Sergeant Bernard Vincent Webb

Rank or Title

Date of Birth

Aug 1897

Date of Death

22 May 1918

Media files and documents

Image icon GreatUncleBernard'sservicestatement.jpg

War time / or Pre War occupation

Hat Moulder

Regiment

Service Number

26865

Place of Birth

Luton
United Kingdom

World War I Address

10 Westbourne Road
Luton
LU4 8JD
United Kingdom

Place of Death

Departmente Nord
Caestre
France

Grave Location

United Kingdom

War Memorial Location

Luton ward

Soldier or Civilian

  • Soldier

Source

http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/community/community-news/boy-lied-about-his-age-to-be-one-of-the-first-to-sign-up-for-world-war-one-1-5861172 , 29th May 2014
Sgt Bernard Vincent Webb

Bernard Vincent Webb was the son of George Webb, a dentist of Westbourne Road, Luton, and his wife Elizabeth.

Bernard was just 17 when he enlisted with the Bedfordshire Regiment in September 1914. He told the recruiting officer he was 19!

Whilst serving with the 3rd Battalion Munster Fusiliers he was wounded at Gallipoli, on the Ottoman Peninsula, just over a year later with a gun shot wound to the hand.

After recovering from his wounds he subsequently transferred to the Machine Gun Corps and was killed in action in May 1918 aged 20 having risen to the rank of substantive sergeant.
 

  • Sgt Bernard Vincent Webb 22/05/1918 aged 20
  • Bernard enlisted in the Bedfordshire Rgt on 06/09/1914 aged 17, he was transferred to 12th Royal Lancers and was transferred again on 02/06/1915 to the 3rd Bn Royal Munster Fusiliers.
  • He landed in Gallipoli with his regiment on 01/08/1915 and was wounded in action on 21/08/1915.
  • After hospitalisation in Mudras he was evacuated to England on 21/10/1915.
  • He transferred to 92 Coy Machine Gun Corps on 07/03/1916 and was posted to France.
  • Bernard subsequently joined 31st Bn Machine Gun Corps on 03/03/1918.
  • The Bn was heavily committed during the German Spring Offensive which started on 21/03/1918.
  • On 22/05/1918 he was with a party of 7 soldiers sent to Divisional HQ to reconnoitre, 4 were killed by a shell and 2 were wounded.
  • Bernard was amongst those killed and is buried in Caestre Military Cemetary in France, close to where he was killed.
  • The War Diary for 31st Battalion notes that on 22/05/1918, 3 runners and 4 Sgts were sent to Div HQ to reconnoitre, 1 runner and 3 Sgts were killed by a shell, and 1 runner and 1 Sgt wounded.

Bernard is buried at Caestre Military Cemetery, Nord, France Grave reference: I. B. 23.

Information thanks to his descendant J. Atterton.

Individual Location

Sgt Bernard Vincent Webb
Bernard Vincent Webb personal effects
Bernard Vincent Webb Declared Relatives
Bernard Vincent Webb Service Statement
Bernard Vincent Webb Attestation Paper
Sgt Bernard Vincent Webb
Pause

Author: David

Related items

Private Stuart John Webb
WO2 - Warrant Officer Class 2 George Henry Webb

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Comments

Sergeant Bernard Vincent Webb.

The photo above and general information is attributed to a descendant J. Atterton. My good friend and distant relative John Atterton tells me that he has not seen this photo before and he didn't submit it. It could possibly be Bernard but he and I are curious to know its origin. Can you tell me where it came from, please?

Sgt Bernard Vincent Webb

[Supplied by John Atterton] The attached photograph (by C. R. Crawley) is the best likeness I have of my great uncle Bernard. A family friend recently came across the photograph while researching another relation. It was taken whilst he was serving with the Munster Fusiliers. In 1915 he had been posted to fight in the failed Gallipoli campaign. It was there where he received gunshot wounds and eventually was evacuated back to England on board the hospital ship Aquitania. I have so far been unsuccessful in working out the Irish connection although my grandfather (Bernard's brother) would talk to me about an Irish grandfather on his side of the family. This would make sense as I would think a young English boy from Luton of just 17 (he enlisted underage) would have had difficulty in transferring from the Bedfordshire Regiment to the 12 Lancers then quickly being accepted into the Munster Fusiliers where he rapidly progressed to the rank of corporal. He would have been in charge of some tough Irish soldiers. After his return to England and a period of recuperation he was transferred to the newly formed Machine Gun Corp in Grantham. The MGC were recruiting experienced gunners and we know he was promoted to Sergeant whilst serving with the Corps but, was sadly killed on 22 May 1918 during the German spring offensive and is buried in Caestre Military Cemetary. He was just 20 years of age. The pictures you discovered, published the Luton News on November 8, 1917 were so interesting and I can only assume Bernard would have been in his MGC uniform. The one of my grandfather George is the only one I have where he is wearing his RAMC uniform. The picture are of Bernard, my grandfather George, and of Stuart. My grandfather survived WW1 and went on to enlist in the Royal Engineers and subsequently saw action in France in 1939/40 during WW2 as a Sergeant Major. He ended his years as a Chelsea pensioner.