William Francis Webb – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Anson Battalion

Able Seaman William Francis Webb – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Anson Battalion

Early Life and Family Background

William Francis Webb was born in 1898 in Swansea, the son of William Webb and Mary Jane Pedlar, who had married in 1887 at St. John-juxta, Swansea. He grew up in a working‑class family rooted in Swansea’s industrial community.

1901 Census

By the time of the 1901 Census, the Webb family were living at 185 Middle Road, Swansea. William’s father, William H. Webb, aged 39, was employed as a Steel Bar Roller, while his mother, Mary, aged 37, had been born in Liverpool. The household included their children—John S., aged 11; Emily J., aged 7; and young William F., aged 3. Also living with them was William’s maternal grandmother, Mary A. Pedlar, a 69‑year‑old widow, who formed an important part of the family home.

1911 Census

By 1911, the family had moved to 35 Stepney Street, Cwmbwrla, Swansea. William’s father, now 49, was working as a Siemens Furnaceman Steel Worker, while his mother, Mary, was 48. Their eldest son, John, aged 21, was employed as a Tinplate Worker, and Emily, aged 17, was working as a Dressmaker. William, then 13, was still attending school. Once again, his grandmother Mary A. Pedlar, now 79, was living with the family, showing the continuity of extended family support.

Service in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

As the First World War intensified, William enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR). He served in the Anson Battalion of the Royal Naval Division, a unique formation composed of naval personnel who fought as infantry on the Western Front when no ships were available for them to serve on. William held the rank of Able Seaman, a role that placed him directly in the front‑line fighting during some of the most demanding phases of the war.

The Anson Battalion on 12^th June 1916

In June 1916, the Anson Battalion was holding positions on the Western Front, serving in the Arras sector as part of the 63^rd (Royal Naval) Division. This period was one of what the battalion referred to as “trench routine”—a deceptively simple term for a daily existence marked by danger.

Although no major offensive was underway on 12^th June 1916, the battalion faced the constant hazards of trench warfare. The front was active, and the men were exposed to German artillery fire, trench mortar bombardments, sniping, and the risks of night patrols and working parties repairing trenches and wire. Casualties were frequent even on days without a formal attack.

The Royal Naval Division was also preparing for the coming Somme offensive, which would begin on 1 July 1916. During this time, the Anson Battalion was responsible for holding the line, absorbing enemy pressure, and maintaining defensive positions while other units prepared for the major battles ahead.

It was during this period of routine but deadly front‑line duty that Able Seaman William Francis Webb lost his life on 12^th June 1916.

Death and Burial

Able Seaman William Francis Webb was killed in action on 12^th June 1916, during the fierce and unpredictable conditions of trench warfare in the Arras sector. He was laid to rest at Liévin Communal Cemetery Extension, in the Pas‑de‑Calais, France—a cemetery that holds many of the young men of the Royal Naval Division who fell in the same period.