Services: RAF Sports Photos: Rugby 1932 Hockey 1933 Siblings or descendants at Prior: The sad news of the death of Pilot Officer Ralph P J Osborne reached us as our last number of the Magazine was in the press, and we were consequently able only to insert a short notice stating the event. Ralph Paul Joseph Osborne was born at Weston-super-Mare on September 15th 1916, and at the age of thirteen came to Prior Park in January 1930. He was studious and even-tempered, a pleasant companion and popular with his classfellows. He did well at his examinations, gaining in 1931 second Honours in Junior Oxford Locals with Distinction in Latin and French; in 1933 he again got Distinction in the same two subjects and a School Certificate with Honours. At Sports, 1932, he was first in 100 yards (over 15) and in 1933 was included in the 1st XI Hockey and was first in the Long Jump (over 15). These attainments show that he was well developed in body and mind when in July 1933 he bade farewell to the College which he visited frequently during his years at Oscott. He was, however, not cut out for the priestly life and with regret left Oscott in 1937 and early in 1938 joined the RAF, was trained at Yatesbury, getting his Commission later in the year and doing his advanced training at Abu Sueir on the Suez Canal. He was then posted to the 216 Heavy Bomber Transport Squadron in Heliopolis and Cairo and was with them nineteen months till his death. In November 1939 he came home with a crew of five, one other officer as second pilot and three other ranks, and took out a new as Captain of “Bombay” Aircraft. They left on December 3rd, 1939, in very bad weather and made a forced landing about 100 miles this side of Marseilles. The French people treated them splendidly and they enjoyed their short stay in France. understood”, writes his father, by this time he was “We “that senior Pilot Officer of the Squadron and first pilot on this very large machine. Since then I understand that among other jobs they patrolled the pipe line to Irak. Ralph also flew General Wavell, the C-in-C, on a tour of the Egyptian Defences on one occasion, but as you know he was
Services: RAF Sports Photos: Rugby 1932 Hockey 1933 Siblings or descendants at Prior: The sad news of the death of Pilot Officer Ralph P J Osborne reached us as our last number of the Magazine was in the press, and we were consequently able only to insert a short notice stating the event. Ralph Paul Joseph Osborne was born at Weston-super-Mare on September 15th 1916, and at the age of thirteen came to Prior Park in January 1930. He was studious and even-tempered, a pleasant companion and popular with his classfellows. He did well at his examinations, gaining in 1931 second Honours in Junior Oxford Locals with Distinction in Latin and French; in 1933 he again got Distinction in the same two subjects and a School Certificate with Honours. At Sports, 1932, he was first in 100 yards (over 15) and in 1933 was included in the 1st XI Hockey and was first in the Long Jump (over 15). These attainments show that he was well developed in body and mind when in July 1933 he bade farewell to the College which he visited frequently during his years at Oscott. He was, however, not cut out for the priestly life and with regret left Oscott in 1937 and early in 1938 joined the RAF, was trained at Yatesbury, getting his Commission later in the year and doing his advanced training at Abu Sueir on the Suez Canal. He was then posted to the 216 Heavy Bomber Transport Squadron in Heliopolis and Cairo and was with them nineteen months till his death. In November 1939 he came home with a crew of five, one other officer as second pilot and three other ranks, and took out a new “Bombay” as Captain of Aircraft. They left on December 3rd, 1939, in very bad weather and made a forced landing about 100 miles this side of Marseilles. The French people treated them splendidly and they enjoyed their short stay in France. “We understood”, writes his father, “that by this time he was senior Pilot Officer of the Squadron and first pilot on this very large machine. Since then I understand that among other jobs they patrolled the pipe line to Irak. Ralph also flew General Wavell, the C-in-C, on a tour of the Egyptian Defences on one occasion, but as you know he was