WEBB Harold George

Appears on the Royal Air Force casualties list for Worcestershire.

A letter from Rector Howard S. Bailey, The Rectory, Upton on Severn dated 20th May 1950 can be found within war records held at Worcestershire Archives requesting that Sergeant Gunner Harold George Webb, RAF be added to the county roll of honour.

The following information has been researched and transcribed by Mick Wilks:
Educated at Upton and Hanley Castle Grammar School, Harold Webb, was employed as a clerk with the LMS Railway Company, and was a member of the local Home Guard as well as Hon. Secretary of the Upton Cricket Club, before volunteering for service in the RAF at the age of 19.

It is understood that Harold Webb was killed when the aircraft in which he was flying crashed on landing at Takaradi airfield, West Africa. This would be consistent with the facts that 808 Squadron of Coastal Command, which had previously been at Wick, in Scotland, had moved to Gibraltar with other units operating Lockheed Hudson aircraft, for anti-shipping strikes. In November 1942, all units at Gibraltar were transferred to North West African Coastal Forces for Operation Torch, coming under the command of the Moroccan Sea Frontier Force (US Casablanca).

Sources: Upton on Severn Parish Magazine, Worcester Evening News, ‘RAF Coastal Command 1936 – 1969’ by Chris Ashworth, George Richardson and Dennis Webb.