. The news came as a great relief to his friends here.

BX May 29, 1916

Card From Hun Prisoner

H.M. Hill, clerk at the Indian department in the local government building, this morning received a field card from Pte. William Foster Lickers, one of the Six Nation Indians who left here with the 48th Highlanders, first contingent. Private Lickers has for some time been a prisoner in the hands of the Germans. The card intimated that he was well.

 

Portion of File from: RG10. Volume/box number: 7509. File number: 25,032-23. Copied container number: C-14793. - Library and Archives Canada

Indian Soldier Settlement

Lickers, William Foster (27220) 15th Battalion

Department of Indian Affairs – Preliminary Information Form – Indian Soldier Settlement

Date Enlisted: August 10, 1914

Date Overseas: September 15, 1914

Returned: April 23, 1919

Discharged: April 23, 1919

Reason: Demobilization

Department of Indian Affairs Canada, Ottawa,

October 17, 1919

Memorandum,

Mr. Scott

I beg to enclose the application of William Foster Lickers, a returned Indian soldier of the Six Nations Indian Reservation.

Lickers wishes a loan of $3200.00 to pay for the mortgage which is held by W.R. Telfer of Smithville, Ontario, on lot 8, Con. 1, Tp. Of North Grimsby, which Lickers purchased for the sum of $4700.00 some time ago, and made a payment of $1500.00.

Lickers was taken prisoner by the Germans at the first battle of Ypres and spent two years and a half in the salt mines in Germany.  He married a Scotch girl who was raised on a farm, and who I believe will be of great assistance to him on the fruit farm which he now owns.

I would recommend that the application be approved as outlined in the accompanying forms.

R.H. Abraham

Agricultural Representative

Department of Indian Affairs Canada

Ottawa,

July 3, 1920

Chatham, Ont.

Dear Sir,

I beg to submit the following report on Foster Lickers, a returned soldier of Grimsby Ont.

Mr. Lickers has a 4-acre fruit farm containing 200 peach, 5 plums, 36 cherry and 18 apple trees; also 240 black currant bushes.  He has 2,000 raspberry bushes that he set out this spring.  He has no current crop this year, but his peach, plum, cherry and apple trees are all heavily laden with fruit which is in good condition and free from worms so far.  This is due to the thorough spraying they received and he reports having sprayed his peaches once, apples twice, cherries and plums three times.  He also has 2,000 plants in for the factory and they are looking very fair.

His cherries are about ready to pick and he reports having 200 baskets already on hand for the work.

He has one horse and 44 hens.  He reported buying 5 pigs, 1 last fall to feed during the winter but owing to high price of feed found that here was no profit in the business and disposed of them when he had a chance to break even.  

Mr. Lickers has been in the military hospital at Burlington since April 28th, where he is taking treatments for rheumatism.  He is still suffering very much and does not know when he will be able to leave the hospital entirely.  Since he has been away his brother-in-law has been doing the work on his farm.  He reports his neighbors always ready to help him during the spraying season or any other busy time.  He is very enthusiastic over his place and only asks for his health to make a success of the farm.

Indian Office

At Brantford, Ont.

November 11, 1920

Mr. W. Foster Lickers,

Grimsby,Ont.

Dear Sir,

I enclose certified copy of Order-in-Council enfranchising yourself, wife and son which you should take good care of.

I also beg to notify you that the amount coming to you $476. 73 has been applied towards your Soldier Settlement Loan as follows: 

Receipt on land $364.73

Encumbrances $112.00

Yours truly,

Gordon J. Smith,

Supt.

BX April 19, 1938

William Foster Lickers Died at Toronto – Mohawk Warrior Gassed in War and Taken Prisoner at St. Julien

The only Six Nations Indian to experience the terrors of an isolated German prison camp during the Great War, William F. Lickers of Grimsby, better known by his enfranchised name, Walton Foster, died in Christie Street Hospital, Toronto, after two decades of intense suffering consequent to permanent injuries suffered by ill-treatment in the ill-famed salt mines of Germany.

Crippled by Hardship

Permanently crippled after three years spent as a prisoner of war, he was released in June, 1918, but since that time he had never known a day of good health. He bore his sufferings with remarkable fortitude, but last summer his condition became so grave it was necessary to remove him to the military hospital at Toronto.

Claiming direct descent from the famous Indian chiefs, Brant and Tecumseh, deceased was born on the Six Nations Reservation and educated at the Mohawk Institute. He was working in Saskatoon in 1914 but had returned to Lake Lodge School at Grimsby on vacation when war was declared. He enlisted August 10 with the Second Dragoons, left Grimsby a few days later and joined the 48th Highlanders at Valcartier. He proceeded to France with the 15th Battalion in February, 1915.

Brutally treated

Reparation records, citing the experiences which resulted in him being given a cash award in addition to full pension, indicated that he appeared to have aroused the special vindictiveness of his captors because of his race – they would not condone his voluntary enlistment to fight them. Witnesses testified he was singled out for brutal treatment, that he was beaten, knocked down and kicked at one camp, tied to a post and whipped at another and struck with rifle butts and chunks of salt when he could not perform his tasks set him in the salt mines. Allied authorities did not know of the salt mine camp until two prisoners escaped and bared the story.

Several years ago, Walton Foster planned to write a book of his experiences, principally to give a message to younger Indians whom he hoped to have ended the division between themselves and white men. Illness prevented him from carrying on with the task. 

Deceased was a member of Union Lodge, A.F. and A.M., No. 7 Grimsby Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons, Hindoo Koosh Grotto at Hamilton, West Lincoln branch of the Canadian Legion and the Pensioners of War Association, Toronto. He also was a member of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church at Grimsby.

He is survived by his wife and one son, Livingston. Funeral services will be held at Grimsby Wednesday afternoon, with burial in the Soldiers’ Plot of Queen’s Lawn Cemetery. It is expected that Rev. Sidney Lambert, padre of Christie Street Hospital, will participate in the services.