Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lance-Corporal

Unit:

1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade, 78th Infantry Division, British Army

Awarded on:

November 8th, 1945

When his company, advancing toward a small village during the drive against Ferrara on the early morning of 21 April, established a bridgehead over a canal some 4,000 yards from the village, Lance Corporal Webb, a section commander in one of the leading platoons, was ordered to exploit toward the northeast and link up with another company taking part in the operation. The far bank of the canal and the ground between the bridgehead and the village contained many strong enemy machine gun positions and were covered also by numerous enemy mortar emplacements which were inflicting heavy casualties on the advancing troops. After proceeding forward some 1,500 yards, Lance Corporal Webb's section was held up by a particularly strong Spandau position, the fourth which the section had dealt with in its advance. Lance Corporal Webb, realizing the importance of continuing the advance to link up with the other company, and since he was now short of men as the result of casualties, entirely on his own initiative and armed only with a Thompson submachine gun, advanced single-handedly on the post. At first the enemy retaliated, but so determined was Lance Corporal Webb's attack that those of them who had not fallen to his fire surrendered, thus allowing the company to continue its advance and capture the village before the enemy could fall back on it and man its prepared positions. The courage, initiative and extraordinary heroism of Lance Corporal Webb, so inspired the remainder of his platoon and company that they were able to continue their advance through the heavy mortar and machine gun fire, and his actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of the Allied Armed Forces.

Headquarters, U.S. Army-Mediterranean Theater of Operations, General Orders No. 282