LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Edgar Thomas Leslie OSBORNE
Service No: 409272
Born: Benalla VIC, 18 September 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 July 1941
Unit: No. 198 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Manston
Died: Air Operations: (No. 198 Squadron Typhoon aircraft NP591), Netherlands, 2 September 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Bergen-op-Zoom, Canadian War Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Thomas Lowe Osborne and Eleanor Frances Osborne; husband of Heather Mary Osborne, of Goorambat, Victoria, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Brother of Flight Sergeant Ronald Henderson Osborne (418560)
On 2 September 1943, Typhoon NP591 in conjunction with 3 other aircraft from the Squadron took off from Manston and the formation attacked a group of shipping in the Westerschelde at about 1020 hours. Flight Sergeant Osborne successfully attacked a barge and then the aircraft was seen to dive on a tug from about 500 feet, firing as he went and scoring many hits. As the aircraft reached mast top height, Flying Officer Jones who was following Osborne into the attack saw NP591 flick over on its back, dive into the water and break up. A Missing Research and Enquiry team reported that “Flight Sergeant Osborne’s body was washed ashore at Rilland-Bath situated on the eastern extremity of the Island of Zuid Beveland. “
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/31/98