Background
Aubrey Cosens was born in Latchford Ontario on May 21st 1921.
Aubrey Cosens was born in Latchford Ontario on May 21st 1921.
The only son to Mr. and Mistress Charles Cosens. Shortly afterwards his family moved near Porquis Junction and this is where Aubrey 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 broke out and Aubrey attempted to join the Royal Canadian Air Force and was rejected because he was considered too young.
In 1940 he joined The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada and later transferred to The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, and was in August 1944, part of the Doctorate-day reinforcements in Normandy, France.
He was 23 years old and a sergeant in The Queen"s Own Rifles of Canada during the Canadian Army"s involvement in the Second World War. On the night of 25-26 February 1945 at Mooshof near Uedem, Germany, 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 several 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. Aubrey Cosens was mentioned in Robert Heinlein"s Starship Troopers, albeit misspelled. "Little ships, the ones named for foot sloggers: Horatius, Alvin York, Swamp Fox, the Rog herself, bless her heart, Colonel Bowie, Devereux, Vercingetorix, Sandino, Aubrey Cousens, Kamehameha, Audie Murphy, Xenophon, Aguinaldo --"
Grave/memorial at Buried at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in the Netherlands.
Plot VIII. row H. Grave 2.
Headstone.