| Surname: | Osman |
| Initials: | W H J |
| Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Army Number: | P/10850 |
| Notes: | MMP. Formerly Pte. Royal Sussex Regiment, No. 649. Awarded the Victory and War Medals. First served abroad (1) France, 5/5/1916. 12/9/1914 he enlisted in the 9 Royal Sussex Regiment, No. 649, age 27 years, occupation Police Constable, born Blandford, Dorset, address: 86 Madams Cottage, Midhurst, Sussex and 1 Lyon Terrace, Glamis Street, Bognor, Sussex and Police Station Bognor, Wes Sussex and 7/1919 Belvedere Terrace, Southampton. 16/5/1917 transferred to MMP. Served Home 12/9/1914 to 4/3/1916, BEF 5/3/1916 to 5/6/1919, Home 6/6/1919 to 4/7/1919, Class Z reserve 5/7/1919. William Henry John Osman. Extract from the Police Review, page 296, 26 May 1916. WEST SUSSEX POLICE ON ACTIVE SERVICE. Inspector Brett, of the West Sussex Constabulary, Chichester, has received an interesting letter from Cpl. W Osman who is serving in the Divisional Foot Police., BEF, France and was formerly a constable at Bognor. Writing on 10th May, he says: "I have not forgotten all about you, and I hope before next year to be back with you in the good old Police Force again - and no grumblings after this life, for this is the limit. I am at present in charge of 24 men, and six control posts behind the line, where the boys in and out of the trenches. It is getting a bit better in the trenches now the better weather has come an the mud has disappeared. I have been under shell fire ever since I came out here, but up to the present I have been lucky. I was hit on Easter Sunday, but not to hurt much, by a piece of shell." "This is about the hottest part of the line just here, for they are so close. It is all bombing. It makes it awful; you have to dive for it, or you change it. I was out last night, and was taking to a man in the Black Watch Regiment. He left me and got about 20 yards from me when a bomb dropped and tool both his arms off. I can tell you I soon got him to the dressing station, and cleared out of it: It was getting a but too hot for me. I saw PC's Potter, Sloan and Smith last night, going in; they were all right then. Poor Smith has got to get down very low, or his head is up above the parapet. He has turned himself into a company barber. I saw PC Holmes last week. He is not QM Sergeant in a machine gun battery commonly known as the suicide club. He is looking well, Nichols is about the same old pitch. You would think it was peace time, to see him. I have got PC Bennett as sergeant over me. I have got 24 men and he has got 26 men back at Headquarters, which is about six miles from the firing line. He won's come to see me much as we get too many shells over for him. You have heard that PC's Cox and Dean were wounded the last time they were in the trenches." |
Decoration Record: | |
| Decoration: | Mention in Despatches (London Gazette: 31446 Page: 8793 July 10, 1919) |
| Citation: | France & Flanders. |