Joseph was a local man. He was born in 1910 in 162 Chorley Road to Joseph and Julia Hill. He was the youngest of three children, all boys.

Back in 1901, his father was a stone mason living the household of George Fox on Brookhouse Hill. Joseph married Julia Bingham in October 1901 at Fulwood Church. Julia had grown up on Church Lane (soon to be renamed Chorley Street before being renamed again to Chorley Road).

By 1921 Joseph Osborne’s brother Thomas (born 1902) was working a gardener for James Dixon at Stumperlowe Hall. His other brother, Albert (born 1905) was an apprentice electrician. Joseph followed his father’s trade – that of stonemason.

Joseph married Kathleen Wyles in the early part of 1937 and they moved in to a house on Carr Bank Lane.Their daughter Anne was born in the summer of the same year and a son, David, was born in  the early part of 1943.

Joseph enlisted early in December 1940. He was with 612 Field Squadron of the Royal Engineers in West Sussex by April 1942 when he was admitted to hospital suffering from influenza, being discharged after two weeks. Perhaps he was discharged too early because he was admitted to another hospital after 15 days.  He had been on manoeuvers in Kent when he was taken ill.

Before D-Day the Squadron became part of the XI Division.

The Divison may have crossed to the Normandy beaches as part of the inital D-Day landings. It had certainly crossed to Normandy by the middle of July 1944 and had moved up into Belgium by the beginning of September. Joseph was at the liberation of Amiens then Antwerp, which was liberated on 4 September. An attempt to create a bridgehead over the Albert Canal failed due to intense enemy fire.

Joseph was seriously injured on 6 September 1944 during the attempt to create a bridgehead and died  two days later. He is buried in the CWGC part of the Brussels Town Cemetery.

The dedication reads: Love’s last gift, remembrance

Kathleen’s address as next of kin was 4 Old Fulwood Road. This was the Hammer and Pincers Coffee House so it may be that shew was working there at the time