Osgerby, Private Sydney

Service Highlights

  • Service Number: 491197
  • Born in Lincolnshire, England.
  • Attested for service at London, Ontario on August 16, 1915.
  • Initially served with the 33rd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force.
  • Sailed for overseas service and arrived in England, later deploying to France.
  • Transferred to the Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) in France in May 1916.
  • Later associated with units of the 3rd Canadian Division.
  • Hospitalized in 1916 while in France and England.
  • Returned to Canada in 1919.
  • Discharged on March 10, 1919 at St. Marys, Ontario.
  • Next of kin listed as Mrs. A.A. Osgerby of Harrogate, Yorkshire, England.
  • Commemorated through the St. Marys Legion Veterans Banner Program.

A Life and Service Remembered

Sydney Osgerby was born in Lincolnshire, England before making his way to Canada prior to the First World War. In August 1915, he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in London, Ontario, joining thousands of others who volunteered for overseas service.

He was initially assigned to the 33rd Battalion, a unit raised in southwestern Ontario, before being sent overseas on the S.S. Lapland March 1 1916 to England for training. Like many soldiers of that period, he did not remain with his original battalion. After arriving in France, he was transferred to the Royal Canadian Regiment in May 1916, one of Canada’s permanent force infantry units serving on the Western Front.

Osgerby’s time with the Royal Canadian Regiment placed him within one of the most heavily engaged units of the Canadian Corps. During his period of service, the regiment took part in major operations including the fighting at Mount Sorrel in 1916, the Somme later that year, and the battles of Arras and Vimy Ridge in 1917. The regiment also fought at Hill 70 and in the Passchendaele campaign, some of the most difficult and costly operations of the war. Late in the war he was appointed Lance Corporal, reflecting increased responsibility within his unit.

His service file shows minor medical issues in 1916, a reminder of the physical toll of life at the front, where illness and exposure were as much a part of a soldier’s experience as combat. Even so, he remained in service with the regiment through much of the war before being transferred back to England in 1918.

Following the end of the war, he returned to Canada. His official rank at discharge was Private in March 1919 in St. Marys. His story reflects the experience of many soldiers who served as reinforcements within front line units, taking part in the sustained and demanding operations that defined the Canadian Corps during the later years of the First World War.

Major Battles and Operations

  • Mount Sorrel, 1916
  • Somme, 1916 (possible he was
  • Arras and Vimy Ridge, 1917
  • Hill 70, 1917
  • Ypres and Passchendaele, 1917
  • Possible service during the opening of Amiens, 1918, before transfer to England

Learn More

Canadian Great War Project
https://canadiangreatwarproject.com/person.php?pid=1083391

Lives of the First World War
https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/6021423
Canadian Expeditionary Force Roll Call
https://data2.archives.ca/e/e444/e011089525.pdf