9/2016:1
Waltham Forest In Focus
A photographic group supporting the enhancement
of the borough’s renowned Vestry House Museum
of the borough’s renowned Vestry House Museum
Press
release – 12th September 2016
A Leyton bus driver killed in WW1 air-raid
Nearly 100 years ago on the night
of 23rd/24th September 1916, the residents of Walthamstow
and Leyton took their turn to suffer at the hands of the Zeppelin airships. This
was the eighth time the Germans had inflicted an air-raid on Greater London,
and this time there were nearly 10 known civilian deaths resulting from the
bombs they dropped.
The attacks, usually under cover
of the darkest nights with no moon, followed a pattern whereby the Zeppelin
crews watched for the ‘flashing’ light of London’s trams as they passed along the
otherwise darkened streets. This gave the crews a good expectation that by
dropping their bombs in the direction of the flashes, they would be close to
populated areas. Such indiscriminate actions obviously revealed their orders
did not specify their targets needed to be purely military ones!
On this night William Webb aged
25, a local Leyton man, was returning his bus to the Leyton garage, then part
of the London General Omnibus Co. (LGOC). He would have had every reason to
then believe he would be enjoying his home comforts at 699 Lea Bridge Road
where he lived, a mere 5 minutes away. He never made that short journey, for
soon after parking up his empty bus, he was struck by the flying shrapnel of an
exploding bomb dropped from the unseen airship above.
Little more is known, mainly due
to wartime newspaper censorship, and also because no staff records have
survived to preservation at the LT Museum(Covent Garden). At least it is
possible to purchase from Authority a copy of his death certificate, and this
informs that cause of death was “laceration of brain” - caused by the bomb fragments.
Research undertaken by ‘WFIF’
founder member Keith Foster, is now being released to ensure William Webb
receives a prominent place in local history for the first time. Although driver
Webb is recorded as an “air raid victim” on the war memorial at the Leyton
garage, it was only by determined efforts Keith located Webb’s grave, together
with its evocative inscription in a densely wooded area of a local cemetery in
nearby Chingford. With the help of museum assistant Gary Staines, two old photos
cut from an unknown magazine were discovered, and they help to illustrate the
funeral procession, led by a floral bus with the uniformed men and women of the
bus company. Sadly what has so far proved impossible to trace, has been the
cine film of the procession later advertised in the local newspaper as a
feature at a local cinema the week after the funeral.
Postscript:
It
has been deduced from the account of the funeral that William Webb was a single
man, and lived at home with his parents. The death certificate shows a brother,
Mr A Webb, was the informant on registration of the death. However, this has
not proved useful in tracing any living relatives.
Stagecoach
London, the bus company operating bus
routes across the capital, and from the Leyton Garage, were provided with this
information earlier in June this year. We are unable to supply any information
about their intentions to mark the death of William Webb with any memorial.
Attachments
with this article:- News Editors are given full use of images with accreditation
please :- WFIF-Keith Foster
Copy
William Webb’s death certificate [died 24 Sept 1916].
Photograph of war memorial at
main entrance Stagecoach bus garage, Leyton Green E10 6AD.
Photograph of grave and
headstone at Chingford Mount Cemetery Chingford E4 6ST.
Photographs of ‘Floral Bus’
& Staff in funeral procession.
Scanned copy of newspaper
report of funeral: Walthamstow Guardian [ 6 Oct 1916]. BL newspaper microfilm poor.
Scanned copy of newspaper
advert for Cinematic film of the funeral. [29 Sept 1916]. BL newspaper microfilm poor.
Copyright
article: Keith Foster, Waltham Forest In Focus September 2016.
Contact
Tel: Mob. 07986330062, or 020 8523 4025
Waltham Forest In Focus(WFIF)
9/2016:1
Waltham Forest In Focus
A photographic group supporting the enhancement
of the borough’s renowned Vestry House Museum
of the borough’s renowned Vestry House Museum
Press
release – 12th September 2016
A Leyton bus driver killed in WW1 air-raid
Nearly 100 years ago on the night
of 23rd/24th September 1916, the residents of Walthamstow
and Leyton took their turn to suffer at the hands of the Zeppelin airships. This
was the eighth time the Germans had inflicted an air-raid on Greater London,
and this time there were nearly 10 known civilian deaths resulting from the
bombs they dropped.
The attacks, usually under cover
of the darkest nights with no moon, followed a pattern whereby the Zeppelin
crews watched for the ‘flashing’ light of London’s trams as they passed along the
otherwise darkened streets. This gave the crews a good expectation that by
dropping their bombs in the direction of the flashes, they would be close to
populated areas. Such indiscriminate actions obviously revealed their orders
did not specify their targets needed to be purely military ones!
On this night William Webb aged
25, a local Leyton man, was returning his bus to the Leyton garage, then part
of the London General Omnibus Co. (LGOC). He would have had every reason to
then believe he would be enjoying his home comforts at 699 Lea Bridge Road
where he lived, a mere 5 minutes away. He never made that short journey, for
soon after parking up his empty bus, he was struck by the flying shrapnel of an
exploding bomb dropped from the unseen airship above.
Little more is known, mainly due
to wartime newspaper censorship, and also because no staff records have
survived to preservation at the LT Museum(Covent Garden). At least it is
possible to purchase from Authority a copy of his death certificate, and this
informs that cause of death was “laceration of brain” - caused by the bomb fragments.
Research undertaken by ‘WFIF’
founder member Keith Foster, is now being released to ensure William Webb
receives a prominent place in local history for the first time. Although driver
Webb is recorded as an “air raid victim” on the war memorial at the Leyton
garage, it was only by determined efforts Keith located Webb’s grave, together
with its evocative inscription in a densely wooded area of a local cemetery in
nearby Chingford. With the help of museum assistant Gary Staines, two old photos
cut from an unknown magazine were discovered, and they help to illustrate the
funeral procession, led by a floral bus with the uniformed men and women of the
bus company. Sadly what has so far proved impossible to trace, has been the
cine film of the procession later advertised in the local newspaper as a
feature at a local cinema the week after the funeral.
Postscript:
It
has been deduced from the account of the funeral that William Webb was a single
man, and lived at home with his parents. The death certificate shows a brother,
Mr A Webb, was the informant on registration of the death. However, this has
not proved useful in tracing any living relatives.
Stagecoach
London, the bus company operating bus
routes across the capital, and from the Leyton Garage, were provided with this
information earlier in June this year. We are unable to supply any information
about their intentions to mark the death of William Webb with any memorial.
Attachments
with this article:- News Editors are given full use of images with accreditation
please :- WFIF-Keith Foster
Copy
William Webb’s death certificate [died 24 Sept 1916].
Photograph of war memorial at
main entrance Stagecoach bus garage, Leyton Green E10 6AD.
Photograph of grave and
headstone at Chingford Mount Cemetery Chingford E4 6ST.
Photographs of ‘Floral Bus’
& Staff in funeral procession.
Scanned copy of newspaper
report of funeral: Walthamstow Guardian [ 6 Oct 1916]. BL newspaper microfilm poor.
Scanned copy of newspaper
advert for Cinematic film of the funeral. [29 Sept 1916]. BL newspaper microfilm poor.
Copyright
article: Keith Foster, Waltham Forest In Focus September 2016.
Contact
Tel: Mob. 07986330062, or 020 8523 4025
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