Sergeant Gander by Robyn Walker Page A

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.
    also assist in the support and welfare of Hong Kong veterans and their widows.” 2 In 2001, the administration and finances of the two groups were merged. The HKVA still participates in its own in commemorative programs with Veterans’ Affairs Canada, and also plays an active role in the HKVCA by educating Canadians about the Battle of Hong Kong.
    The men of the Royal Rifles of Canada always felt that Gander deserved recognition for his selfless act. In 1995, Jeremy Swanson, then commemorations officer at the Canadian War Museum, heard the story of Gander from some of the veterans. The veterans had come together for a special meeting of the HKVA where they all received their Hong Kong clasps, an award introduced by the Canadian government in July 1995 to recognize the contributions made by the Canadian soldiers at the Battle of Hong Kong. They were reminiscing about the story of Sergeant Major J.R. Osborn, the Canadian soldier who had been awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroism at the Battle of Hong Kong. Osborn had saved the lives of several men in his company by throwing himself on top of a Japanese grenade.
    As they chatted about the Sergeant Major’s heroism one of the veterans made the comment, “Just like that damned dog.” Swanson’s interest was piqued and he quizzed the veterans for more information. From what Swanson could glean, Gander, the canine mascot of the Royal Rifles of Canada, had performed an act of heroism that was strikingly similar to that of Sergeant Major Osborn’s. Fascinated by Gander’s story, Swanson and a small group of volunteers, including Howard Stutt of McGill University, began researching the tale to verify its truthfulness and to separate fact from fiction. After researching Gander’s story extensively, Swanson
    Jeremy Swanson
    Jeremy Swanson was the commemorations and operations officer to Programs and Collections at the Canadian War Museum (CWM) from 1992–2002. An emigrant from South Africa, Swanson has played a vital and active role in helping to research and preserve Canadian military history. During his tenure with the CWM, Swanson conducted research and historical overviews of numerous CWM exhibitions and literary projects, including “Canada’s Armed Forces 1945–50” and “Canada in Korea,” as well as planning and leading a successful search for families of the twenty- six Canadian airmen killed over Poland during the Second World War.
    Swanson helped spearhead the campaign for Sergeant Gander’s PDSA Dickin Medal, committing hundreds of hours to research, and was responsible for organizing the PDSA Dickin Medal ceremony that was held at the British High Commission in Ottawa in October 2000. Currently, Swanson is working as a men’s rights activist in Ottawa.
    unearthed numerous military and eyewitness accounts of Gander’s heroism. Swanson felt strongly that Gander was deserving of a posthumous award for bravery.
    The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) is a veterinary charity in the United Kingdom that was founded in 1917 by Maria Dickin. Born in London in 1870, Dickin (Mia to her friends) was the daughter of a minister and the eldest of eight children. At twenty-eight years of age she married her wealthy cousin, Arnold Dickin, and gave up her job — she owned a successful voice production studio — to look after her new household and assume the role of society wife. Horrified by the plight of the animals in London’s poverty-stricken East End, Dickin explained that “the suffering and misery of these poor uncared for creatures was a revelation to me. I had no idea it existed and it