No.12766, Private, William John WEBB
Aged 33
|
William Webb was born in Dullingham in 1883 (Newmarket Q3-1883 3B:511), baptised on 23rd September 1883 in Dullingham, son of William and Sarah Ann WEBB (née JOHNSON).
1891 census...Aged 7, he was in Dullingham with his father William WEBB, [53] a farm labourer; his mother Sarah Ann [50]; sisters Susannah [25], Dorcas [17], Maud [9] and Eliza [5] and brothers Arthur [23] (a shepherd), and Henry [15] farm labourer. All of them were born in Dullingham. There were two other sisters, Anna Eliza and Susannah Sophia. His father died in 1899. 1901 census...Aged 18, a farm labourer, he was in Station Road, Dullingham with his widowed mother, brothers Arthur (bricklayer's labourer) and Harry (farm labourer) and a Dullingham born niece ?, Eliza WEBB [15]. 1911 census...Aged 25 ?, a farm labourer, he was in Station Road, Dullingham with his widowed mother, brother Arthur and a niece, Eva WEBB [5] born in Dullingham. As yet the parentage of these nieces has not been established. |
|
Enlisted in Newmarket . The 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment were nearly wiped out in the attack on Longueval on 20th July 1916 in the battle of the Somme. Despite their right flank being exposed they pressed on. Heavy mist caused the second line to lose direction. Machine gun fire from the junction of Duke Street and Piccadilly made movement impossible and they had to dig in along Duke Street until relieved. Only 25 of the 114 dead have identified graves. William was brought into Caterpillar Valley Cemetery in December 1920 from either the battlefield or one of the smaller cemeteries that were being concentrated after the Armistice. His "Soldier's Personal Effects" record has sister Anna DODD as sole legatee. |
photo: Rodney Gibson
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details