Rod Webb – A much missed museum volunteer

Dr Roderick Webb

1951 – 2024

Rod was a valued and much-respected volunteer for Bawdsey Radar Trust since the museum opened in 2018. The Trustees and volunteers are very grateful for Rod’s commitment, interest and dedication. We send our heartfelt condolences to Jenny, Robin and John and their partners, Anja and Emily.

Rod’s immense engineering and scientific knowledge was warmly appreciated by fellow volunteers and by the many visitors who enjoyed Rod’s help and guidance on their visit.

His gentleness, warmth and kindness meant everyone warmed to Rod instantly. He had that rare ability of explaining tricky concepts easily and accessibly with great humour and enthusiasm.

Rod was the very definition of a polymath. Sailor, pilot, engineer, research scientist, photographer, mountain climber, chess player,  intrepid cyclist. The list goes on.

Poetry was beautifully woven through Rod’s funeral service including this poem ‘High Flight’ by John Gillespie Magee, a young WW2 Spitfire pilot. The poem bears reproducing, chosen as it was, in honour of Rod, who celebrated his 70^th birthday with a ride in a Spitfire.

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

of sun-split clouds,—and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air….

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or even eagle flew—

And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

Fair winds and following seas Rod.