Webber Previously Reported Missing;
Both Men Served With Infantry Units;
Total Norwood War Dead Stands At 37
Pvt. Horace G. Webber, 34, previously reported missing, and Pvt. Thomas Elias, 31, both Infantry soldiers, have been killed in action in Germany, according to word received from the War Department by their next of kin.
Pvt. Webber, who was one of five brothers in the service, two of whom have been wounded in battle, met death in Germany on November 18th, the War Department notified his wife. Mrs. Margaret Webber, in a telegram received at her home at 32 Melville avenue yesterday afternoon. A previous telegram received by Mrs. Webber two weeks ago informed her that her husband was missing following action on German soil.
Pvt. Elias lost his life in Germany on December 1st. He was the son of Mr. Louis Thomas of 1103 Washington street, Norwood, and the husband of Mrs. Jacqueline (Peters) Elias of 3 Sumner street, Dedham.
Pvt. Webber, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Webber of 286 Railroad avenue, entered the service a year ago and received his training at Camp Eustis, Va., and left for overseas six months ago. He fought in France and Germany with Company F of the 117th Infantry.
Pvt. Webber attended the local schools and prior to entering the service was employed at Bird and Son. He was married to the former Margaret Maguire of Hyde Park.
WOUNDED BROTHER HOME
A brother, Pfc. Russell H. Webber. a fleet Marine, was wounded in the Palau invasion and is now home on furlough from a hospital in San Diego. Cal. Another brother. T/Sgt. Edgar F. Webber, a veteran of 50 missions as an aerial engineer and gunner on a Liberator bomber in the Mediterranean theatre was wounded in action over Italy some lime ago. He is now back in the States and is stationed in Tennessee.
Other brothers are Sgt. Preston J. Webber, who is serving with the amphibious engineers in New Guinea: Pvt. Kenneth Webber, who is stationed at the Naval Ammunition Depot at Crane Island, Ind., and Elliott Webber of Norwood.
Pvt Webber also leaves two sisters, Mrs. George Duley of 83 Washington street. East Walpole, and Mrs. Charles Smith of Abington.
GRADUATE OF NORWOOD HIGH
Pvt. Elias attended Norwood schools and lived in Norwood all his life until two years before he entered the service when he and his wife moved to Dedham. He was a graduate of Norwood High, class of ’32.
Pvt. Elias entered the service in August, 1943 and received his basic training at a Commando Base in New Orleans, La. Three months after he entered the service he was sent to England, and remained there until a month ago when he was sent into action on the Western front.
He was married nine years ago to Jacqueline Peters of Boston. They had no children.
Mrs. Elias received a letter from her husband only last Saturday.
Pvt. Elias has one brother, Howard, who lives at 1103 Washington street with his father and is employed at Bird & Sons. Pvt. Elias was also employed at Bird’s before entering the service.
The deaths in action of the two soldiers raise to 37 the number of local servicemen who have lost their lives in this war.