A Collection of Medals to the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiments
515
An impressive Great War M.C. group of ten awarded to Major & Quarter-Master F. H. Osborne, Bedfordshire
Regiment
MILITARY CROSS, G.V.R., the reverse privately engraved, ‘Presented by H.M. King George V at Buckingham Palace, Dec.
9th 1916 to R.Q.M.S. F. H. Osborne, The Bedfordshire Regiment’; QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape
Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1902 (6887 Pte. F. Osborne, Bedford Regt.); 1914 STAR, WITH CLASP (6887 C.Q.M.
Sjt. F. Osborne, 2/Bedf. R.); BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS, M.I.D. oakleaf (6887 W.O. Cl. II F. Osborne, Bedf. R.);
DEFENCE AND WAR MEDALS 1939-45; JUBILEE 1935; CORONATION 1937, privately engraved, ‘Maj. & Qr. Mr. F. H. Osborne,
Bedfs. & Herts. R.’; ARMY L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (6887 R.Q.M. Sjt. F. Osborne, M.C., Bedf. R.), mounted court-style, the
second with contact marks, edge bruising and polished, good fine, the remainder generally very fine and better (10)
£1200-1500
M.C. London Gazette 19 August 1916:
‘For conspicuous and consistent gallantry and good work throughout the
campaign, notably when he went in advance of the Brigade ration carriers under
very heavy fire, and saved many casualties by his skilful direction.’
Frederick Henry Osborne, who was born in November 1882, enlisted in the 3rd
(Militia) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment in November 1899 and transferred to
the Regulars in January 1901, quickly witnessing active service in South Africa
with the 2nd Battalion. Between then and the Great War, he held appointments
in Bermuda and Gibraltar and gained advancement to Company Quarter-Master
Sergeant, in which rank he was embarked for France with the 2nd Battalion in
mid-October 1914 - subsequently engaged in heavy fighting around Gheluvelt,
the Battalion was reduced in strength to four officers and around 350-400 other
ranks by the end of the month.
Advanced to Regimental Quarter-Master Sergeant in the following year, Osborne
remained on active service in France and Belgium until September 1918,
winning his M.C. shortly before the Somme offensive of July 1916. During the
latter operations, the 2nd Battalion acted in support of the attack on Montauban
on the 1st, in addition to several other attacks in the period leading up to late
October, fighting that resulted in nearly 700 casualties. Also mentioned in
despatches (London Gazette 19 August 1916, refers), Osborne was
commissioned as a Quarter-Master in 1919.
Between the Wars, up until his retirement in November 1937, he served out in
India and Iraq, and was advanced to Captain & Q.M. on his return to the U.K. in
1927 - his advancement to Major & Q.M. being gazetted in the year of his
retirement; the Bedfordshires regimental journal, The Wasp, also confirms his
Jubilee and Coronation awards.
www.dnw.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236 |
Page 237 |
Page 238 |
Page 239 |
Page 240 |
Page 241 |
Page 242 |
Page 243 |
Page 244 |
Page 245 |
Page 246 |
Page 247 |
Page 248 |
Page 249 |
Page 250 |
Page 251 |
Page 252 |
Page 253 |
Page 254 |
Page 255 |
Page 256 |
Page 257 |
Page 258 |
Page 259 |
Page 260 |
Page 261 |
Page 262 |
Page 263 |
Page 264 |
Page 265 |
Page 266 |
Page 267 |
Page 268 |
Page 269 |
Page 270 |
Page 271 |
Page 272 |
Page 273 |
Page 274 |
Page 275 |
Page 276 |
Page 277 |
Page 278 |
Page 279 |
Page 280 |
Page 281 |
Page 282 |
Page 283 |
Page 284 |
Page 285