Name
Stephen Harold Osborne (poss Osbrne) (DCM)
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/10/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Serjeant
265405
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Distinguished Conduct Medal
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT CEMETERY
LV. C. 24.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hatfield Town Memorial, Hatfield In Memoriam Book, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, Margaret Road School Memorial, Chipping Barnet
Pre War
Stephen was the son of Frederick A and Mary A Osborn(e)
In the 1891 Census, Stephen was 2 and living with parents and siblings at 412 Ashford Villas, Barnet. His father was a postman. By 1901 the family had moved to 3 Henry Place, Barnet. His father was now a bookmaker/shopkeeper (employer).
Stephen married Eva Agnes Warner early in 1910.
In the 1911 Census Stephen and Eva were living at 22, Union Lane, Hatfield. In the house of Joseph Collarbone, aged 83, and listed as a general labourer. Confusingly Steven is listed as grandson and Eva as granddaughter. It seems that they had had a child, but it had died. Stephen was working as a general labourer
Eva’s grandfather. Stephen’s parents & siblings are also now living in Hatfield, at Higgs Cottages, Newtown, Hatfield.
Officially recorded as born in New Barnet, Herts. and was living in Hatfield when he enlisted there.
Wartime Service
Stephen was already in the Hertfordshire Territorials as Private 2358 (later renumbered to 265405). They were mobilised for Home service when war was declared, but as he went to France on the %th November 1914, he must have volunteered for overseas service. Later he was promoted to sergeant.
He fought in the Battle of Ypres and took part in other important engagements, including those on the Somme and at Ypres, Passchendaele and St Julien. He was awarded the D.C.M. for conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in the field at St Julien in July 1917(*1). He was killed in action on Oct. 28th 1917 in the 3rd Battle of Ypres.
The Bishop’s Hatfield Parish Magazine of September 1914, in the first list of men mobilised from Hatfield, recorded: “Osborne, S. – Halls Yard – Territorials.” Then in November 1917: “We have the pleasure in announcing......that Sergeant Stephen Osborn, 1st Herts. Regt. has been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.” and finally in December 1917: “So shortly after announcing the honour gained be Sgt. Stephen Osborne, D.C.M., we have to announce his death as killed in action in France on October 31st. The following letters received by his widow bear out the testimony of his Officers, the opinion which his friends had long since formed of him:-
France, 6-11-17
“Dear Mrs Osborne,
It is with deep regret that I have to write this letter to you, but I feel it my duty to write on behalf of my comrades and self to express to you our heartfelt sympathy in your great loss. I have personally known Sergt. Osborne for the last three years and must say that I have never known a better Sergt. and comrade than he. I hope that is will be some small consolation to you to know that he died as he had lived doing his duty bravely with his face to the foe. We all miss him very much and I know everyone must do who had come in contact with him. As you must know he was thought of very highly of by every officer N.C.O. and man in the Regt. Trusting that God will be with you and comfort you in your great trouble. Believe me yours sincerely
G. Northrope, Compy. Sgt. Major, No 1 Company.
B.E.F., France. Nov 1
“Dear Mrs Osborne,
I write to you to extend to you the very deepest of my sympathy from the bottom of my heart in your great loss, namely your Husband who died from a wound from a machine gun on the night of Oct 28th. It is one of the greatest blows I have received since I have been our here, he was my Platoon Sergt. and was quite invaluable in his position, and his D.C.M. was earned many times over. I was not with him when he was hit I am sorry to say as I was not with my Platoon being in charge of the Company. Your Husband and I spent many hours together and he never failed in the lines or out of it and was Platoon Sgt., and I took more interest in his men as regards to their comfort and efficiency in every way. I always felt confident with the Platoon in his hands. What you must feel, as I do, is the hard luck after his long time out here, and I know what sorrow has come into his family since the war broke out.............No man could have died a finer death, your Husband did not suffer and died half an hour after his wound, and you can be assured everything in our power was done for him, and never a complaint came from his lips.
Yours sincerely
2nd Lieut. Hinchley, Herts. Regt.”
The Herts Advertiser dated 29th September 1917, reported under “Decorations for Hatfield Soldiers”:
“Mr & Mrs F Osborn of New Town have received news that their third son, Stephen, of the Herts. Reg. has been awarded the D C M for bravery in action at St Julien on July 31st. In a very modest letter to his parents telling them of his “luck”, he says. “When all the officers had fallen our wounded RSM handed over the remnants of the Battalion to me. I being the only Sgt left in the firing line at the time”. Osborn brought this gallant remnant back to safety. Sgt Osborn joined the Herts. Regiment in 1904 and went out with it in Nov. 1914 and has been in every engagement the regiment has fought and fortunately came through without a scratch.”
And then later on 10th November 1917, reported: “It is unofficially reported that Sgt S Osborne of the Herts. Regt. who was awarded the D C M for gallantry on Jul 31 has died from wounds in action on Tuesday of last week.”
Awarded the Victory Medal, British War Medal and 1914 Mons Star.
*1 St Julien
The 1st Hertfordshire Battalion were in support of an attack on the Langemarck Line and a general bombardment of the German lines commenced at 3.45am on the 31st July and the planned assault began. It had three objectives to achieve known as Blue, Black & Green and units of the 116th Brigade easily captured the first two objectives, preparing the way for the forward companies of the Hertfordshire battalion, to take the third objective.
They had marched from Vlamertingue to their assembly position arriving by midnight on the 30th/31st July 1917. A general bombardment of the German lines commenced at 3.45am on the 31st July. At 05.00am the Hertfordshires left their assembly positions to attack their objective, which lay over the crest of a ridge.
As they made their way forward, they came under heavy fire from both German machine guns and snipers but after eliminating a German strongpoint moved up towards St. Juliaan, which was only lightly held. The Battalion crossed the Steenbeek with some difficulty and two of its supporting Tanks became bogged down in the mud. Things then went from bad to worse. A pre-arranged artillery barrage never materialised due to the guns being unable to move forward over the muddy terrain and the German barbed wire defences, which were fifteen feet deep in some places, were found to still be intact. It was soon realised that ground could only be won by section "rushes" supported by the unit’s own fire.
The Cheshire Regiment were on the right of the battalion but the Black Watch, who were due to cover the left flank, had been seriously delayed. This left the Hertfordshire Regiment seriously exposed, the Germans exploited this by bringing a hurricane of fire down upon the stricken troops. This was followed by a German counterattack and by 10.30am it was clear that the objective could not be achieved. Casualties were very heavy with 459 men being killed, missing or wounded. This was 100% of its Officers and about 75% of its Other Ranks.
Additional Information
Hatfield Parish Council Souvenir, Committee Ledger: Mrs Osborn (widow) of Halls Yard, Hatfield received an “In Memoriam and Roll of Honour Album”.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Christine & Derek Martindale, Hatfield Local History Society (www.hatfieldhistory.uk)
