Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Private Webster was killed in Brisbane during the riots between Australian and American service personnel on 26 November 1942. During the riots, since called 'the Battle of Brisbane', Private Webster was accidently shot by an American Military Policemen, Private Norbert Grant, when Webster tried to disarm the American by grabbing the barrel of the weapon while another Australian soldier grabbed his neck. The riots started almost spontaneously due to tensions between American and Australian service personnel in Australia during World War Two. Within hours several American operated building in central Brisbane were under siege by Australian soldiers and thus American MP's were armed in order to protect the buildings from being overrun. It was during this time that Private Webster was killed, while scores of Australian's and American's were injured during the rest of the evening and into the next day.

Private Grant, the American MP faced a court of inquiry but all possible charges were dropped when the court found that Grant had acted in self defence. Private Webster, a veteran of the 2nd/2nd Anti Tank Regiment had already seen service in the Middle East when he died of his chest wounds instantly. He was taken to a Brisbane Hospital shortly after being shot where he was officially pronounced dead.

The event was heavily censored and it was only until after the war that the public heard the truth of the Battle of Brisbane. Now days the battle is infamous and many articles and several books have been written on the riots. The reader is directed to these sources for more information on the Battle of Brisbane.