Osborne’s occupation and marital status upon enlistment, was detailed as a labourer, who was single.
- Date of Birth – 23 April 1878 in Araluen1NSW Birth Death and Marriages, https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/ Birth – 9045/1877, Parents William and Elizabeth, Registered in Braidwood. Accessed 27 June 2026.
- Parents – William Fisher and Elizabeth Warwick.
- Enlisted – 7 July 1915, Blackboy Hill, Western Australia. Unit embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia, on board HMAT A32 Themistocles on 13 October 1915.2University of NSW AIF project https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=98055 Accessed 26 June 2026.
- Regimental Number– 31063 National Archives of Australia. https://www.naa.gov.au/. NAA: B2455, Fisher O, Item ID– 3909234, Accessed 26 June 2026 and Karen Nelson, Marching Home to Braidwood. Braidwood RSL. UPS, Ulladulla, NSW. 2016.p 57.
- Aged at embarkation – 38 years4Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1732040 Accessed 26 June 2026.
- Military service – 48th Infantry Battalion, Rank – Private5Virtual War Memorial Australia, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/84276 Accessed 26 June 2026.
- Served in Egypt and at the Western Front, Osborne was awarded 1914-1915 Star No. 13183, British War Medal No. 20345, and the Victory Medal No. 20269. 6ANZAC Heroes. Great War 1914-1918 Bunbury – Wellington District Western Australia https://anzacheroes.com.au/anzac_heroes/fisher-osborne/ Accessed 26 June 2026.
- Killed in action on 6 August 1916 aged 39 years, at Pozieres in France.7Find a Grave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16182502/osborne-fisher . Osborne Fisher’s name is located at panel 145 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
- Commemorated on the Australian National War Memorial, France, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France8Commonwealth War graves. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1460570/osborne-fisher/ Accessed 26 June 2026.
Osborne was the second son of William Fisher (1846-10 January 1914) who married Elizabeth Warwick, (1854-1952) in February 1875 in Braidwood. They had eleven children. In 1896, Elizabeth and children moved to Western Australia to join William and their son Benjamin, who had already settled in Rockingham.
Osborne’s younger brother, Benjamin Fisher (1880-1901) was born in Murrumburrah, New South Wales and was killed in action aged 20 years, in the BOER war at Brakpan, Mpumalanga, South Africa on 15 May 1901.9Virtual War Memorial Australia, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/653740 Accessed 27 June 2026.
Osborne’s other younger brother, Walter Stanley Fisher (1885-1917) was born in Marulan, New South Wales and enlisted aged 30 on 27 September 1915 at Perth, W.A. Private Walter Fisher (Service Number 4272), also serving with Osborne in the 48th Infantry Battalion, was killed in action, in the vicinity of Pozieres in France on 6 August 1916.10Virtual War Memorial Australia, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/166427 Accessed 27 June 2026. The two brothers Osborne and Walter are commemorated on the same panel at the Australian National War Memorial, France, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France.
The electoral roll details Osborne as a labourer at Mornington Mills in 1910, a labourer at Dowerin in 1912, a mill hand at Pindalup in 1913 and a timber hewer at Hoffman’s Landing in 1915.
After his enlistment in July 1915, and following basic training in Australia, Osborne’s reinforcement draft was shipped to Port Suez where further training was undertaken. Osborne was taken on strength in the 16th Battalion on 5 February 1916 at Ismailia, and then transferred to the 48th Battalion on 3 March 1916 at Tel-el-Kebir. He was employed as a Lewis gunner. On 2 June 1916, along with the rest of the 48th Battalion, he boarded the HMT Caledonia in Alexandria, and they disembarked on 9 June 1916 at Marseilles, and travelled north by train.11BirtwistleWiki https://birtwistlewiki.com.au/wiki/Osborne_Fisher Accessed 27 June 2026.
By July, the 48th Battalion had moved into the Somme sector to participate in the Allied offensive. On 5 August 1916, the battalion moved into the front-line trenches to relieve other units on the Pozieres Ridge. The following day, 6 August 1916, the unit was subjected to bombardment of high-explosive shells. Private Martin from the 48th Battalion in June 1917 recounts ‘I saw Pte Fisher hit by a shell while in the trenches in Pozieres… He had some Australian sovereigns in his pocket and was just going over to lend them to a friend.’12Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau file https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1394217 Accessed 23 June 2026.
Osborne’s younger brother, William Joseph (Joe) Fisher (9 December 1882-15 December 1954) was born in Braidwood, New South Wales and enlisted on 15 January 1917 at the age of 34. William (Service Number 4272) returned to Australia in 1919 and was discharged as medically unfit.13Virtual War Memorial Australia, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/369089 Accessed 27 June 2026. ‘Joe was gassed… This injury was severe, requiring treatment in England and ultimately resulting in the permanent loss of one lung… He resumed work with the West Australian Government Railways (WAGR) … a move to Kalgoorlie, one of many moves the family made before building a permanent home in Mount Lawley in 1934’.
In October 1952, the West Australian14West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879-1954), Friday 24 October 1952, p 20. published a notice advising of the death of ‘FISHER (Elizabeth): On Oct. 23. 1952, late of 138 Basinghall-street, Victoria Park, widow of the late William Fisher, loved mother of George, Joseph, Ida (Mrs. Richards), Evelyn (Mrs Carlisle), Daisy (Mrs. Hillbrick), Rachel (Mrs. Pratley), also Osborne and Stanley (1st A.I.F., killed in action) and Benjamin (Boer War, killed in action), grandmother of 24 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren: aged 98 years five months.’