OSBORN Horace
Private 2345 13th London Regiment
Killed In Action 9th of May 1915
AGE 19.
Son of Mary Jane Osborn of 28 West Park Avenue, Kew, Surrey and the late James Osborn.
Horace Osborn was born on the 27th of January 1895 and baptised on the 16th of February at St Luke Chelsea. He was the son of James and Mary Jane nee Lloyd. Horace’s father’s employment on his baptismal record was given as greengrocer. Horace was the youngest of eight children born to this couple. All the children survived into adulthood.
James Osborn died in 1900 at the age of 39 leaving his widow Mary Jane to bring up the eight children on her own. On the 1901census the family are living at 4, St Georges Street, Battersea. Horace is aged five. His mother is employed as a char lady and one older sister at the age of 14 is employed as an apprentice to a tailor. Two other families are living at the same address.
Horace was admitted to Beechholme on the 31st of July 1901 having been passed from Clapham Union. His parents had previously resided in Chelsea for eight years. The Poor Law records state that his mother, a widow, was living in Battersea and gives her as his next of kin. There is no apparent discharge for him from the school within the time frame that these records cover.
On the 1911 census Horace aged 15 is employed as a law clerk and is living with his mother at 10 Bramerton Street in Chelsea.
Horace enlisted in Kensington, sadly his army service records have not survived, but his date of entry on his medal index card is given as the 11th of February 1915. The 13th County of London Battalion was known as Princess Louise’s Kensington Battalion by army order 408. They moved on mobilisation to Abbots Langley. On the 4th of November 1914 they landed at Le Havre and on the 13th of the same month they came under the command of the 25th brigade in the 8th division.
After the sweep of the German advance across Belgium and northern France had been stemmed and the advance halted, the opposing lines of trenches and emplacements stretched from the Belgian coast through France. By 1915 the armies had become locked, opposing each other across the trench lines with combat restricted to raid and defend tactics. These, however brutal and fierce, were mainly punitive actions, grander British stratagems being restricted by a shortage of munitions, governed by restricted supplies and a lack of trained reserves. The stemming of the rapid advance of the German army had severely depleted the British Expeditionary Force – the small but highly trained regular and reserve army had incurred very heavy losses. Replacement battalions from the territorial forces had been hurriedly re-kitted, brought to readiness and shipped over to bolster the fragile front line. Additional reserves were formed by mobilising older retired soldiers and reservists, and home based battalions and part trained recruits were pressed into active service.
Such was the position of the British army at the time of the Aubers Ridge attack, before the battalions of the new army volunteers – Kitcheners Army – began to arrive at the front from mid 1915. In contrast the German army was highly trained and well organised.
The Battle of Aubers Ridge, supporting a larger French initiated offensive at Vimy, was the second of a linked trilogy of battles in the area following the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, while the Battle of Ypres continued a few miles to the north.
The Battle of Aubers Ridge took place on the 9th of May 1915 . The French army was to attack north of Arras and capture Vimy Ridge preparatory to an advance on CambraI and Douai. The British on the left flank was to attack on the same day and widen the gap in the German defences and to prevent the German troops from being moved south of La Bassee canal.Intelligence about the newly strengthened German positions was not available or not given sufficient attention. Trench layout, traffic flows and organisation behind the British front line did not allow for easy movement of reinforcements and casualties. British artillery equipment and ammunition were in poor condition.
9th May Northern Pincer
2.30 am. All units report that they are in position having assembled at night.
4.06 am. Sunrise and all very quiet on the front.
5.00 am British bombardment opens with field guns firing shrapnel at the German line and howitzers firing high explosive shells onto the front line. Many reports are received that British seven inch shells are falling short and even on and behind the British front line.
5.30 am British bombardment intensifies, field guns switch to heavy explosives and also fire at breastworks. The lead battalions of the assaulting brigades include the 1st Royal Irish Rifles and the 13th London. The 13th Londons move out on to the narrow No Man’s Land which is only between 100yards and 200 yards across.
5.40 am. Blowing up 2 mines, the lead companies of the Kensingtons rushed to occupy the craters and moved forward to capture Delangre Farm and then form a defensive flank as ordered.
6.10 am The support battalion sustained high casualties. The front and communication trenches are by now crowded and chaotic. German shelling adds to the confusion. Fire across No Man’s Land was so intense that forward movement was all but impossible. German prisoners making their way to the British lines were mistaken for a counter attack and there was a great deal of confusion.
By the evening the situation was far from promising for the Allies
8.30 am The attack had established 3 small lodgements in the enemy positions, but they were not in contact with each other and were under tremendous pressure. Otherwise the attack had come to a standstill and all movement in and out of the trench system had become impossible.
8.45 am and again at 11.45 am Haig orders the attack to be vigorously pressed home .
1.30 pm A renewed attack did not take place as troops heavily shelled in the assembly area. Many casualties suffered.
5.00 pm. General Haig on hearing of the failure of the southern attack and the held up position of the northern attack orders a bayonet attack at 8pm.
6pm Such chaos in the trenches and fresh units unready for 8pm attack.
7.30 pm Taking advantage of night to reorganise.
10th May 9.00 am The army commanders learn that there is insufficient artillery ammunition to continue attacks.
10th May 3.00 pm The last remaining Kensingtons returned from their position. All British troops now out of the German lines.
The battle was an unmitigated disaster for the British army. No ground was won and no tactical advantage won.
In one single day of fighting the British army had lost 11,000 men dead, wounded or lost in action.
The legatees of Horace's will were his mother and two brothers William and James.
GRAVE REF :- PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL PANEL 10.
Ploegsteert Memorial stands in Berks cemetery extension and is situated 12.5 kilometers south of Ieper town centre.
It commemorates more than 11,000 men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in this sector during the First World War and who have no known grave.
Note : Horace's brother survived the war.
An older sister called her firstborn son Horace. |
