Jeroen Webb Jeroen Webb was a Human male native of the planet Ralltiir who became a spy for the local Ralltiir underground following the Imperial subjugation of his homeworld . Webb helped his close friend Pharl McQuarrie stage a diversionary raid on Ralltiir that allowed information concerning the Empire ' s first Death Star battlestation to reach Princess Leia Organa of the Rebel Alliance , culminating in the Death Star ' s eventual destruction at the Battle of Yavin . Three years later , Webb once more worked alongside McQuarrie at Echo Base , the Rebellion ' s High Command headquarters on the ice planet Hoth . Biography . Ralltiiri Rebel . Jeroen Webb hailed from the Core World Ralltiir . Following the Galactic Empire ' s subjugation of his homeworld three weeks before the Battle of Yavin , Webb joined the local Ralltiir underground as a spy in resistance of the Imperial occupation . After Webb ' s close friend Pharl McQuarrie fled Ralltiir to seek help from the Rebel Alliance , Webb ' s Rebel cell coincidentally soon came into possession of information concerning the Empire ' s new secret weapon , the first Death Star battlestation . Webb worked to help McQuarrie sneak back onto Ralltiir , past the Imperial blockade of the planet , to take command of the local resistance and stage a diversionary raid that allowed the Death Star information to reach Princess Leia Organa and the Rebel Alliance . Thanks in part to Webb ' s efforts , the Rebellion went on to capture the battlestation ' s full technical schematics as part of Operation Skyhook , leading to the Death Star ' s eventual destruction at the Battle of Yavin . Service at Echo Base . Webb later served at the Alliance High Command headquarters of Echo Base on the ice planet Hoth . His new post once more had him working alongside Pharl McQuarrie , who was second - in - command to base commander General Carlist Rieekan . At Echo Base , Webb became one of the Rebels ' tauntaun handlers . In 3 ABY , just prior to the Battle of Hoth , Webb was present in Echo Base ' s tauntaun stable , conversing with another officer , the night Commander Luke Skywalker went missing during a routine scouting mission of the external Hoth perimeter . Webb watched as Han Solo disregarded the warnings of Captain Tigran Jamiro to take his own tauntaun out into the dangerously cold Hoth night in search of Skywalker . Personality and traits . Jeroen Webb was a skilled starship pilot when he joined the Rebel Alliance . He was also a close friend of fellow Ralltiir native Pharl McQuarrie , one of their homeworld ' s respected military advisors prior to the Imperial occupation of the planet . A Human , Webb had blue eyes and light skin . Equipment . During the night Han Solo departed Echo Base to search for the missing Luke Skywalker , Webb donned the field - soldier variant of the Rebels ' standard cold - weather armor , including headgear , anti - glare goggles , scarf , padded vest , thermal flak jacket , gloves , belt , leggings , and boots . His equipment also included binoculars . Behind the scenes . Jeroen Webb appeared in the 1980 film . He stands in during the scene in which Han Solo departs Echo Base on a tauntaun to search for the missing Luke Skywalker . actor Norwich Duff portrayed Webb in the film , credited only as one of several " Other Officers " in the Rebel Forces . The character was first named and given a brief backstory on the " Jeroen Webb " card as part of the November 1996 " Hoth Limited " expansion set of the " Star Wars " Customizable Card Game . An image of Jeroen Webb appears on the packaging for the " Rebel Commander " action figure , released in 1980 as part of Kenner ' s original . However , the actual action figure , complete with a mustache , is based on Hoth Rebel officer Colonel Ledick Firest , according to author Stephen J . Sansweet in " " . Some in the online " Star Wars " fan community have linked the Jeroen Webb character to actor Treat Williams , who visited the Elstree Studios set in during the 1979 filming of " The Empire Strikes Back " and reportedly appears in the film as a Rebel officer extra during the Echo Base scenes . However , the 2010 behind - the - scenes book " The Making of The Empire Strikes Back " confirms that actor Norwich Duff portrayed Webb .