Name
Arthur (Ted) Hamilton Osborne
6 November 1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/08/1915
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
880
Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
GREEN HILL CEMETERY
II. F. 26.
Turkey (including Gallipoli)
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, Aylesbury Town Memorial, Bucks
Pre War
Arthur (known as Ted) Hamilton Osborne was born on 6 November 1894 in Stoke Newington, the eldest son of Arthur and Alice Osborne, and baptised at St Mary, Stoke Newington on 25 November 1894. At the time they were living at 17 Woodlea Road and his father was working as a Sorter at the Post Office.
The family had moved to Aylesbury by 1897 when his younger brother Reginald was born. but on the 1901 Census Ted was living with his widowed grandmother Eliza Osborne at Crescent Road, Hemel Hempstead. His parents and brother remained in Aylesbury where his father was working as a Sorting Clerk and Telegrapher. His grandmother died in 1910 and he returned to live with his parents.
By the 1911 Census, the family were living at 42 Wendover Road, Aylesbury, Bucks and Arthur was working as a Drapery Apprentice.
He was a former member of Boxmoor Boy Scouts and prior to enlistment had been employed as a clerk with Drapers’ Mutual Insurance Society, London.
Wartime Service
Ted had enlisted in the Territorial Force with the Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry in 1912 when he was eighteen. At the outbreak of war he was called up as a reservist, enlisting at Aylesbury, and volunteered for overseas service, but initially was posted to the 1/1st Battalion, Royal Buckinghamshire Regiment, which then joined the Hussars (Mounted Division) and moved to Norfolk on coastal defence duties.
In Spring 1915 the Division was mobilised and sent to Egypt, arriving at Alexandria on 21 April, moving on to Cairo in May.
They were then transported to Gallipoli and landed at Suvla Bay on 18 August, advancing to Chocolate Hill two days later. They saw action in the attack on Scimitar Hill which proved to be a costly failure.
Ted was killed in action by shrapnel in a dug-out at Chocolate Hill, Turkey on 28 August 1915, age 20. He is buried at Green Hill Cemetery, Turkey (Gallipoli).
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £3 10s and pay owing of £4 5s. His younger brother Reginald served with the Royal Engineers in the war and was demobbed in 1919. His father had served with the Territorial Force in the Signal Company Royal Engineers from 1908. He also served in war reaching the rank of Sergeant and demobbed in 1919.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelheroes.com.
