Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Military Service

Additional Information

Son of John Robert and Harriet Sussana Osborn; Husband of Margaret Elizabeth Nelson, of St. Vital, Manitoba. Father of John Robert, Ethel Fern, Gerald Nelson, George Henry and Patricia Margaret Osborn.

During the First World War, he served in the Royal Naval Division. Osborn immigrated to Canada in 1920. In 1933, he enlisted in the Winnipeg Grenadiers, a non-permanent active militia unit.

When the Second World War began in September 1939, the Grenadiers were placed on active service and stationed for a time in Bermuda with B Force and in Jamaica with Y Force. In October 1941, at the request of the British government, the battalion was sent to Hong Kong with C Force to reinforce the garrison there.

On December 8th 1941, Japanese army units attacked British defensive positions in Hong Kong. By December 18th, three Japanese regiments had landed on the island. At dawn on December 19th, "A" Company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers was ordered to move to Jardine's Lookout to dislodge the enemy and then advance to and retake Mount Butler. Shortly after dawn, "A" Company, led by Company Sergeant Major (CSM) Osborn, led a bayonet charge and captured the summit of Mount Butler. Three hours later, when three companies of Japanese troops counterattacked and forced his men to fall back down the western slope of the mountain, CSM Osborn calmly directed protective fire that kept the enemy at bay. Eventually, after CSM Osborn's group joined the rest of "A" Company, the Japanese were able to surround the group. By mid-afternoon, after repelling two Japanese attacks and now facing an ammunition shortage and a growing number of casualties, the company commander, Major A.B. Gresham, decided to surrender and stood in the open with a white flag. He was immediately shot down by the Japanese, who began throwing grenades at the "A" Company position. CSM Osborn picks up several and sends them back to the enemy. However, one of the grenades lands in a place where Osborn cannot retrieve it in time. Giving a warning shout as he pushes one of his men aside, he lunges at the grenade, which explodes and kills him instantly.

When CSM Osborn's leadership and sacrifice on this occasion were highlighted after the defeat of Japan, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

To commemorate his sacrifice, the Manitoba government named Osborn Creek located on the Driftwood River in his honor in 1973 and John Osborn Lake located east of Nuelton Lake in 1986.

Commemorated on Page 40 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

John Robert Osborn is a recipient of the Victoria Cross.
Complete list of Canadian Victoria Cross Recipients