Year of birth: 1894

Place of birth: Alverstoke, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom

Profession: Undertaker

Country: England, United Kingdom

Force: British Expeditionary Force

Rank: Private

Service number: 281312

Units:  —  Hampshire Regiment, 5th Bn. attd. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 8th Bn.  (Attached)

Date of death: 16/08/1917

Place of death: Borry Farm, Zonnebeke, Belgium

Cause of death: Missing in action

Age: 23

British War Medal Medal

Victory Medal Medal

On the 16th of August the 49th Brigade (16th Division) attacked with the 8th Battalion Inniskilling Fusiliers on the right and the 7th Battalion Inniskilling Fusiliers on the left. On zero hour of the 16th of August the 49th Brigade advanced towards the German strongholds Beck House and Borry Farm, which contained German pillboxes. The 8th Battalion Inniskilling Fusiliers were held up by machinegun fire about 200 yards west of Borry Farm causing very heavy casualties. They advanced another 100 yards and were then completely held up. C company again made an attempt to take Borry Farm. This was unsuccessful and C company had to take cover in the shell holes about 100 yards west of Borry Farm, where they held their position. Private Osborn probably fell in the attempt to take Borry farm near the Frezenberg Ridge.

8 Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (The National Archives, Kew (TNA),WO 95/1977/3). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Further reference

Fox F., The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in The World War (Uckfield, The Naval & Military Press LTD, 2009). Sources used

McCarthy Chris., Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account (London, Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018). Sources used

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1635740

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=8abfa7d7-240f-4128-b7e0-cb8c294b6829

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/3340970