John Thomas OSBORNE

OSBORNE, John Thomas

Service Number: WX5719
Enlisted: 22 June 1940
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 2nd/28th Infantry Battalion
Born: England, 10 July 1915
Home Town: Not yet discovered
Schooling: Fairbridge Farm School, Pinjarra, Western Australia
Occupation: Not yet discovered
Died: Accidental, At sea (Nino Bixio), Mediterranean Sea, 17 August 1942, aged 27 years
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Col 94
Memorials: Alamein Memorial (El Alamein), Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Fairbridge War Memorial, Harvey Sub Branch RSL Honour Roll (WW2), Harvey War Memorial
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World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939: Involvement Private, WX5719
22 Jun 1940: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, WX5719, 2nd/28th Infantry Battalion

Help us honour John Thomas Osborne's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Cherilyn McMeekin

John arrived in Western Australia aboard Euripides, bound for Fairbridge Farm School, Pinjarra from Barnados Homes in England. Fairbridge has a record of his birthdate as 6 Jul 1914.

John was one of 41 Australian POWs killed when the Italian transport ship Nino Bixio was torpedoed by a British submarine in the Mediterranean on 17 August 1942. The Nino Bixio was transporting Allied POWs from Libya to Italy. Of the 122 Australian POWs to survive the incident, four died later by execution. Most of the Australian casualties were from the 2/28th Infantry Battalion.

 

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