The Webster Family
Can you help track down any surviving relatives / descendants of the Webster family who lived in Totley during WWII.
To explain my interest in this family: - My father passed away two years ago and like all sons I had tried to speak with him regarding the war, (I served in the Army for 9 years during the seventies). He was very reluctant to do this and only once, did I ever get him to talk. It is only now since his passing that I have done a fair bit of digging and found out about his exploits during this time.
During my "digging" it became apparent that my Dad (who was a Warrant Officer Pilot with 211 Sqd out in India & Burma) had a "best mate" his name was Warrant Officer Pilot 1455066 Ken Webster -- they both flew Beaufighters and just before the end of the war they re-trained on Mosquitos.
Sadly Ken was killed in a flying accident on the 2nd July 1945 aged just 22years an event that I now understand greatly affected my father, Ken lies in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Madras War Cemetery, Chennai.
Enquiries with the CWGC reveal the entry that Ken was the son of Kate Webster of Totley in Yorkshire. Further enquiries reveal that Ken had an elder bother Vincent who was also in the RAF with 35 Sqd (Service No 814232). Vincent Webster was aged 35years when he died on the 18th August 1943 he lies in the Berlin 1939 - 1945 War Cemetery. Again the mothers name of Kate is shown in the CWGC entry in respect of Vincent.
Using the telephone directory I have spoken to as many Webster's I can contact in the Totley area, the reason for this is that I have a copy of a photograph taken of Ken Webster and my Dad when they were in Tel Aviv, and I am trying to track down any descendants of either Ken, but given his age its more likely to be descendants of Vincent, to see if they might want a copy of the photograph. I can't explain why I just feel it’s what I should do.
During one telephone conversation with an elderly lady Mrs Webster 82 years (not related to Kate) she mentioned that she remembered a Webster Family with two bothers, both in the RAF and both killed, but then went on to say that she thought there had also been a sister -- a nurse -- also lost when the hospital ship she was on was lost.
As 60 odd years have now passed -- back then I would image Totley as a small place where if all three children in the same family were lost it would surely have been recorded somewhere. Maureen at the local studies library has tried to find any entries re the Webster family in the local papers for the times when both Vincent and then Ken died but to no avail.
If you feel you can assist me in this endeavour I will be grateful for any suggestions / help you might be able to give. My name is Eric Taylor and my home phone no 01995 606031 (Garstang in Lancashire) my mobile No is 07946 521 440
May 2006
May 2006 issue of Totley Independent (No 293) included a piece on my search for any surviving relatives of the Webster Family from The Grove in Totley. I was trying to provide a copy of a photograph of Ken Webster (the youngest) together with his "best mate" my late father to any surviving relatives of the family.
My enquiries revealed that life was not good to the Webster family as a whole, the father died at a young age, there had been a daughter but she died before she was 1 year old, Vincent the elder boy was a Flt SGT Engineer in the RAF flying Lancasters and was killed in August 1943. He is buried at the 1939 - 1945 Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Berlin.
Kenneth the sole survivor of the immediate family was a W/O Pilot in 211 Squadron RAF, as was my father, Kenneth was killed in a flying accident whilst piloting a Mosquito on the 2nd July 1945 near Madras and was buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in the Madras War Cemetery in Chennai. The mother Kate was now alone.
As a direct result of the piece included in the Independent I received a number of calls from various individuals who either grew up with Ken or knew the family in some way.
From this, myself and my wife travelled through to Totley on Sunday 25th June 2006, we met at the home address of Sheila Hobson (the daughter of Joyce McWhinney). Joyce went to school with Ken. Then on to Totley Rise Methodist Church (The Webster's family Church) within the congregation more people came forward who knew the family. We then met Joy Depledge who lived across the road from Kate in "The Grove" for a time and got to know Kate very well. Betty Housley was Kate's carer until she died. Bill Glossop was in the year ahead of Ken at school.
By this time proceedings had moved to the Shipley Spitfire Pub and here we all got on rather well I thought. For me the comment made by Joy Depledge summed up the event most accurately "If Kate could see us all now she would be so proud" it was at that point that I knew that what had started out as an incidental idea had resulted in a group of people within your community coming together to remember the efforts of a great many members of my father’s generation and, in the case of the Webster family suffering the greatest loss.
On behalf of myself, my wife and I'd like to think my late father, I can only say a simple thank you, without your efforts, whilst this event may well have still happened, I doubt that I would have been able to reach so many people so promptly.
Eric & Kerry Taylor
September 2006
PS. As a consequence of a paper cutting given to me by Joy Depledge the search continues for what is thought might be the Aunt and Uncle of Ken & Vincent, if this idea is correct there is / was out there an Aunt Charlotte and an Uncle Ernest ??????
The Webster Family 2
In the May issue of The Totley Independent Eric Taylor requested information on the Webster family of Totley. On Sunday, 25 June, a group of interested people met in Totley. Eric and his wife, Kerry, had travelled from Lancashire to piece together the life and family of Ken Webster, who had served in the RAF with Eric’s late father.
I did not know Ken or his family but my family did. My mother knew Ken, his brother Vincent, and mother Kate, from early years in the village school on Hillfoot Road and from Totley Rise Chapel. Everyone present that Sunday had their own memories of Ken, Vincent and Kate Webster. Photographs and memories were shared. It was a lovely Sunday with a lovely group of caring people. I am so pleased Eric took the time to initiate this meeting.
What an extremely brave lady Kate Webster was to live out her life with love and dignity after losing her daughter, husband and 2 sons at such young ages. My heart goes out to her. The Webster family will always be remembered by my family and by many other families in Totley and beyond.
Sheila Hobson
September 2006