Thomas Franklin Osborne was the tail gunner of the crew of pilot James Dean Hill. He was the one who marked all the missions on his escape map.

Role of the tail gunner

The tail gunner's job was to protect the rear quarter of the aircraft. Using two .50 caliber machine guns, he fired upon enemy fighters who came up from behind. He was also responsible for reporting about what happened behind the plane, since he was the only member of the crew facing backward. He would report about incoming enemy aircraft and the result of the bombings after leaving the target.

Biography

Thomas Franklin Osborne (Tom) was born in Astoria, Oregon in 1919. He was the third son of Warren Hugh Osborne and his wife Gertrude E (Brallier) Osborne. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to California where his father found work as a machinist. They first lived in Patterson, where Tom's only sister, Gertrude E Osborne, was born in 1921. By the 1930s the family had settled in Oakland, CA. Tom graduated high school in 1937. He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps for almost two years. He started working as as a laborer, using a pick and shovel. He job performance was described as 'superior' so it is no wonder he was promoted to assistant leader in bridge construction within the year. He left the CCC in 1938.

In 1942, his father was registered for the draft in the so-called "old man's draft". He was already 56 years old at the time. One year later, on April 6, 1932, Tom enlisted himself. His draft registration shows he was already married at the time. Having a high school education only, he started military life as a private. He was promoted to sergeant in 1945. He joined Lt. James Dean Hill's crew as a tail gunner in a B-17. He was involved in several missions in the European Theater of operations, all of which he marked on the silk map.

Further information

At this moment, nothing else is known about Thomas F. Osborne. We don't even know the name of his wife or if he had any children. Nor do we know what happened to him after World War II. If you have any information about him that you would like to share, please contact us.

Sources

• Thomas F. Osborne's high school diploma
• Civilian Conservation Corps discharge papers of Thomas F. Osborne
• Patterson, Stanislaus County, California, 1920 census records at (Ancestry.com)
• Oakland, Alameda County, California, 1930 census records (Ancestry.com)
• US World War II Draft Registration Cards (Ancestry.com)
• World War II Army Enlistment Records, National Archives and Records Administration
• Tail Gunner (B-17 Flying Fortress)