AUBREY COSENS

In February 1945, as the Allies began a renewed push into Nazi Germany, a Canadian sergeant single-handedly cleared three enemy-held buildings to earn the Commonwealth’s highest military honour

- ALEX BOWERS

Amid the cacophony of exploding mortar shells, small-arms fire and the screams of wounded comrades, Aubrey Cosens crouched on top of a Sherman in plain sight of the enemy and bellowed his daring plan to the tank commander. The 23-year-old sergeant – serving with the Queen’s of Rifles of Canada – requested that the armoured beast slam into the German-held building in front before he went in alone and dealt with its occupants. Trooper Bill Adams, the driver, was less than thrilled: “I was pretty careful about ramming those stone walls. Usually there’s some kind of basement. We wouldn’t be much use to anyone with a 30-ton Sherman tank lying around in a farm cellar.”

Nevertheless, Adams accepted the scheme as his vehicle lurched forward into the night. Tracer bullets aimed at Cosens bounced off the tank’s hull but the undeterred NCO leapt off with his Sten gun and waited for the right moment. The Sherman’s first strike against the building failed to penetrate, yet the second attempt brought the wall crashing down. With debris still falling from above, Cosens plunged into the void.