Fantastic and unique original WW1 single owner collection to 2nd Lieutenant Arthur Henry Webb, B Company, 8th Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment (The Buffs), who was killed in action on the 24th of June 1917 on Hill 60 during the aftermath of the Battle of Messines. The set includes his uniform jacket (with rare battle insignia), private purchase Hawkes badged MK1 ‘brodie’ helmet, cap and sam browne belt. He is mentioned in both the regimental history and war diary.
The officers brodie is a very rare combination of being raw edged, private purchase with an ultra hard to find Hawkes liner and badged to the Royal East Kent Regt. Liner size is approx 56. The helmet shell is stamped HS 260.
The jacket has very rare battle insignia patches on both arms, and the jacket is named. The battle insignia are for B Company, 8th Btn, Royal East Kent regt, 24th Infantry Division.
The jacket has dark metal East Kent regt collar badges, and all East Kent buttons are present.
Jacket nicely tailored and lined and is made of a heavy cloth - it has a makers label for Pope & Bradley of London.
It is named to A H Webb and dated 9th December 1916.
Fabric rank pips for a 2nd Lieutenant on the shoulders.
The Sam Browne is a rare double strap pattern and includes a leather revolver holster, leather Ammo Pouch and leather sword frog.
The cap is also badged to the East Kent regt, and has initials AHW under the leather sweatband.
Jacket condition is very good except for two holes on one sleeve, one of these very small
Cap condition is very good, except for one missing leather football button on the chinstrap. No mothing. Cap has a makers stamp for Christys of London.
Cap size is approx 55
Jacket Chest is approx 33-34 inches and slim fitting. Measures 16.5 inches armpit to armpit and 18.5 inches from armpit to cuff.
The final listing photo shows the battle insignia information from a reference book.
Supplied with research material. (As a note Arthur’s full records are held by the national archives and at this time we have applied for their digitisation which will be included as part of the set)
2nd Lieutenant Arthur Henry Webb
Born 1892, eldest son of Arthur & Sarah Emily Webb, of Dairy House, Wix. He attended Colchester Grammar School, earning the Hewitt Scholarship. He then attended Corpus Christi College, Cambridge where he took First Class Honours in the Modern Languages Tripos. He volunteered for active service on the outbreak of war immediately but was several times rejected as medically unfit, but was subsequently accepted, and joined the 8th battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment as a 2nd lieutenant in December 1916 (when this uniform is dated to).
He served with the Buffs in France and Flanders from Jan. 1917. His role of honour notes that “he was devoted to all games, and was a good shot and a good horseman. His knowledge of modern languages obtained for him the offer of a post on a Head quarters Staff, which he declined, preferring to take his chance in the firing line.”
Arthur was killed in action at the age of 25 in the early hours of the 24th June 1917 in the aftermath of the Battle of Messines, Hill 60. On the evening of 23 June 1917 the battalion moved from Dickebusch to relieve the 3rd Rifle Brigade NW of Battle Wood and Image Trench. Heavy shelling around Shrapnel Corner forced a last-minute route change via Chester Farm; two companies became detached and B Company “lost 2/Lt A. H. Webb” (with two ORs wounded). The regimental history clarifies that during the relief, they were under abnormally heavy shell fire, targeting the rear working parties, in which Webb was killed. He was buried where he fell, being remembered on the Menin Gate as well as by a plaque in his local church, St Mary’s, Wix, with the inscription ‘His life for his country, his soul to his God’.
His commanding officer, P Vaughan is quoted in De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour (1914–1919) saying about Webb: “Never have I known an officer held in more universal esteem, both by officers and men. This was the natural result of his conduct, which at all times was governed by the very highest sense of duty, and which led his Commanding Officer to have the greatest confidence in him. At the time of his death he was leading his men into action, when he was hit by a piece of shell and killed instantaneously.”
War Diary - 23rd Jun 17. DICKEBUSCH. 20:30. The Battalion moved off by Platoons to relieve the 3rd Bn Rifle Brigade NW of BATTLE WOOD and IMAGE trenches. Owing to the heavy shelling of SHRAPNEL CORNER the route was changed at the last minute and we moved via CHESTER FARM to I28b 70.30. where guides met us. Two Companies went astray from that point and of these B Company lost 2 Lt A H WEBB and had two men wounded (our only casualties). Owing to these two companies the relief was not complete until 03:45.
Regimental history - “when the 23rd June came round again it found the Buffs once more in the trenches and, forty-eight hours afterwards, under an abnormally heavy fire, which did little damage to the front line, but found several victims amongst working parties in rear. 2nd Lieut. J. B. Millard was killed and Major Vaughan and Lieut. Hancock narrowly escaped from the same shell, and it is curious that both these officers were slightly hurt by another one only a few minutes later. 2nd Lieut. A. H. Webb was also killed.”
