Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Book22 Oct. 1895; educ. Huish Grammar School there; enlisted in the Somerset L.I. 9 April, 1912; was promoted Corpl. 15 July, 1914; Sergt. 31 Oct. 1914; and gazetted 2nd Lieut. on the field, 14 Feb. 1915; went to France 22 Aug. 1914; served through the fighting at Ligny; the retreat from Mons; the Battles of the Marne and the Aisne; afterwards proceeding to Belgium with his regt., and took part in the 1st Battle of Ypres and the fighting in the Ploegsteert Woods. In Feb. 1915, he came home on leave, and in May was seriously wounded and again sent home, but returned to the front 7 June, and was killed in action on the Yser Canal, 6 July, 1915, while leading his platoon; _unm._ Major G. Fleming wrote: "Your son died as a gallant officer and soldier should at the head of his men and whilst performing a particularly dangerous and arduous task. We, with the Rifle Brigade, attacked the German trenches at 6 a.m. on the 6th inst., and your son had to dig communication trenches across the open from our trenches to the captured trenches. He was killed very soon after he had got his men into position lined up across the open. There must be great comfort to you in knowing that he died so gallantly and a soldier's death in action is much to be coveted. We all miss him terribly as he was always so cheerful and willing to do anything in his power to help others and to perform his duty." 2nd Lieut. Webber's eldest brother, Sergt. W. T. Webber, was killed in France in Nov. 1914, and his two other brothers, Col.-Sergt. S. A. Webber and Col.-Sergt. J. S. Webber, are now (1916) on active service. [Illustration: =Harold Victor Webber.=] =WEBBER, HUGO=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 1683), 200656, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =WEBBER, JOHN=, Private, No. 7611, 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers, _s._ of the late James Webber, of Bootle, Liverpool, by his wife, Mary Ann; _b._ Bootle, co. Lancaster, 14 Feb. 1879; educ. New Ferry, co. Chester; enlisted and served three years with the Colours; was a Labourer; rejoined 5 Aug. 1914; went to France, 16 Sept. 1914, and was reported missing after the heavy fighting on 29 Oct. 1914. He _m._ at Birkenhead, 1906, Myra (50, Teddesley Street, Walsall), dau. of Charles Jones, and had four children: James Edward, _b._ 8 April, 1907; John, _b._ 8 March, 1914; Myra, _b._ 29 Jan. 1909; and Gladys May, _b._ 21 Sept. 1911. [Illustration: =John Webber.=] =WEBSTER, COLIN AILESBURY=, Private, No. 1253, No. 1 Coy., 1st Battn. Honourable Artillery Co., only _s._ of Henry Ernest Webster, of 21, Kingsley Avenue, West Ealing, and the National Bank, Notting Hill Gate, W. (well-known in the swimming world as handicapper to the Otter Swimming Club); by his wife, Kate Minnie, dau. of William Ailesbury Bull; _b._ Bayswater, 13 May, 1894; educ. Acton County School, on leaving which he was employed on the Stock Exchange; joined the H.A.C., 8 Aug. 1914; left for France 18 Sept. 1914; and was killed in action near Wulverghem, 25 Nov. following; _unm._ Buried in the garden of a farmhouse at Wulverghem. A sergt. of his Coy. wrote: "He has been a thoroughly good soldier throughout, and I can assure you we all (No. 1 Coy.) lament his loss." Like his father he was a fine swimmer and at the close of the season of 1914, stood second for the average prize of the Otter Swimming Club. He was also a keen Rugby football player and a member of the Ealing Rugby Football Club. [Illustration: =Colin A. Webster.=] =WEBSTER, HARRY=, Electrical Artificer, 2nd Class, 347541, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914. =WEBSTER, JESSE=, Petty Officer (N.S.), 201748, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =WEDDERBURN, ROBERT HAMILTON MACLAGAN=, 2nd Lieut., 3rd (Reserve), attd. 1st Battn., The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), yst. _s._ of the Rev. Laurence Craigie Maclagan Wedderburn, Minister of the United Free Church of Scotland, at Madderty, Crieff, by his wife, Gertrude Elizabeth, dau. of the late Lt.-Col. James Maxwell, C.B., sometime Acting Governor of the Gold Coast; _b._ Madderty Free Church Manse, co. Perth, 30 April, 1893; educ. at George Watson's College, Edinburgh, and Edinburgh University (M.A. April, 1914); was L.-Corpl. in his school O.T.C., and Sergt. of the machine-gun team of the University O.T.C., and obtained Certificates A and B; gazetted 2nd Lieut. from the Special Reserve of officers, to 3rd Cameronians, 15 Aug. 1914; joined in Sept, and trained with them at the Nigg Camp, Ross-shire; left for Rouen in charge of 95 men, 1 Jan. 1915, was there attached to the 1st Cameronians then in the trenches near Armentières, and was killed in action in the trenches near Bois Grenier early in the morning of 3 Feb. following; _unm._ Buried beside Capt. Stirling in the village of Bois Grenier. His Commanding Officer, Lieut.-Col. P. N. Robertson, C.M.G., wrote: "Owing to the very short time he was with us, I had not seen your son personally very much, but I am informed that he was most keen in his work, and always did his very best to carry out efficiently every duty that was given him to do. He was at the time superintending the erection of a traverse of sandbags in the trenches, when he was shot through the brain by one of the enemy's snipers," and the Officer Commanding 3rd Battn., Major Luard, published the following order: "It is with the deepest regret that the Commanding Officer has to announce the death (killed in action) of 2nd Lieut. R. H. M. Wedderburn, of this Battn., and at the time serving with the 1st Battn. Though the late 2nd Lieut. Wedderburn was comparatively a short time with his battn., he was well-known for his exceptional keenness and the loss to this battn. is deeply felt by all." =WEEDON, SYDNEY CHARLES=, Private, No. 1102, 1/4th Battn. (Signal Section) Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt. (T.F.), 2nd _s._ of Albert Weedon, of 23, Scott Street, Maidstone, by his wife, Alice Celia, dau. of John Fryer, of Maidstone, _b._ Maidstone, co. Kent, 19 Aug. 1892; educ. St. Paul's School there; was a Wire Mattress Maker; joined the R.W.K. Regt. early in 1911; went to India 29 Oct. 1914, and died on foreign service at Jubbulpore, India, 27 May, 1915, of septicæmia, contracted from drinking water from a native well; _unm._ He was buried in the English Cemetery there, with full military honours; a marble cross erected by the officers, non-commissioned officers and men of his Coy. marks the grave. The Officer Commanding the signal section wrote: "He was in my Signal Section, and was one of the best and keenest signallers I had. He and his brother have been of very great assistance to me, always ready to do anything and always doing it thoroughly and well." Two of his brothers are now (1916) on service: Pte. Leonard Weedon and L.-Corpl. Percy Weedon, both with the Royal West Kent Regt. [Illustration: =Sydney C. Weedon.=] =WEEDS, JAMES=, Private, R.M.L.I., Ch |