Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Silver-plated Presentation Bugle, 265mm in length, inscribed ‘Presented to the 1st Leigh-on-Sea Coy. The Boys’ Brigade by Mr. & Mrs. G. Osborne in Memory of Leslie V. Osborne who gave his life in the World War 1939-1945’, silver plating rubbed in parts, and some dents throughout, otherwise in reasonable and working condition £80-£120

Leslie ‘Lukie’ Verdun Dench Osborne was born on 23 April 1916, the son of fisherman George Thomas Mayne Osborne and May Florence Osborne, of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. As a Deck Hand he served as Naval Auxiliary Personnel (Merchant Navy T124 Service) during Second World War on the 4 man cockle dredging boat, Renown (only 9 gross tonnes), one of the famous ‘little ships’ that took part in the ‘Miracle of Dunkirk’: the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from the beaches of Dunkirk, Operation Dynamo. He and two cousins, Deck Hand William Henry ‘Harry’ Noakes and Engineman Frank William Archer ‘Frankie’ Osborne, and Harold Porter, a naval rating from Birmingham, comprised the crew whose task was to pick up soldiers from the Mole as their boat was of shallow draught, and ferry them out to where the larger ships lay at anchor in deeper water.

The original team of boats Letitia, Endeavour, Resolute, Reliant, Defender and Renown set off on 31 May 1940 at 00.30 hours, from Leigh, travelling across the Channel with a convoy commanded by the Royal Navy. It was thought their appearance as cockleboats would be a good disguise appearing like French sailing ships, and hence would not be detected by the enemy. The vessel had engine trouble and had to be towed by Letita, then at about 1.50 am, a terrible explosion took place as Renown went over a mine: tragically, her crew of four perished in the explosion. The uncle of three of them, Arthur ‘Woffa’ Dench, skipper of the Letitia said: ‘They knew nothing of war, they went to save, not fight. They had done their work and now suddenly on their way home there came annihilation.’ Leslie is commemorated on the Liverpool Naval Memorial and additionally in the churchyard of St Clement in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.

In a poem, the poet Bob Rawlings describes the expedition, and the fateful destruction of The Renown by a mine, as follows:

The Letitia was put out to sea
From the little old fishing town of Leigh
On an errand of mercy she didn’t shirk
To the hell loosed beaches of Dunkirk

To a place they’d never been before,
The fisherman left their homely shore
Five boats did sail with them that day
On the fateful remembered end of May

When the shores of Dunkirk were in sight
The ferries came bombing with all their spite
Into the harbour they found their way
To save our Army for a better day

Man upon man they saved that night
From the jaws of death and sorrowful plight
With shells and bombs almighty near
They stayed at work without a fear

With rescue finished, back home did go
The boat Renown they took in tow
Their course was on a Nor-West Line
When Renown was struck down by a mine

To Ramsgate they did wend their way
In the early morning of Saturday
Into that harbour it was thought
Was best to make their sad report

Back home at Leigh they safely reach
To their loved ones waiting on the beach
Maybe again they’ll sail their way
But for a cruise I hope to say

Note: The Letitia and Endeavour vessels are still sailing today and Endeavour featured in the recent Hollywood film ‘Dunkirk’.