241

AJM/NF

404935: Warrant Officer Aubrey William OSMAN.
PARENTS: Mr. & Mrs. W.C.J. Osman of Christchurch.

William Osman was born at Ashburton on the 25th, March,
1919. He received his secondary education at Ashburton High School
and passed the University Entrance examination. He played football
at school and was a member of his school 1st XV. He was also
interested in swimming and tennis. After leaving school he was
emloyed for a short while by the Ashburton Electric Power Board and
then by the Justice Department, first at Timaru and later at
Invercargill, and was still employed at the latter place at the time
of applying for enlistment in aircrew on teh 8th February, 1940.

Warrent Officer Osman was enlisted at the Initial Training
Wing, Levin on the 1st December, 1940, and posted to No. 1 Elementary
Flying Training School, Taieri, on the 18th January, 1941, for his
School, Wigram, on the 1st March, where - on the 24th May - he was
awarded his flying badge and promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He
was further promoted to Flight Sargeant on the 1st December, 1941, and
to Warrant Officer on teh 1st July, 1943. Meanwhile on the 1st
June, 1941, he embarked for the United Kingdom.

W/O Osman proceeded through Canada and arrived at No. 3
Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, on the 31st July, 1943.
During August and early September he attended a navigation course
at No. 2 School of Air Navigation, Cranage, Cheshite, and on the
13th September was posted to No. 25 Operational Training Unit,
Finningley, Yorkshire, where he crewed up and completed his training
on Wellington, Hampden and Manchester aircraft. On the 4th March,
1942, he was posted to No. 61 Squadron, Woolfox Lodge, Rutland.
From this base initially as 2nd pilot of Manchester and later
Lancaster bomber aircraft, he took part in 11 operational flights,
the targets including Cologne (2) and Essen, (2), Emden, and Breman, in
Germany, and minelaying in the Heligoland Bight, in the Baltic Sea,