Valour in the Victory Campaign:
The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division Gallantry Decorations, 1945

Sergeant Aubry Cosens, VC
(Drawing courtesy of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada. Copyright)	(Photo Credit: Veterans Affairs; Crown Copyright)

On February 26, as part of Operation BLOCKBUSTER, II Canadian Corps launched an attack to clear the advance zone of resistance covering the Hochwald. The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division was to seize the southern anchor of this zone. In this area, the terrain was flat and without cover for 1800 yards in all directions, except for scattered stone farmhouses which the Germans had turned into strongpoints.

The initial attack was made before sunrise by the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada against the hamlet of Mooshof. The first objective was captured quickly, but the Germans brought down a heavy artillery bombardment and counter-attacked violently. In Number 16 Platoon of the Regiment, the platoon commander was killed and a section of men wiped out. At this vulnerable moment, Sergeant Aubrey Cosens, took over the remnants of the platoon in the immediate vicinity.

With only four men left, Cosens determined to carry on the attack, but sought the aid of a nearby Sherman tank of the supporting 1st Hussars Regiment. Leaving his men in a position from which they would provide covering fire, he raced across 25 yards of open, bullet-swept ground to reach the tank. He then climbed up in front of the turret where he could direct the tank's fire against enemy positions, which he had spotted.

Once again the enemy counter-attacked savagely in force. Remaining on the tank and completely disregarding the danger, Sgt Cosens led and inspired the defence. He plunged the tank, in the darkness, into the middle of the attackers. These bold tactics disorganizing the enemy force, which broke and fled after sustaining many casualties.

Sergeant Cosens now determined to press on with his platoon's mission by clearing three buildings held by the enemy. He ordered his four men to follow the tank on which he was riding, and for the tank to ram the first building, a one-storey farmhouse. When it had done so, aided by the covering fire of his men, he entered the building, killing several of the defenders and taking the rest prisoner.

Cosens then pressed aggressively onwards and directed the tank, still under continuous fire, towards the second building. En route, he saw in the flash of shell fire, the body of one of his comrades who had been killed in one of the first abortive attacks on the position. Calmly he halted the tank and removed the body from its path. Continuing forward after this, he had the tank fire into the second building and then entered it alone to find that the Germans had fled.

("Edge of the Reichswald Forest", painting by D.K Anderson, The Canadian War Museum, PL-47030)

He then turned to the third building, a two-storey farmhouse strongly held by the Germans. Under covering fire from the tank and from his small band of men, he again made a one-man entry into this farmhouse, and killed or captured the defending garrison.

By these actions, Sergeant Cosens had broken the core of the German resistance in the immediate area. He promptly ordered his small force to consolidate the position and started off to report to his company commander. He had not gone more than 25 feet, however, when he was shot through the head by an enemy sniper. He died almost instantly. The German force in the area had by this time become so completely battered that there was no further counter-attack against this position.

For his actions this day, Sergeant Aubrey Cosens was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.