Foran trained at Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Article on his big game hunting in Chicago Tribune . He appears just to be living in Ireland at this time, and not serving. The OBE dates
1882 Jan 21 Born Eastbourne, Sussex
1900 Apr 11. Off to the Boer War
1901 Mar 6. Wounded
1902 Apr 22. Somerset Light Infantry. Lieutenant William Robert Foran, from 21st Battalion the Imperial Yeomanry, in succession to Lieutenant J. A. Tbicknesse, promoted
1903 May 27 Resigns his commission as 2nd Lt
1904 He traveled from Johannesburg to Mombasa, Kenya, and then to the newly founded city of Nairobi to buy land for farming. While in Nairobi, Foran was recruited by the British East Africa Police, becoming one of its six original officers. Foran distinguished himself as a big game hunter and wrote numerous articles and books based on his adventures, including Kill or Be Killed: The Rambling Reminiscences of an Amateur Hunter, published in 1933, which includes stories about fellow big game hunters W. D. M. Bell and Chauncey Hugh Stigand.
1914 Oct 22. Re-commissioned as a Temp Lt
1920 May 8. R. Berks. R. Temp. Maj. W. R. Foran relinquishes his commission on account of ill-healtih con- tracted on active service, and retains the rank of Major
1920 May 3. R. Berks. R. The relinquishment of his commission by temp. Maj. W. R. Foran, notified in Gaz. 2 Feb. 1920, is cancelled
1920 Sep 30 R. Berks. R. Maj. W. R. Foran (late temp. Maj., R. Berks. R. (Serv. Bns.) ) to be temp. Maj. for repatriation.
1920 Nov 3. Temp. Maj. R. Foran relinquishes his commission on account of ill-health, contracted on active service, and retains the rank of Maj.
1919 Award of OBE to Major W R Foran, 49 S Circ Rd, Dublin
1923 Arrives for Lecture Tour in Canada Address is as on MIC
1933 Book published
1935. Foran worked as a travel writer for the National Geographic Society and wrote Malayan Symphony: Being The Impressions Gathered During A Six months' Journey Through The Straits Settlements, Federated Malay States, Siam, Sumatra, Java And Bali about his 1935 trip through Southeast Asia. His account of a visit to Tristan da Cunha, the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, was published in November 1938.
1939 Register. Is a Journalist & Author, (ex-Major Berks Regt) living with wife Audrey at 19 Cannonside , Leatherhead
1968. He lived out the last years of his life in Nanyuki, Kenya, and died in 1968.
British Intelligence in Ireland
WO 374/24862