In 1935, he was nominated as one of six riders to represent Australia at the Jubilee carnivals in England, in the Paris-Brest-Paris 720 mile race and in the Tour de France but was forced to decline the offer owing to the expense of such a trip. This was the first time a Tasmanian was chosen to represent Australia. In 1936, Keith sustained serious injury after a collision in the Austral Wheel Race at the Melbourne Olympic Park. He was hospitalised for several weeks and resumed cycling four months later. Keith was determined to get back into shape to compete in the Warrnambool to Melbourne race, which he achieved. He competed in the same race in the following year and came in third.
When the war came, Keith joined the 2/11 Armoured Car Regiment intended to be deployed to the Middle East. However, with the threat of a Japanese invasion after the fall of Malaya, Singapore and Hong Kong, the regiment remained on Australian soil in a defensive role. The unit was disbanded in 1944 without ever seeing action. Shortly after, Keith was discharged as medically unfit.
After the war, Kevin became a cycle and motorcycle retailer at Wollongong. In 1949, he and his wife moved to Nowra where Keith became a filteration plant operator for the Shire Council. He remained in Nowra until 1954 whereafter there are no further traces of him. His wife continued to reside at Nowra until she passed away in 1970. Keith published a book entitled Aussie Attack: Road and Track Cycle Manual, which to this day is still popular with cycling enthusiasts. Keith was the son of Amy Gale and Charles Frederick Webb born at Elliott in 1914.
1 Comment
JEFF PEIRCE
25/1/2020 08:28:00
I remained a close personal friend with Keith WEBB from 1986-1988 when we worked together in coaching Logan City Cycling Club in Queensland and wrote/published the Aussie Attack Cycle Racing and Training Manual. A very smart and dedicated man who remained a dear friend of Sir Hubert Opperman, with whom he communicated until his death. It was tragic that the best years of his Cycling career were denied due to the 1939-1945 Second World War.
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
HELLOThanks for checking in and welcome to my adventure Follow in Facebook to receive the latest updates
Archives
September 2020
Categories
All
worth watching |
|