Edwin Leighton Webb (1925 - 1945)

Born 19 Feb 1925 in Big Timber, Sweet Grass, Montana, United States

Died 4 Mar 1945 at age 20 in Moselle, Lorraine, France

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Biography

Edwin Webb was awarded the Silver Star Medal.

Edwin Webb was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

Edwin Webb was awarded the Purple Heart.

Private First Class Edwin Webb served in the United States Army in World War II
Service started: 22 Jun 1943
Unit(s): Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 222d Infantry Regiment, 42d Infantry Division
Service ended: 4 Mar 1945

Private First Class Edwin Webb was Killed in Action near Melch, France during World War II.

Edwin was born 19 February 1925 in Big Timber, Montana. He was the son of Leslie Webb and Vera Leighton.^[1]

He was Killed in Action on 4 March 1945 near Melch, France.^[2][3]

The PFC Edwin L Webb US Army Reserve Center in Eugene, Oregon is named in his honor.

Find A Grave: Memorial #65805147

• 1930 - Big Timber, Sweet Grass, Montana, United States^[4]
• 1940 - School District 15 Beaver Creek, Stillwater, Montana, United States

Silver Star Citation

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Private First Class Edwin L. Webb (ASN: 39334271), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 222d Infantry Regiment, 42d Infantry Division, in action on 4 March 1945, near Melch, France. On 4 March 1945, Private Webb was a member of a 3-man patrol which had volunteered to make a daylight reconnaissance of the town of Melch, then held by the enemy. The patrol, after fighting and maneuvering past several enemy automatic weapons and groups of enemy riflemen, reached a position from which direct and close observation of Melch was possible. During their return, Private Webb and his two companions killed one enemy rifleman who fired on them, and later killed one of two riflemen who attacked them from a reinforced dugout. Shortly afterward, the patrol became engaged in a sharp fire fight in which one member of the patrol, Private First Class Hammack, was wounded by enemy rifle fire. Realizing the importance of the information the patrol had obtained, Private Webb directed the other uninjured member of the patrol to return, while Private Webb covered his withdrawal and remained to assist the wounded man. When last seen, Private Webb was standing over Private First Class Hammack doggedly returning the enemy fire with his rifle. By his gallantry and devotion to duty in the face of almost certain death or capture, Private Webb made possible the receipt of valuable information and the successful completion of the mission for which he had volunteered.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ "Montana, Sweet Grass County Records, 1887-2011," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV3Q-QQBL : 15 March 2018), Edwin Leighton Webb, 19 Feb 1925; citing Birth, Big Timber, Sweet Grass, Montana, United States, # 14, vol. Birth certificates vol 6 1923-1925, Sweet Grass County Clerk and Recorder's Offices, Big Timber.
2. ↑ Pfc Edwin Webb, The Eugene Guard, Eugene, Oregon, 03 Jun 1949, Fri • Page 3
3. ↑ Rites Conducted For War Victim, The Billings Gazette, Billings, Montana, 27 May 1949, Fri • Page 4
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XC93-JJQ : accessed 12 April 2022), Edwin L Webb in household of Lew Webb, Big Timber, Sweet Grass, Montana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1, sheet 5A, line 43, family 120, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1263; FHL microfilm 2,340,998.
5. ↑ The Hall of Valor Project, Edwin L Webb

• National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Oregon, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 123. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Ancestry Record 2238 #36561644
• "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8B8-VML : 5 December 2014), Edwin L Webb, enlisted 22 Jun 1943, Portland, Oregon, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
• Edwin Webb's Death Listed, The Eugene Guard, Eugene, Oregon, 02 May 1946, Thu • Page 1
• Rites Schedule, The Billings Gazette, Billings, Montana, 14 Nov 1948, Sun • Page 14