Reading Out Loud
Focused Elements:
You can have these explanations read out loud by clicking on 'Speak Explanation' (access key 'a')
These controls are to provide alternative means of accessing the information on this page. Two main facilities are provided: adjusting the text size and listening to the text on the page.
1) Adjusting Text Size:
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2) Listening to the Text
You can adjust the pitch of the spoken word, the rate or speed of delivery and the volume. You can also choose the voice to use by clicking on the drop-down list. The default voice is whatever is the standard for the computer and browser you are using.
To set your default, please refer to the description in the Accessibility Statement.
There are normally three sections of text on the page that you can listen to: the headings, the main text and a selection. Click on 'Speak Headings to speak the page headings (access key 'l'). Click on 'Speak Main Text' (access key 'q') to listen to the main text.
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You can pause the audio by clicking on 'Pause' (access key 'r') and resume by clicking on 'Resume' (access key 't').
To cancel or stop the audio click on 'Cancel' (access key 'y'). To restart the current audio from the beginning, click on 'Restart' (access key 'k').
To hide the accessibility controls click on 'Hide Panel' (access key 'h')
To hide this explanation click on 'Hide Explanation' (access key 'x')
Widecombe-in-the-Moor
Those who served in the Royal Navy in WW2 - Leslie Webb
Back to the Royal Navy Front Sheet
Leslie Austin Webb
Born at Vitifer Mine at Birch Tor on 30th September 1903 to Parents: Father James Webb, Mother: Florence Kate Coaker.
On the 1911 census Leslie is listed as having 3 brothers: James, Thomas Redvers, and Vernon Ralph. Leslie attended Lydford school from 1908 and left in 1917. After leaving school Leslie worked as a tin miner.
In September 1921 Leslie enlisted in the Royal Navy signing on for 12 years, which he extended by a further 6 years.
He married Daisy K Routledge in Tavistock in 1929
At the outbreak of war in 1939 Leslie was serving as a Petty Officer Stoker aboard HMS Gloucester. He remained with Gloucester until 1942 when he transferred to the newly built Hunt-class destroyer HMS Holcombe.
On 12th December 1943 HMS Holcombe was deployed as part of the escort to convoy KMS 34 (recorded as a “slow moving convoy”) comprising 96 merchant vessels sailing east through the Mediterranean. On this day Holcombe’s sister ship HMS Tynedale was torpedoed and sunk off Jijel, Algieria by U-Boat U-593. The remaining escort vessels commenced to search for the U-Boat. During the search HMS Holcombe was also torpedoed and sank rapidly with the loss of 81 men out of a crew of 168.
Leslie Austin Webb was one of those lost.
Another escort vessel U.S.S. Wainwright rescued the remaining 87 of Holcombe’s crew. U-Boat 593 was sunk the following day by U.S.S Wainwright and HMS Calpe.
Leslie Austin Webb is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
Leslie Webb in Pictures
Click on an image for a larger view
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments are shown alongside each photograph above.
The information on this page was last modified on September 01 2020 16:28:41.