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Auction: 24112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 390

Pair: Private J. Osborne, Lincolnshire Regiment

Queen's Sudan 1896-98 (3617 Pte J. Osborne. 1/Lin:R.); Khedive's Sudan 1896-1908, 2 clasps, The Atbara, Khartoum (3617 Pte. J. Osborne. 1. Linc. Regt), contact marks, good very fine (2)

Joseph Osborne is confirmed upon the roll for the Queen's Sudan Medal as well as the roll for the Khedive's Sudan Medal with clasps for The Atbara and Khartoum.

Osborne was born in 1874 in Islington, London and attested with the 1/Royal Warwickshire Regiment in March 1893 but transferred to the 1/Lincolnshire Regiment only three months later. He was stationed in Malta from 1895 until being posted to Egypt in February 1897, where he was involved in the Sudan campaign. Osborne saw action at the Battle of the Atbara on 8 April 1898 as part of Major-General Gatacre's Brigade, which was positioned was on the left of the line, with the unit to the right. Gatacre's Brigade began the attack after an artillery bombardment, and the battle was won after just 45 minutes. 3,000 Mahdist forces were killed or wounded, while the Lincolnshire Regiment lost but a single man.

Following the Battle of the Atbara, Major-General Kitchener advanced his army to the Kerrari plain where he constructed a zeriba. Gatacre commanded the British Division for the ensuing Battle of Omdurman and control of the 1st Brigade, including the unit, was handed over to Brigadier-General Wauchope. The Khalifa's army was repulsed and Kitchener organised a pursuit, during which Colonel MacDonald's 1st Brigade of the 2nd Division was attacked by 15,000 Geen Standard Ansar, to which the Regiment was ordered by Kitchener to go and form MacDonald's right. Renowned for their marksmanship, they fired on the advancing Dervishes and successfully helped check the final attack. Winston Churchill himself reported them as firing 60 rounds a man.

After the Sudan, Osborne was ordered to India where he remained from November 1898 until May 1901. He transferred to the 2nd Battalion that month and was discharged at Guernsey the following year in consequence of being medically unfit for further service, he had served for nine years and intended to return to London after his discharge; sold together with copied research.

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Sold for
£350

Starting price
£140