WEBSTER, Lt Col Derek (1898-1983)

Scope and Content

Papers, 1938-1983, mostly concerning the Hollerith (prototype computer) and the Army Statistics Club, including printed booklet entitled 'The Inns of Court Regiment (the Devil's Own)', 1938; newspaper cuttings and obituaries, 1944-1983, with nine photographs relating to Webster's Army career, notably photographs of 25 pounder gun and crew [1944]; printed volume entitled 'Administrative history of 21 Army Group, 6 Jun 1944-8 May 1945' (Restricted publication, 1945); eight typescript editions of 'The Bulletin of the Stats Club', 1949-1953, with related administrative correspondence, 1946-1979; two editions of The Tabulator. A journal devoted to Hollerith electrical punched card accounting, 1953 and 1958; edition of 'The history of 353 (London) Medium Regt RA (TA), 1861-1961' by Maj B J Grimwood, Col John Ewart Marnham and Lt Col E H Beasley [1962].

Administrative / Biographical History

Born 1898; educated at Berkhamsted School, Hertfordshire; served in World War One, 1914-1918; served with Inns of Court Regt, Officer Training Corps, Territorial Force, 1915-1917; commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery, Territorial Force, and served on Western Front, 1917-1918; Lt, 1919; service with 65 (8 London) Howitzer Bde, Territorial Army, 1920-1924; qualified as chartered accountant, 1922; freeman, City of London, 1922; established Derek Webster and Company, Chartered Accountants, 1923; Inns of Court Regt, Territorial Army, 1924-1928; served World War Two, 1939-1945; Capt, 1939; served with 53 (London) Medium Regt, Royal Artillery, British Expeditionary Force, France, 1939-1940; evacuated from Dunkirk, 1940; commanded 210 Battery, 53 (London) Medium Regt, Royal Artillery, 1940-1941; on staff, South Eastern Command, 1942-1943; Chief Statistical Officer, Headquarters, 21 Army Group, 1943-1945; Maj, 1944; retired from Army, 1946; Hon Lt Col, 1946; Honorary Treasurer, St Marylebone Conservative Association, 1946-1948; Vice Chairman, Fulham and Kensington Group Hospital Management Committee, 1948-1952; London County Councilor, 1949-1952; Honorary Treasurer, Hemel Hempstead Constituency Conservative and Unionist Association, 1950-1955; Justice of the Peace for Hertfordshire, 1956; Honorary Treasurer, National Fund for Research into Crippling Diseases, 1966; retired, 1976; died 1983.

Arrangement

2 files, 1 volume.

Access Information

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.

Acquisition Information

Presented to the Centre by the family in 1985.

Other Finding Aids

Summary guide available on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and in hard copy in the Centre's reading room.

Conditions Governing Use

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archive Services.

Corporate Names