The soldier who threw himself onto a grenade
sergeant-major, Osborne
heroic sacrifice defense of Hong Kong
1941
During the defense of Hong Kong on the morning of December 19
1941 a company of Winnipeg Grenadiers was separated during an attack on Mount Butler on Hong Kong Island
the company was led by sergeant major Osborne full name, John, Robert, Osborne.
He was born in Fulda Norfolk England ,and served in the First World War as part of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.
After the war he moved to Canada as Saskatchewan Wapella where he was a farmer for two years. He then moved to Winnipeg Manitoba.
After working for the Canadian Pacific Railway, he joined the Winnipeg Grenadier in 1933.
In September 1939 ,at the outbreak of World War 2, the Winnipeg Grenadiers
were called for duty, serving as a garrison in Jamaica.
on October 27, 1941,
the raw recruits of the Winnipeg Grenadier saled for Hong Kong under British orders to strengthen the garrison there,
in preparation for an impending Japanese invasion.
Osbourne was a company sergeant- major for a company in the 1st battalion by now. On the morning of December 19, 1941,
a part of the company of Winnipeg Grenadiers,
led by sergeant major Osborne, made a bayonet charge on Mount Butler, capturing the steep hill.
Holding out for 3 hours against Japanese counter-attacks, soon, The overwhelming enemy numbers opened an undefended flank.
Osbourne and his group prepared for withdrawal.
While the group were rejoining with the company, he engaged the enemy
Single-handedly under heavy enemy rifle and machine gun fire, while helping stragglers get to the new company position.
Now it was afternoon, and the company found itself cut off from the battalion. The Canadians were now completely surrounded by enemy forces,
who were so close, that they were within grenade throwing distance. the position was hopeless.
The Japanese soldiers threw several grenades into the Canadian position, but Osbourne picked them up, and threw them back to protect his fellow soldiers.
A grenade landed where it would be impossible to pick it up and throw in time. Osborn made a split-second decision
He shouted a warning, pushed a comrade out of the way and threw himself onto the enemy grenade which exploded and killed him instantly.
He was 42 years old. This action saved the lives of his fellow comrades,
desperately defending the position.
The company maintained a defence against an overwhelming
Enemy for eight and a half hours, with 60 casualties, and a few survivors taken as prisoners.
Sergeant- major Osborne displayed the highest qualities of heroism and self-sacrifice
Becoming the first Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross in the second world war, which he received posthumously.
He was also the only person to be awarded a Victoria Cross for the Battle of Hong Kong
He is memorialized by a plaque on a statue of an anonymous world war one soldier,
Located in Hong Kong Park.
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