Sergeant Major John Osborn & The Battle of Hong Kong

A visitor to Hong Kong Park (in Hong Kong of all places of course) would not help but notice a rather incongruous statue of a soldier, a Canadian soldier standing bayonet fixed facing forward towards some unseen enemy. 

It is a statute in memory of the Canadian soldiers who died defending former British colony in December 1941, more specifically it is a monument in memory to one specific soldier Sergeant Major John Osborn of the Winnipeg Grenadiers. A man who died attempting to defend Hong Kong and who's actions in death came to embody the phrase 'that others may live'.

In conjunction with the December 7th, attack on Pearl Harbor the Japanese Imperial Army and Navy began attacks on US, British and Dutch forces in the Asia Pacific Area. Already hardened from nearly five years of brutal fighting from their 1937 invasion of China, the Japanese quickly gained territory throughout the Pacific.

Short on forces and focused on the defense of the now isolated British Isles  Canada sent two battalions (about 2,000 men) of the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles of Canada to bolster British and Indian forces already garrisoning the territory. The force was so hastily assembled that some of it's vehicles and equipment never arrived. and were left in Manila, Philippines. 

On December 8th, a day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the assault on Hong Kong was launched by a force of about 20,000 battle experienced Japanese forces. 

It was not surprising that they eventually took control of the territory,  what was surprising that the defenders lasted as long as they did. Outnumbered and out gunned the Canadian and their allies fought with a desperate tenacity. Much of the fighting was done at night and it often degenerated into brutal hand to hand combat. Not the fictional balletic martial arts depicted in Hollywood, but desperate frightened men in the dark swinging rifles as clubs, gouging eyes, smashing in skulls with rocks or your helmet, the men must have wondered what side of hell they had fallen into.

Looking at a map of the Canadian engagements what was even more remarkable was that they were even able to launch localized counterattacks against the larger, more experienced and better equipped Japanese forces. Companies or platoons (approx 150 or 40 men respectively) leaving the relative safety of their prepared positions attempting to push the invaders back or catch them off guard in order to buy time; a day, or even a few precious hours for their friends to make their way south. 

The Canadians were getting their battle experience by learning on the job. 

CSM Osborn and a group of his soldiers of A Company, Winnipeg Grenadiers were cut off and fighting for their lives. After staying back to cover a withdrawal Osborn rejoined his soldiers, as the advancing Japanese forces again closed in several grenades were thrown at the  soldiers taking cover with CSM Osborn. 

Ordering his men to keep down, Sgt Maj, Osborn managed to throw back several of the grenades until one fell out of reach, at that point CSM John Roger Osborn threw himself on the grenade to save his men and as a result lost his life. 

In total 557 Canadians died for Hong Kong; 290 in the battle itself, and the rest perishing in the brutality of Japanese prison or forced labour camps. 

The Good Book say's 'greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends'. Sgt Maj Osborn was truly then a loving man. 

Awarded the Commonwealth's highest award for Valour his citation reads:

**** "At Hong Kong on the morning of 19th December 1941 "A" Company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers to which Company Sergeant-Major Osborn belonged became divided during an attack on Mount Butler, a hill rising steeply above sea level. A part of the Company led by Company Sergeant-Major Osborn captured the hill at the point of the bayonet and held it for three hours when, owing to the superior numbers of the enemy and to fire from an unprotected flank, the position became untenable. Company Sergeant-Major Osborn and a small group covered the withdrawal and when their turn came to fall back, Osborn single-handed engaged the enemy while the remainder successfully rejoined the Company. Company Sergeant-Major Osborn had to run the gauntlet of heavy rifle and machine gun fire. With no consideration for his own safety he assisted and directed stragglers to the new Company position exposing himself to heavy enemy fire to cover their retirement. Whenever danger threatened he was there to encourage his men.

During the afternoon the Company was cut off from the Battalion and completely surrounded by the enemy who were able to approach to within grenade throwing distance of the slight depression which the Company was holding. Several enemy grenades were thrown which Company Sergeant-Major Osborn picked up and threw back. The enemy threw a grenade which landed in a position where it was impossible to pick it up and return it in time. Shouting a warning to his comrades this gallant Warrant Officer threw himself on the grenade which exploded killing him instantly. His self-sacrifice undoubtedly saved the lives of many others.

Company Sergeant-Major Osborn was an inspiring example to all throughout the defence which he assisted so magnificently in maintaining against an overwhelming enemy force for over eight and a half hours and in his death he displayed the highest quality of heroism and self-sacrifice." ****

Canadians were fortunate to have men like Sergeant Major John Robert Osborn who were willing to give all for our freedom and the freedom of others. Canada is still fortunate that today we have others like CSM Osborn who still wear the uniform and who hope never to be asked but stand ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for ourselves and others. 

Canadian Hard Power and Disaster Relief in the Philippines

The rapid ability of Canada to bring large scale help in the wake of the recent Typhoon Haiyan disaster in the Philippines as well as the past earthquakes in Haiti and Pakistan is due almost entirely to the reinvestment in our military. 

Not a popular thought among Canadians, most of whom would not even know what a Canadian Soldier looks like (and worse not even be embarrassed by that), however 10 years ago it would have taken a couple months probably at best to get the relief we were able to bring to the Philippines in a matter of days. Ten years ago along with the stories about the tragedy there would also be stories in the media about why it took so long for us to do something and why we let our Armed Forces deteriorate so badly.

Because we're brought up on images of the US Military deploying everywhere around the world almost instantly we assume this is how most militaries operate. However the fact is that by far most armed forces in the world cannot function or move far beyond their own borders.

Very many countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East have larger Armed Forces than Canada has; that being true, it is also a fact that however impressive these countries army's navies or air forces may be on paper or on the parade square, the fact remains most of them are not capable of moving or operating far beyond their own borders.

To use two countries with large armed forces in the news recently as examples, both North Korea and Syria have massive armed forces and can certainly threaten their immediate neighbours with invasion (South Korea, Israel or Turkey) or shoot missiles far beyond their borders, however what these countries cannot do is move their armies beyond their immediate borders, even move them far in their own hemispheres!

A good example would be that, if Jamaica (let's imagine) was located next to Syria, well it could easily be invaded and crushed by it's more powerful neighbour. However, as an island in the Caribbean, it is perfectly safe from invasion by Syria because Syria does not have the ability to move a large amount of troops and equipment fast enough and in large enough numbers to do anything significant to Jamaica ,or even Bermuda.

Even if over several months they did, Syria could not keep those troops fed, equipped resupplied across the Atlantic Ocean with everything from a replacement bolt on a tank track to rifle ammunition. For it's friends like Canada to defend Jamaica it would only require a half dozen ships and maybe a dozen fighter jets to completely cut off any force Syria sent to help.

Why? Because Syria does not have the access to overseas bases, air to air refueling aircraft for fighter cover and a navy with the experience of operating over long distances of the open ocean. It does not have the ability to move, protect and resupply it's large military over vast distances. It would have to move everything it needed in unprotected cargo ships or transport planes without fighter escorts that would be easy target practice for even a token force.

Like by far most of the worlds Armed Forces the Syrian or North Korean military are designed to prop up the government, keep down the population and intimidate their neighours. They are NOT designed to pick up and move around the world.

Any Syrian force sent to Jamaica would eventually run out of fuel, food, spare parts and ammunition - basically everything it needed to operate, move its vehicles, fight and sustain life... it would soon be essentially useless. Unable to drive it's vehicles or fly the planes it got to Syria because of lack of fuel or even get ammunition to the individual soldiers patrolling the streets of Kingston.

There are likely over a hundred countries at least around the world with larger Armed Forces than Canada has, however the difference is that thanks to recent reinvestment in it's strategic capabilities there are also less than a dozen countries - 8 to 10 at most - around the globe that can move their forces anywhere in the world and keep them there with everything they need.

That is something Canada has worked very hard to be able to do over the years and something Canadians should be very proud of.

Sketchy on the The Iranian Nuclear Deal

Forgive me for being skeptical, but I am not jumping for joy with relief over the recent agreement with Iran to freeze it's uranium enrichment program.  The agreement is likely more tactical on all parties part than meant to guarantee long term regional stability. 

> Iran delays or forestalls an Israeli attack on it's facilities, but knows it can continue again when the world is looking elsewhere (remember North Korea anyone or Pakistan)

> Israel, under tremendous pressure from the US not to attack Iran, gets back in American good graces and buys more time to prepare for any eventual strike.

> The United States under a president that is perceived internationally as weak and indecisive can tout a diplomatic victory to the home audience and avoids what it really wants which is another war in the Middle East.

However based on the North Korean example there is no reason to believe that this deal will prevent an eventual Iranian nuclear bomb(s) and a resulting larger conflict. The United States may not want another war but if Israel believes it's existence is threatened, there will be a war, and likely a wider regional one.

Regardless of what the hawks of either the Republican's or Democrats say about 'all options being on the table', the truth is they are not, not in a serious way and not for several years. 

Why? While it can be said the US and it's allies had a right, even an obligation to over throw the Taliban in Afghanistan, (the process largely botched after 2002), the world's most powerful military has essentially exhausted itself in the past dozen years with it's political masters ignoring the Duke of Wellington's dictum that "big countries don't fight small wars". 

There is no appetite in the US high command for another war, after over a decade of conflict the US Armed forces gained valuable counter insurgency experience but any war with Iran would be largely conventional, and fought by an exhausted rank and file. 

More importantly than all that, the American Public has a say in all of this, and they don't want any more Mid East wars. The Us public will not support a large scale attack on Iran. As learned again and again, any President that goes to war with less than overwhelming public support (I"m not talking 55 - 60% - I mean more like 70 - 80%), automatically hamstrings the war effort and ends up fighting a political rearguard action rather than the enemy abroad. 

So what should be done? Well the realist in me thinks it's too late, the nuclear genie is already out of the bottle. What SHOULD have been done - if it could have - would have been to make the prospect or the act of going nuclear so terrible, so final for any regime trying to do so that the response would have been seen as a warning to others.

Rather than spending blood and treasure fighting long wars half halfheartedly, having gone after North Korea or earlier Pakistan in a devastating manner. One that surely would have been awful at the time for those involved would have served warning to others of the consequences of going down the nuclear road. Rather a painful lesson now, than 15 years from now we leave our children to deal with a world of a couple dozen nuclear armed nations most of whom would be hostile to us and held hostage by their parents generation's lack of early action. 

The thought process behind occasional signs you see at peace marches proclaiming "no more Hiroshima's" may be well intention-ed, but may also be indicative of a mindset that will guarantee more Hiroshima's, and eventually one on our own continent. 

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and the Late Night Comics

Insecurity is not a redeeming quality in any relationship, be it a marriage or relations between two countries. So with the recent Rob Ford revelations does it not seem that immediately following the latest update on the saga inevitably comes the next segment on what was said on the US late night comedy circuit?

C'mon folks! Once yes but it seems to get repeated constantly, and with all this was there not a Canadian comic anywhere that mentioned something? I have yet to see one! The news hosts laugh and smile after the clips of Jon Stewart and Jay Leno roll, but is this not like the class clown happy the jocks are finally paying attention to him in gym class because he fell off the climber?

Canadians care too much about what Americans think of them, this is not ant-American but anti-Canadian insecurity. News flash, in the grand scheme of things, why should they? The best and brightest from Canada it seems move down there whether it be sports, entertainment, science or medicine. Why should they pay attention, when we give away the store to begin with.

Too often Canadians complain that Americans don't pay attention to them or don't know anything about Canada. Well guess what... Canadians by and large don't know anything about Canada either. Every July 1st, when people pull out their flags and become proud Canadians for a day before going back to calling themselves Irish, Greek or Italian, comes the accompanying stories as regular as clockwork about how little Canadians actually know about their country, about how most cannot answer even basic grade school questions about the country's history, geography or political system. So let's not complain about what the Americans know or don't know, let's actually be able to know something about our own selves first.

So yes these clips are funny I admit, but why so much focus? Don't just blame the media, look at the links posted of clips of US comics on Facebook by Canadians. But seriously people, is it too much to ask by leading off with what Canadian entertainers are saying? To care about what the rest of the country is saying about the scandal before caring about what others outside it thought?

If your best friend was constantly worried about what you thought and how come you don't pay attention and know enough about them wouldn't you think they were more than a little creepy?

Grow up and get a life Canada!