Sergeant Samuel Osborne

Sergeant Samuel Osborne was the son of Walter and Emily Osborne, and husband of Olive May Osborne, of Eastbourne, Sussex.

He volunteered for airborne forces and attended Parachute Training Course No 78 at  RAF Ringway in August 1943. He successfully completed the course even though he bruised his back on one of the landings. The instructors noted that he was a very good NCO. On completion of his training he was posted to the Holding Company and later posted to the 13th Parachute Battalion. 

He jumped with the Battalion as part of Operation Overlord and took part in the Normandy campaign.

Sergeant Osborne died on 23 June 1944, aged 30 years old. He is now buried at Ranville War Cemetery, Normandy.

Cemetery photograph reproduced by kind permission of CWGC.