Edward Revere Osler was born on December 28, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland, the only son of Dr. William Osler (1849–1919) and Grace Linzee Revere (1854-1928). He received his early education at the Lynam's School in Oxford, England (1905-1909), where his father worked as a professor of medicine at Oxford University. At school, he was awarded prizes for Illustrated Diaries, English Essay and Drawing. In 1914, at the outbreak of World War I, Revere was about to start as an undergraduate at Christ Church College at Oxford University. He had no interest in military matters, preferring to spend his time reading, fishing, swimming, and boating. Once at the college, he joined the Officer Training Corps (OTC) and his attitude to the war began to change. In February 1915, he was attested into the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) and he joined the Canadian Red Cross, Duchess of Connaught Hospital, at Cliveden, as assistant Quartermaster. In November 1915, he became disillusioned with life behind the lines and eventually, he found himself at the front as a Second Lieutenant in Royal Field Artillery. On August 27, 1917, Revere was seriously wounded and despite the efforts of field doctors to save him, he died on August 30, 1917, in Ypres, Belgium and is buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery in Belgium. His parents received his British War and Victory Medals and his bronze memorial plaque.