Herbert Allen Webber
Lance Corporal Herbert Allen Webber – Royal Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion
Not all of the military burials at Oystermouth Cemetery
are marked with official military headstones; some are commemorated on
private family memorials instead. Such is the case with Lance Corporal
Herbert Allen Webber, whose name appears on his family’s headstone.
Early Life and Family Background
Herbert Allen Webber was born in 1895 in Swansea,
the eldest son of Alfred Allen Webber and Ellen Sing, who
were married in 1893 in Swansea.
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| 1901 Census |
According to the 1901 Census, the Webber family were living at 17 Union Street, Swansea. Alfred, aged 39, was an Exeter-born grocer and shopkeeper, running his business from the family home, while Ellen, aged 34, was born in Aberavon. Their children were Herbert A. (6), Sidney C. (4), and Winifred (1). Also living in the household was Sarah Evans, a 22-year-old domestic servant.
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| 1911 Census |
By the 1911 Census, the family was still residing at 17 Union Street. Alfred, then aged 49, was recorded as a grocer and dealer, and Ellen, aged 44, continued to manage the household. Their three children — Herbert (16), Sidney (14), and Winifred (11) — were all in school at the time. The family employed Beatrice James, aged 23, as a servant.
Military Service – Royal Fusiliers
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| Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects |
As a young man, Herbert Allen Webber enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), serving with the 2nd Battalion. The Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects record his rank at the time of his death as Lance Corporal, indicating that he had been promoted during his service — a sign of his reliability and capability as a soldier.
The 2nd Battalion was one of the regiment’s regular army
units, heavily engaged on the Western Front throughout the First World
War. It fought in major battles, including the Somme (1916), Arras
(1917), and the German Spring Offensive (1918).
By April 1918, the battalion was fighting in Flanders
during the Battle of the Lys, part of Germany’s final great offensive on
the Western Front. The action centred on the area between Armentières
and Hazebrouck, where British and Portuguese troops faced intense
artillery and infantry assaults. The 2nd Royal Fusiliers
suffered heavy casualties as they defended the line near Merville, Estaires,
and Nieppe Forest, before being withdrawn for reorganisation later that
month.
It was likely during this phase of fighting that Herbert was
wounded or fell ill, leading to his evacuation to a hospital in England.
Death and Lincoln Military Hospital
Lance Corporal Herbert Allen Webber died on 28th
April 1918 at Lincoln Military Hospital, aged 23.
Originally built as Lincoln County Hospital, the
facility was converted for military use shortly after the outbreak of war in
1914. Renamed Lincoln Military Hospital, it became one of a network of
hospitals across Britain providing long-term treatment for soldiers evacuated
from the Western Front. The hospital treated a wide range of cases — from
battle wounds and amputations to gas injuries and infectious diseases.
The hospital was supported by local Red Cross Voluntary
Aid Detachments (VADs) and worked in cooperation with the nearby Royal
Flying Corps aerodrome at Lincoln (later RAF Lincoln), which was used to
transfer injured men arriving by ambulance train or air. This combination of
military medical, Red Cross, and aviation facilities made Lincoln an important
regional hub for casualty care during the later years of the war.
Many of the men who died there were too gravely wounded to
be returned to duty and were instead repatriated to their home towns for
burial, as was the case with Herbert.
Burial and Legacy
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| Webber family grave Oystermouth Cemetery credit - findagrave |
Though his resting place does not bear a standard Commonwealth
War Graves headstone, Lance Corporal Herbert Allen Webber’s name
endures as part of Swansea’s collective memory of the First World War. His
inclusion on his family memorial reflects the personal grief of those who lost
loved ones during the conflict — ordinary families who wished to commemorate
their sons within the fabric of their own community.
His grave at Oystermouth Cemetery stands as a
reminder that the impact of the war reached far beyond the battlefield,
touching homes, families, and businesses across Swansea.
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