Aubrey Cosens VC (21 May 1921 – 26 February 1945) was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

soldier and posthumous recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

forces.

Military service

Aubrey Cosens was born in

Latchford, Ontario Latchford is a single-tier municipality town in Timiskaming District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is located on Bay Lake on the Montreal River, near the town of Cobalt and the municipality of Temagami, and is 20 kilometres (13 miles) fro ...

on May 21, 1921, the only son to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cosens. Shortly afterwards his family moved near Porquis Junction and this is where Cosens remained until he left school at 17 and went to work as a section hand on the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway. A year after taking this job, the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

broke out and Aubrey attempted to join the RCAF and was rejected for being too young. In 1940 he joined The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada as private and later transferred to

The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada is a Primary Reserve regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces, based in Toronto. The regiment is part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. It is the only reserve regiment in Canada to currently have ...

as a Corporal. He was promoted to sergeant while serving as part of the D-day reinforcements in Normandy, France. He was 23 years old and a

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

during his involvement as a

Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also re ...

soldier in the

. On the night of 25–26 February 1945 at Mooshof near

Uedem Uedem is a municipality in the district of Cleves, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near the border with the Netherlands. Division of the town Uedem consists of 4 districts * Uedem * Uedemerfeld * Keppeln * Uedemerbruch Histor ...

, Germany, B and D Coys of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada led a series of attacks on German strongholds. During the battle his Platoon Commander was killed-in-action and the platoon took heavy casualties. Sergeant Cosens assumed command of the four survivors of his platoon whom he placed in position to give him covering fire. Running forward alone to a tank, he took up an exposed position in front of the turret and directed its fire. When a further counter-attack had been repulsed, he ordered the tank to ram some farm buildings into which the Germans attackers had retreated. He went in alone, killing 22 of the defenders and taking the rest prisoners. He then dealt similarly with the occupants of two more buildings, but was shot by a sniper when he went to report back to superior officers.

Legacy

Aubrey Cosens was mentioned in

Robert Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein ( ; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific acc ...

's ''

Starship Troopers ''Starship Troopers'' is a military science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. Written in a few weeks in reaction to the US suspending nuclear tests, the story was first published as a two-part serial in ''The Magazine of ...

'', albeit misspelled.

Little ships, the ones named for foot sloggers:
Horatius Horatius may refer to: People Roman era * several ancient Roman men of the '' gens Horatia'', including: ** Quintus Horatius Flaccus, the poet known in English as Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC), Sueto ...
,
Alvin York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known by his rank as Sergeant York, was an American soldier who was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor fo ...
, Swamp Fox, the Rog herself, bless her heart, Colonel Bowie,
Devereux Devereux is a Norman surname. Derived form of ''D'Evreux'' / ''Devreux'', meaning ''d'Évreux'' ("from Évreux", a town in Normandy, France), the surname is found frequently in Ireland, Wales and England and to a lesser extent elsewhere in the Eng ...
,
Vercingetorix Vercingetorix (; ; – 46 BC) was a Gauls, Gallic king and chieftain of the Arverni tribe who united the Gauls in a failed revolt against Roman Republic, Roman forces during the last phase of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. After surrendering to C ...
, Sandino, Aubrey Cousens,
Kamehameha Kamehameha may refer to: House of Kamehameha *House of Kamehameha, the dynasty of the Hawaiian Kings **Kamehameha I (1736–1819), first king of the Hawaiian Islands **Kamehameha II (1797–1824), second king of the Kingdom of Hawaii **Kamehameha ...
,
Audie Murphy Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor, and songwriter. He was widely celebrated as the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II, and has been described as the most highly decorated enli ...
,
Xenophon Xenophon of Athens (; ; 355/354 BC) was a Greek military leader, philosopher, and historian. At the age of 30, he was elected as one of the leaders of the retreating Ancient Greek mercenaries, Greek mercenaries, the Ten Thousand, who had been ...
, Aguinaldo --

Grave/memorial at Buried at

Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery and Memorial ( French:''Le Cimetière de Guerre Canadien Groesbeek'', Dutch:''Canadese Oorlogsbegraafplaats Groesbeek'') is a Second World War Commonwealth War Graves Commission military war grave cemetery, locat ...

in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. Plot VIII. row H. Grave 2. Headstone. In 1986 in his birthplace of Latchford, the Sgt. Aubrey Cosens VC Memorial Bridge was named in his honour.

References

External links

CWGC: Aubrey Cosens

Legion Magazine article

COSENS, Aubrey

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosens, Aubrey 1921 births 1945 deaths Canadian World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross People from Haldimand County Canadian military personnel killed in World War II Queen's Own Rifles of Canada soldiers Burials at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery Canadian military personnel from Ontario Canadian Army personnel of World War II Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's) soldiers

Military service

Legacy

See also

References

External links