kemp52 Posted 2 August , 2019 Share Posted 2 August , 2019 Hello All ,I am trying to locate the records of a certain Soldier ,William James George Osborn ,born 1898 in Aldbourne Wiltshire. England . It is said that he lied about his age to enter the Great War and that he may have been in a Cavalry Regiment as family history says his Horse was shot from under him and he went on to win the Military Cross ? His employment in 1911 was a Ploughboy so he had experience of Horses . I would be most grateful if you could find anything that would piece together this family story . Best Wishes ,Andy Kemp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 2 August , 2019 Share Posted 2 August , 2019 Hi Andy, He doesn't appear to have a MC index card in this free download. Do you have access to his medals? Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 He was not commissioned as " William James George Osborn " So if he were to have been commissioned it would have had to have been using only one or two of his christian names, which gives a lot of searching to do, and even at arriving at an answer would not necessarily be conclusive that it was your man And as far as I can see he was not Gazetted out as "Osborn M.C" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 He is in London Gazette with an job as a Postman in late 1930s, and in 1939 Register, living in Bournemouth - wife Violet and he is a postman Do you have his 1919 marriage cert, and if so what does it give as his occupation, he may still have been a soldier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kemp52 Posted 3 August , 2019 Author Share Posted 3 August , 2019 Hello All , thankyou for your replies. I will try to locate his marriage Certificate. He certainly lived in Bournemouth in later years ,I am also wondering as to why he was in the London Gazette in the late 1930s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 4 minutes ago, kemp52 said: I am also wondering as to why he was in the London Gazette in the late 1930s? See London Gazette - click Basically he got a job as a postman, and they put these things in LG in those days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 Andy Where have his details come from? Family, a memorial, a newspaper report? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadbrewer Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 (edited) 17 hours ago, kemp52 said: Hello All ,I am trying to locate the records of a certain Soldier ,William James George Osborn ,born 1898 in Aldbourne Wiltshire. England . It is said that he lied about his age to enter the Great War and that he may have been in a Cavalry Regiment as family history says his Horse was shot from under him and he went on to win the Military Cross ? His employment in 1911 was a Ploughboy so he had experience of Horses . I would be most grateful if you could find anything that would piece together this family story . Best Wishes ,Andy Kemp. Hi Andy Be careful about family stories that have come down through the generations...I know from doing my own family history the stories can differ widely and disappointingly from documented evidence. Please don't think I am demeaning him, but my first though is that it is highly unlikely a plough boy enlisting under age would have risen through the ranks to be a Warrant Officer or above even by the time the war ended...it may not be impossible, but highly unlikely. There may well be an interesting story to be found, but I doubt a Military Cross is involved. He seems to have married Violet Crew in 1919....interestingly they may have sailed to Malta in 1924...do you know anything about that? Edited 3 August , 2019 by sadbrewer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 How about the Military Medal? No exact matches under Osborn, but a few Williams, Jameses and Georges under Osborne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kemp52 Posted 3 August , 2019 Author Share Posted 3 August , 2019 This information has trickled down by family say so stories etc.. it not appears from todays family chats that the Medal was not the Military Cross as first thought but the DCM It also appears that he served after the Great War and also in India as Sgt Major ,Colour Sgt or something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 (edited) We are getting somewhere now Ancestry has a searchable list of DCM and under Osborn View Record W.H.M. Osborn 11 Mar 1920 6045 East Surrey Regiment Camberwell View Record W. Osborn 4 Mar 1918 16678 Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire) Regiment Aldbourn View Record F.L. Osborn 26 Jan 1918 28370 Northamptonshire Regiment Olney Edited 3 August , 2019 by corisande Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 And his MIC shows that he also serve in Dorsetshire Regt Medal card of Osborn, William Corps Regiment No Rank Royal Berkshire Regiment 16678 Private Dorsetshire Regiment 47172 Private Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kemp52 Posted 3 August , 2019 Author Share Posted 3 August , 2019 Gosh ,thankyou ever so much for your time and effort . Wow . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 I don't know if you are aware, but you can get his post 1920 service record from MOD. Costs £30 and you fill in a form. Then wait , and wait. The details are on this link - click for Ministry of Defence Service Records Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kemp52 Posted 3 August , 2019 Author Share Posted 3 August , 2019 That is a great idea and it will be worth the wait. Meanwhile do you think he was in the Dorset Regiment after the 2/4th Royal Berks? Have you any idea as to where the 2/4th were on 4/10/18 I am thinking perhaps St Quentin? I cant seem to find the Medal Card that shows his medals so I presume it would be DCM,14 Star, British War Medal and Victory medal ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 26 minutes ago, kemp52 said: I cant seem to find the Medal Card that shows his medals so I presume it would be DCM,14 Star, British War Medal and Victory medal ? Ancestry have it on click It is on TNA at click The Medal Roll on Ancestry - click - shows he was in 2nd Berks and 2/4 Berks before the Dorsets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 Can't see an Osborn b1898 that fits in the MOD Post 1920 index. There's a WS, DOB 14/11/1898 S/N 6336059 W, DOB 1897-07-26 S/N 1952396 (RE) WG, DOB 1899-03-18 S/N 410316/23 & HJ, DOB 1898-04-20, S/N 1459805 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolymoleyRE Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 (edited) https://www.thewardrobe.org.uk/collection/detail?id=26884&name= Osborn I will check the WD as the Op order l/report should be in it. Doesn't seem to be in the right place on the Ancestry version, has the Op order for the 9th September 1917, but none before. Andy Edited 3 August , 2019 by HolymoleyRE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 The 1939 Register has his DOB as 11 Mar 1897 (mind you it is not always correct) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 (edited) Having found his baptism record, 1898 looks more likely than 1897 I debated as to whether I should give you this , as you are probably unaware that he was illegitimate. But unless you know that it is impossible to work out your genealogy Part of the thing on Genealogy is that you never know what you are going to find, until you start looking And there is an Ancestry Tree - click - with some info on Ann Elizabeth Osborn(e). You do need to check Ancestry trees as many are wrong. But a quick check by me showed that it was OK Edited 3 August , 2019 by corisande Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collectorsguide Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 OSBORNE W pte 16678 2/4TH R BERKS REGT DCM L/GAZ :4.3.18. FOR ACTS OF GALLANTRY DURING A RAID EAST OF ARRAS ON 24.10.17.(PROBABLY AT GREENLAND HILL ?) HOME TOWN :ALDBOURN WILTS. (info from Annotated DCM Roll) best w, Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolymoleyRE Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 28 minutes ago, collectorsguide said: OSBORNE W pte 16678 2/4TH R BERKS REGT DCM L/GAZ :4.3.18. FOR ACTS OF GALLANTRY DURING A RAID EAST OF ARRAS ON 24.10.17.(PROBABLY AT GREENLAND HILL ?) HOME TOWN :ALDBOURN WILTS. (info from Annotated DCM Roll) best w, Howard Howard, Nice to see the Regimental Museum had the wrong info indicating it was in September... Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolymoleyRE Posted 3 August , 2019 Share Posted 3 August , 2019 WD for that period on National Archives https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14056204 On Ancestry https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/60779/43849_3065_0-00000?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return#?imageId=43849_3065_0-00321 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kemp52 Posted 4 August , 2019 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2019 Thank you everyone at the Great War Forum for such a fantastic response to my enquiry .The information received is wonderful. I was aware that the Soldier concerned was illegitimate as it seems no father was on the Birth Certificate . However this Soldier seems to have a really good record of service not to mention the DCM and ive discovered today that someone who can remember his medals says it had an Oak leak <Mentioned in Despatches> would that have been also for the raid in Arras Greenland Trench. I shall send away for the full Army Record and inform you of any other interesting items of info . I understand it will take 6 weeks plus . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 4 August , 2019 Share Posted 4 August , 2019 Another reason to get his Marriage Cert is that that asks for father. He may or may not have put a clue in his answer there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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