Sergeant-Major John Robert Osborn was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously after he gave his life to save the lives of his comrades. It was on December 19th, 1941 in Hong Kong. He was with the Winnipeg Grenadiers when they became divided on Mount Butler. His group held the hill for a few hours but were then forced to retreat under heavy fire. As they retreated, they became surrounded by the enemy who was within grenade throwing distance. He would throw them back at the enemy, but when one was just too far to do that, he shouted a warning to his fellow troops to flee and he threw himself onto the grenade to save them. He was killed instantly.
John Osborn was born in Norfolj England on January 2nd, 1899. He served as a seaman in the Royal Navy. At the end of the war, he moved to Wapella, Saskatchewan where he farmed. He joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers in 1933 and started serving again on September 3rd, 1939.
