Three: Private H. Osborne, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, wounded at Spion Kop, 24 January 1900

India General Service 1895-1902, 1 clasp, Relief of Chitral 1895 (5595 Pte. H. Osborne 1st. Bn. K.R. Rifle Corps); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek (5595 Pte. H. Osborne, K.R.R.C.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps (5595 Pte. H. Osborne. K.R.R.C.) good very fine (3) £300-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards for the Boer War formed by Doug Jenkins.

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Henry Osborne was born in Sneinton, Nottinghamshire, in 1871, and attested for the King’s Royal Rifle Corps at Nottingham on 12 February 1890. Posted to the 2nd Battalion, he transferred to the 4th Battalion on 18 September 1891, and proceeded to Burma to join up with his new battalion, He served with the Regiment in Burma and India and was present at the action of the Malakand Pass, 3 April 1895. On 10 December 1896 he sailed for the Cape from Bombay on the R.I.M.S. Warren Hastings, and arrived in Cape Town on 28 December of that year. It was on her return journey to Bombay that the Warren Hastings ran aground off the Island of Reunion. Osborne served with the Rifle Corps in South Africa until 3 March 1898, transferring to the Army Reserve on 21 April 1898. Recalled to the Colours for service during the Boer War on 9 October 1899, he was posted to the 3rd Battalion, and served with them in South Africa from 4 November of that year. He was wounded in action at Spion Kop on 24 January 1900, when the Battalion suffered 3 Officers and 18 other ranks killed, and 4 Officers and 58 other ranks wounded. Osborne returned to the U.K. on 2 August 1902, and was discharged two days later, after 12 years and 174 days’ service.