LCpl Arthur D Webber

Arthur D Webber may be the same Arthur D Webber who appears on the census in 1901 living at Brentwood, but he is not here in 1911 and there are multiple Arthur D Webbers in Brentwood after the war, so it is not possible to be certain if this is him.

We do know that Arthur worked for the Great Eastern Railway and lived in Brentwood at least by 1914. He is listed as an assistant usher in the hotels department, so he may have worked at the Great Eastern Hotel next to the station before the war.

In December 1914 he enlisted in the 1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers as a private. The 1st Battalion were in Malta at this time, and Arthur remained in the UK training until 30th August 1915, when he was sent to Egypt.

In 1916 he transfered to the 20th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, then in 1917 to the 7th, and in 1918 to the 5th and then finally to the 11th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, by which time had had been promoted to Lance Corporal. He was certainly in France on the western front by 1918. He was killed following the mass German counter attack that almost overwhelmed the British in Spring and Summer 1918, being killed on August 7th 1918. The very next day, on 8th August, his battalion was part of a new attack on the Germans - this time a successful one - which became known as the Advance to Victory and would ultimately end the war. Arthur has no known grave and is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial in France and on the war memorials in Brentwood.