Private Frederick William D Webb
- Rank
- Private
- Service number
- WX9829
- Unit
- 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion
- Cause of death
- Died as Prisoner of War
- Place of death
- South China Sea
- Date of death
- 12 September 1944
- Age
- 22
- Plaque number
- MW28
- Co-located plaques
- MW28A - PTE Robert Bell
- MW28B - CPL Laurence Harvey
- Dedicated by
- Family on 22 November 2008
- More information
Biography presented during plaque dedication:
Private Frederick William Webb of 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion was born in Subiaco in November 1921 and was the seventh child in a family of twelve of Thomas and Doris Webb of Claremont.
He went to school at Christian Brothers College at Fremantle, which he enjoyed. When he left school he started training as a barber.
Les enjoyed his BSA motorbike and was part of a group that regularly rode to different locations around Perth, with Buckland Hill being one of the favourites.
He joined the militia in Claremont and later transferred to the Australian Imperial Force after putting up his age. Les enlisted in December 1940 and was posted to the 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion which was raised with men from across Western Australia. They trained at Northam, moved to Adelaide then to Darwin before leaving for Singapore in December 1940.
After the fall of Singapore he was imprisoned at Changi then Burma. In early 1944, 900 of the fittest men were to be sent to Japan to provide labour there.
After being taken back to Singapore they sailed on the Rakuyo Maru in September 1944. Their officers protested that there were no red cross markings on the ship. On 12th September 1944 the Rakuyo Maru was torpedoed by the USS Sealion II.
Private Frederick Webb of 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion died as a prisoner of war in the South China Sea on 12 September 1944. He was 22.
His plaque is placed alongside comrades Private Robert Bell and Corporal Laurence (Jack) Harvey, who also died as prisoners of war from 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion.