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Commemorating the Outbreak of WWI
Given below is an interview with Private Sidney Webb from the Royston Crow November 6th 1914 . We know, from the names on our War Memorial, who was killed in ‘the War to end all Wars’ and Sidney Webb’s name is not among them, so we assume that he survived and returned home. Does anyone have any photographs or information about the Webb family? We also have a photograph of Private Charles Dodkin, who was killed at the age of 21. There is an account of the 1914-18 War in the village history ‘’A Glimpse into Melbourn’s Past’, with a few photographs, and a complete list of the fallen, namely: Edgar R Abrey, Edgar E Brown, John Burton, Arthur H Carter, William G Catley, Henty B Day, Frank W Day, Charles Dodkin,Charles Fordham,Lionel B Frost, Ernest J Green, Jesse Guiver, Thomas Guiver, William C Harper, Albert Holland, William C Howes, Charles H Huggins, William T Jacklin, Arthur King, Frederick J King, Walter Lee, Walter A Littlechild, Alfred Negus, Samuel Northrop, George Pateman, Frederick C Pepper, William H Pullen, John W Reed, Robert H Reed, Louis Robinson, Harold E Rumbold, Frederick Saunderson, James Saunderson, Alfred H Smith, Joseph Smith, Harry Squires, Job Stanford, Frederick Throssell, Stanley J Waldock, Percy Wedd, William Willings, Rydal SL Wing, Alfred J Winter, Fred Winter. One name was missing from the Memorial, that of Edward L Hall Royston Crow November 6th 1914
Melbourn Man Escapes from the Germans Private Sidney Webb, of the Grenadier Guards, in an interview with a representative of this Paper, gives an interesting account of his fight in the sharp action on Sep 1st in the neighbourhood of Compiegne, an action that was entirely satisfactory to the British, and in which the Guards Brigade, and a British Cavalry brigade took part. Private Webb was wounded and taken prisoner by the Germans. He tells how he hid under a bed and was overlooked by the Germans when they took away their prisoners. “On September 1st my Company”, said Private Webb, “were at a place called Villers Cotterets, a few miles southeast of Compiegne, acting as rear guard to our regiment, when we heard there were some German scouts in a wood, and we got ready to turn them out, but we found there were about 6,000 of them. We were ordered to retire, and some of our fellows were left in the wood to cover our retreat. About twenty minutes afterwards we saw the Germans about 120 yards away on our left flank. We were not sure at first whether they were our own men or not.
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They Ran like Rabbits Our officer gave the order to retire in formation, but about 20 yards further on we saw a body of Germans, and we charged them with fixed bayonets. When they saw us they turned and ran like rabbits. We then lined a ridge and commenced firing. We made another rush but could not get near them. Shots were flying all around us, and I was struck in the left arm, and at the same time something struck my tongue and my mouth was full of blood, but I kept on and presently came to some more of my mates who had taken cover along some ridges.
His Mates on his Right and his Left were killed. I laid down and commenced shooting as fast as I could, although my arm was very painful and bleeding. I had to keep spitting the blood out of my mouth as well. I spoke to my mate ‘Ginger’ he was called. I said Ginger, I’ve tasted a German bullet.” He said “Stick it mate, we’ll soon pop some of them over.” He spoke no more for a bullet had crashed through his head. I then called to another pal and told him to keep his head down. He replied, “No fear, I’m going to have a go at ‘em.” He soon afterwards fell back dead with another bullet through his head. I kept on firing until I could hardly hold my rifle, the barrel had got nearly red hot.
Taken Prisoner by the Germans I was still firing away when I happened to look round and saw a German about to stick his bayonet into me. There were suddenly Germans in front of me, behind me, and all around me. I was too completely done and exhausted to show fight. He took my rifle away and told me to get up. A lot more Germans came up, and I had no chance to do anything. One bandaged my arm, a Red Cross man, who could speak English quite well. He said it had been a hot fight, and it was bad for both sides. He told me he had lived in England for fifteen years, and used to work in Camden Town before the war. About 120 of our fellows were missing, and 70 or more, lay dead. The Coldstreams and the Irish Guards were in it as well.
A Meal of Billposter’s Paste A German officer came along and looked at us. He said “You are not gentlemen. Hands up or we fire!” I thought we were going to be shot then. The Germans were having a meal then, but all we got was the ‘smell’. We had heard they were starving, but this lot were doing it all right. They had with them cart loads of fowls and sheep, and they were driving lots of bullocks along. Even with all this they took away my tin of bully. When they had finished their meal they marched us to a village and put us in a Church,
