Harry Oliver Webster

Springfield Police Department — Springfield, MA

Illness

End of Watch September 30, 1918

Age 32

Tour of Duty 4 yrs 6 mo

The Vigil Panel 34 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 18

Incident

Patrolman Harry Webster died as a result of complications from influenza while performing his assigned duties during the Influenza Pandemic.

The city of Springfield, due to the overwhelming number of influenza cases and a shortage of doctors, worked in coordination with the Massachusetts Army National Guard and the MassMutual Insurance Company to create a temporary field hospital outside Springfield in Forrest Park, known as "Tent City," to treat victims of the influenza.

The Springfield Police Department had been tasked with enforcing local health laws to help prevent the spread of influenza, as well as performing their regular police duties.

Patrolman Webster served with the Springfield Police Department for more than four years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, and parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-B169BE84
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Harry. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Webster gave the Springfield Police Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Springfield community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Webster.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Springfield Police Department

Location Springfield, MA

Platform Identity spd.hampden.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 30, 1918

Tour of Duty 4 yrs 6 mo

Age 32

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Patrolman Harry Oliver Webster is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MA, 59 of 469 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 12.6% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.

At Springfield Police Department, 3 of 19 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 15.8% of this agency's fallen.

Springfield Police Department

of 19 officers

15.8% Illness

MA — Statewide

of 469 officers

12.6% Illness

Nationwide

2,974

of 32,508 officers

9.1% Illness