Divinity Library
Ernest H. Forster
Ernest H. Forster
Ernest H. Forster was born in 1895 in Philadelphia and graduated from Princeton University in 1917. After serving as assistant headmaster at St. Paul's School in Baltimore, Maryland for two years, Forster went to China as an Episcopal missionary and taught at Mahan School in Yangchow. In 1936, he married Clarissa Townsend, daughter of a prominent lawyer in Boston, Irving U. Townsend. The Forsters returned to China and were stationed at Yangchow. They were transferred from Yangchow to Nanking to serve at St. Paul's Episcopal Church only about one month before the capture of Nanking by the Japanese. Clarissa Forster was evacuated from Nanking to Hankow in late November of 1937 and, by the middle of January 1938, arrived at Shanghai via Hong Kong. Forster, with John Magee, another Episcopal minister, remained in Nanking throughout the critical months of the Nanking Massacre.
Documents from Forster papers:
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RG 8: Box 263 Folder 1: Forster, Ernest & Clarissa - from disbound scrapbook - letters, clippings, ephemera |
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"Dear Friends" (2 double-sided pages) |
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Newsletter from Minnie Vautrin to friends of Ginling Women's College |
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RG 8: Box 263 Folder 2: Forster, Ernest & Clarissa - from disbound scrapbook - letters, clippings, ephemera |
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December 7, 1937 "Dear Family" (2 pages) |
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Letter from Clarissa and Ernest Forster to family |
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December 12, 1937 "Darling" (26 pages) |
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Letter from John Magee to his wife |
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January 6, 1938 "Letter from Dr. George Fitch" (4 pages) |
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Letter from George Fitch to friends |
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January 14, 1938 "Dear" |
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Letter from Ernest Forster to his family |
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January 11, 1938 "Dear Billy" (4 pages) |
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Letter from John Magee |
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RG 8: Box 263 Folder 3: Forster, Ernest & Clarissa - from disbound scrapbook - letters, clippings, ephemera |
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1936 "A Day-Or More" (booklet) |
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Brief Guide Book to Nanking in English |
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December 16, 1937 "Dear Family" (2 pages) |
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Anonymous letter |
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December 16 - 27, 1937 "Notes with a copy of correspondence between the University of Nanking and the Japanese Embassy" (7 pages) |
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RG 8: Box 263 Folder 4: Forster, Ernest & Clarissa - from disbound scrapbook - letters, clippings, ephemera |
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August 20, 1937 "Dear Ernest" |
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Letter from John Magee to Ernest Forster |
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August 26, 1937 "Dear Ernest" |
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Letter from John Magee to Ernest Forster |
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RG 8: Box 263 Folder 6: Forster, Ernest & Clarissa - from disbound scrapbook - letters, clippings, ephemera |
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"Introduction" (24 pages) |
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Introduction to a film series and descriptions of each photograph |
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RG 8: Box 263 Folder 8: Forster, Ernest & Clarissa - from disbound scrapbook - letters, clippings, ephemera |
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March 28, 1938 Chinese newspaper article |
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February 10, 1938 "Dear" (2 pages) |
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Letter from Ernest Forster to his wife, Clarissa |
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February 10, 1938 "Dear Bishop" |
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Letter from Ernest Forster to Bishop in Shanghai |
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February 17, 1938 "Dear" |
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Letter from Ernest Forster to his wife, Clarissa |
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March 10, 1938 "Gentlemen" (3 pages) |
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Letter from Ernest Forster to American Embassy staff in Nanking |
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March 16, 1938 "Dear Friends" (4 pages) |
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May 6, 1938 "Dear" (2 pages) |
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Letter from Ernest Forster to his wife, Clarissa |
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"Nanking" (10 pages) |
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Paper on relationship between Christians and citizens of Nanking in 1938, |
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February 18, 1938 "Preliminary Report on Christian Work in Nanking - Winter 1937" (1 double-sided page + 1 page) |
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Prepared by Bates and W.P. Mills |
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RG 8: Box 263 Folder 9: Forster, Ernest & Clarissa - from disbound scrapbook - letters, clippings, ephemera |
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November 23 - December 14, 1937 "Nanking" (8 pages) |
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Collection of diary entries from Clarissa Forster |
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December 19, 1937 - January 28, 1938 "Mr. Forster's letters to his wife" (14 pages) |
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A collection of letters from Ernest Forster to his wife, Clarissa |
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January 24 - February 13, 1938 "Mr. Forster's Letters" (12 pages) |
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A collection of diary entries from Ernest Forster |
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RG 8: Box 264 Folder 1: Forster, Ernest & Clarissa - Photo album: China 1927-1939 |
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"Small Group of the staff and patients of the Refugees Hospital in Nanking..." Summer, 1938 |
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Rev. A.B. Parson and Ernest Forster. Ming Tomb, Nanking. Easter Monday, 1939 (showing Japanese graffiti on tomb wall) |
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RG 8: Box 265 Folder 2: Forster, Ernest & Clarissa - Photographs: Photo album 1937-1938 |
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"Persons executed by the Japanese soldiers in various parts of the grounds of Ku Ling Temple, Nanking, after the fall of the city, December 12, 1937" |
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"Persons executed by the Japanese soldiers in various parts of the grounds of Ku Ling Temple, Nanking, after the fall of the city, December 12, 1937" - second view |
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"Residence at no. 25 Lo Chia Road, Nanking, placed at our disposal by Mr. Hansen, Manager of the Texas Oil Company. In it were housed a large group of refugees from Hsiakwan, for whom we took responsibility" |
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"Residence at no. 17 Lang Ya Road, Nanking which housed another group of refugees for whom we took responsibility. Mr. Magee and I took turns at standing guard at the end of the street to keep marauding Japanese soldiers from molesting the refugees after the fall of the city." |
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"Two children of the Rev. and Mrs. C.T. Chiang of our Mission in Nanking, standing at the gate of no. 25 Lo Chia Road. The placards on the wall are posters from the American Embassy and the Chinese Military Commander of Nanking, certifying the premises as American property." |
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"The former Overseas Chinese Club at the corner of Chung Shan and Shanghai Roads, Nanking. It was used as a refugee center by the Nanking Safety Zone Committee, but is now occupied by a high Japanese military organization. The smoke behind the building is typical of the fires which were systematically set by the Japanese soldiers after the occupation of the city." |
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"At the headquarters of the Nanking Safety Zone Committee. Left to right: Mr. Zial (Russian Tartar); Mr. Hatz (Austrian); Mr. Rabe (German, Chairman of the Safety Zone Committee); Rev. John Magee (American Church Mission); Mr. Cola Podshivaloff (White Russian) December 13, 1937. |
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"Farewell tea given in honor of Mr. Rabe, Chairman of the Safety Zone Committee, by members of the staff, upon the occasion of his departure for German. February 21, 1938. In the pictures can be seen Mr. Magee, Mr. Sperling (German), Dr. Rosen (German Embassy staff); Mr. Rabe, Mr. Paul Scharffenberg (German Embassy staff who died in Nanking on June 19, 1938)." |
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"A loyal Chinese policeman, Rev. W.P. Mills (American Presbyterian Mission) and Rev. John Magee standing at the entrance to the Safety Zone Committee Headquarters." |
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"A group of worshippers at St. Paul's Church, Nanking, on February 20, 1938, being the first time after the fall of the city that we were able to use our Church building with any degree of safety. A Christian Japanese soldier worshipped with us that day." |
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"Refugees gathered at the headquarters of the Nanking Safety Zone Committee to receive the first cash relief issued by the Committee to enable them to return to their homes and begin life over. February 1938. The rock garden conceals a strong concrete air-raid shelter." |
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"Refugees gathered at the headquarters of the Nanking Safety Zone Committee to receive the first cash relief issued by the Committee to enable them to return to their homes and begin life over. February 1938. The rock garden conceals a strong concrete air-raid shelter." Second view, with large Red Cross flag on ground in garden area. |
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"Committee which organized the first religious work among the refugee women and girls at Ginling College. Front row: Miss ?, Miss Rachel Wong, Miss Minnie Vautrin, Mrs. S.F. Tsen, Miss Chi; Rear row: Rev. C.T. Chiang (ACM), Catechist Fan (ACM), Rev. John Magee (ACM); Dean Tong (ACM), Mr. Francis Ch'en (Ginling), Mr. Li (Ginling), Rev. Paul Tong (ACM)" |
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"This youngster refugeed at Ginling College after all of his family had been killed by Japanese soldiers." |
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"Young refugees at Ginling College." |
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"The Mission car about to take the wife of our cemetery gatekeeper to the hospital to be treated for gunshot wounds inflicted by a Japanese soldier who threatened to rape her while she was working in the fields." |
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"A pond outside Nanking filled with the corpses of people who were killed by the Japanese troops. This is a scene typical of many of the ponds inside the city after the occupation of the city by the Japanese." |
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"Refugee huts at Tse Hsia Shan, outside Nanking. March 1938." |
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"Refugee huts at Tse Hsia Shan, outside Nanking. March 1938." |
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"Refugee huts at Tse Hsia Shan, outside Nanking. March 1938." View showing different types of houses and huts. |
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"The remains of the house and shop of these two brothers after the occupation of the city. They lived in the southern section of the city which was badly damaged by the fighting. Their old father died of fright when a Japanese soldier threatened him with a sword. March 17, 1938." |
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"Refugees rebuilding their homes in the southern part of Nanking. March 17, 1938." |
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"War damage in the southern section of Nanking where most of the fighting in connection with the fall of the city took place. Picture taken March 17, 1938." |
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"The Japanese Christian who worshipped with us in St. Paul's Church on February 20, 1938. He presented us with some soap, towels, and biscuits for the refugees." |
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"Parade inaugurating the 'Reformed Government' created by the Japanese on March 28, 1938. The marchers were rounded up by the police, beforehand. The parade is turning the corner from Peh Hsia Road into Taiping Road. The large building at the corner was formerly the China and South Seas Bank and is now being used by one of the departments of the 'Reformed Government.'" |
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"View from the tower of St. Paul's Church of the ruins of our large Chinese residence building which was used to house a preaching hall, a reading room, a baby clinic, Sunday School classrooms, and living quarters for our Chinese workers. It was burned by Japanese troops on two occasions, about December 14, 1937 and January 26, 1938." |
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"Patients in the Refugee Hospital attending a religious service." |
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"Some of the patients and the staff of our Refugee Hospital organized by the Rev. John Magee. End of May 1938." |
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"Wards in the University Hospital, Nanking." |
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"Some of the refugees on the campus of the University of Nanking, which accommodated about 10,000 in its various buildings. This picture was taken in March 1938." |
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"Group of refugees whom we cared for at No. 25 Lo Chia Road." Group gathered in front of residence. |
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"Our refugees being inoculated against typhoid and cholera and small-pox by Dr. Lee of St. Andrew's Hospital, Wusih. Dr. Lee assisted in the University Hospital, Nanking, for several weeks, until he could return to Wusih. The Rev. Frank Gale (Methodist Mission, Nanking) is lending moral support during inoculations." |
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"Our new Church center on Peiping Road, Nanking, which has leased th ebuilding formerly occupied by the Sino-British Cultural Association. This new center is the outgrowth of the religious work conducted during the refugee days in the Safety Zone. It is located near the center of Nanking, almost equidistant from St. Paul's Church and our Hsiakwan Parish." |
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RG 8: Box 265 Folder 3: Forster, Ernest & Clarissa Photographs: Photo album Yangchow 1936 Nanking 1937-38 |
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Members of the Nanking International Safety Zone Committee. Left to right: Ernest Forster, W. Plumer Mills, John Rabe, Lewis Smythe, (Rohe / Sperling?), |
