[1] He served in the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882 and took part in the Battle of Tel el-Kebir and the occupation of Cairo.
[1] He transferred to the military intelligence division of the War Office in 1890, and was promoted to major on 20 September 1894.
[1] He lobbied for the adoption of an expeditionary strategy with a major role for the Australian Army which was in sharp contrast to the views of Admiral Sir William Cresswell who advocated a policy of defending the shores of the continent of Australia.
[3] Foster went on to serve in the First World War and was appointed Chief of the General Staff in January 1916.
He was survived by his wife and their son, Sir John Galway Foster, who later became a member of the British House of Commons.