PROMOTING THE HISTORY AND ARCHIVES OF MT COMPASS
Webster, Laurie
Laurence Dudley Webster (Rank: Corporal)
Laurie was born on 2nd April 1923 at Blythe Public Hospital to parents Eric Ivan Webster and Annie L
Webster (nee Aird). His name is spelt as both Laurence and Lawrence on various documents.
He initially enlisted on 10th October 1941 with the Citizen Military Force (CMF) as an 18 year old tractor driver and farmhand from Mt Compass. Laurie joined on a part time basis but by the end of January 1942 his file is marked as “called up and commenced full time duty”. Laurie was graded as a driver mechanic but had been redesignated as a Group 1 Fitter by the time he was sent to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea (Oct 1942).
This followed his transferring across to the AIF on 9th July 1942, at the age of nineteen. Private L D Webster was promoted to Corporal on the 16th November of that year.
Corporal Webster was granted emergency (seasonal) leave without pay for June to September in 1943. This saw him transferred from Port Moresby to Townsville from where he presumably returned home to help on the farm. He did announce his engagement to Ruth Mavis Dowell of Mt Compass during this period (September 1943).
Laurie was then discharged on 25th January 1944 with the reason recorded as “Return to Industry (Rural)”, following his 755 days of service. (Other soldiers from this district were also sent home early to help combat the labour shortage on farms.) His confirmation of discharge form shows that Laurie was issued with a new suit, given an x-ray, then “demobbed.”
He married Ruth, the twin daughter of Alexander & Edna Dowell (nee Peters) on 3rd May 1944 at the Pirie Street Methodist Church. The couple lived in South Plympton, where they raised five children, Allan, Michael, Dennis, Patricia & Sandra.
Laurie worked at a service station that he managed with his father Eric, on the corner of South & Cross Roads. They also owned the ‘fig-tree service station’ on the corner of South Road and Price Street.
Years later when the Service Stations were sub-let, Laurie worked at Adelaide Airport as a traffic clerk for TAA.
Laurie passed away in 2006 and was buried at Centennial Park Cemetery, joining Ruth who was also buried there after she passed in 1995.
References: Allan Webster, Army Service Records, trove.nla.gov.au
