Charles Ross Webb
Charles Ross Webb Légion d'honneur
The area lost Charles Ross Webb better known as just Ross Webb in 2019. Formost of his life he was based in Colne and worked for the then, Water Board. Ross had his adventures in WW2 as a Royal Marine Commando he was to be landed on D-Day, but like many, this plan didn’t actually go according to plan.
The landing Craft taking Ross and other Marines ashore was hit by a shell, it did not explode, or kill anyone, but it completely wrecked the engine, leaving them just drifting around, whilst all hell was going on around them. Eventually they were spotted by a small patrol boat that towed them to the nearest beach at the time, and cast them off.
Down ramp and everybody dashes up the beach, whilst walking down towards them, through shot and shell is a Frenchman, with the French Flag and a bottle of wine, offering drinks to all the guys trying to get up the beach. Once at the top, and all is quiet, Ross finds a command tent, and goes to report, only to discover it’s a Free French command post and he is on the wrong beach.
Several days and many miles later, having been told twice he was presumed dead according to records, he was therefore deemed a bloody pest and a problem. Because of this, Ross was passed down the line and in fact was told to go home on leave. So, having got a leave pass, he begged a lift from a Navy Destroyer going back to the UK.
Persuading the MPs in Portsmouth he was not a deserter, and he had a pass to prove it, Ross eventually arrived home after several days.
His wife explains that at this time that, she, the newly Widowed Mrs Webb, who had received the telegram telling her of her husbands death, opened the door to a knock only to find Ross standing there - and she promptly fainted!