RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1971 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/z029vt43g # HISTORY OF MILITARY VOLUNTEERS IN H.K. 155 equipment borrowed from the military had to be returned. Numbers fell, and by 1881 it practically ceased to exist. After Hennessy left, an appeal was made for government assistance, and Marsh, the administrator, agreed. The Volunteer Corps was disbanded, and a new Volunteer Corps consisting of two companies of Artillery was formed in November 1882, on a new basis which gave the volunteers more official standing.9 The Volunteer Ordinance No. 18 of 1882 regulated the reorganised body. The second and third Hong Kong Volunteer Corps spanned the period in which a renewed interest was taken in the volunteer movement in Britain. There had always been volunteer forces in Britain, especially during the Great War with France 1793-1814, but these then fell almost entirely into abeyance until 1859 when, because of a national panic arising from the hostile tone of the French Army and Government, and what was considered by many to be the defenceless state of the country, they were revived chiefly as rifle volunteers but partly as light horse, artillery and engineers.10 The large Volunteer Force that was formed at that time continued in being, gave valuable help to 9 Endacott, p. 179. 10 Sir J. W. Fortescue's County Lieutenancies and the Army gives a full account of the various forces raised at this period. More recently, an excellent account of one county's volunteer units is given in C. T. Atkinson's The Royal Hampshire Regiment, Volume 1, up to 1914, (the University Press, Glasgow, 1950, at pp. 375-377 and 430-435). Mr. Atkinson's account provides interesting background and comparison for the present article. He states that "like the original Volunteers of 1793-1814 the new corps provided their own arms and equipment and served at their own cost, except if called out for actual service. Volunteers were therefore normally of some substance, well-paid artisans, shopkeepers, clerks or even small professional men or manufacturers; people who normally stood aloof from national defence, they did not join the Militia and were equally unlikely to enlist in the Regulars or to aspire to a commission." Originally formed in many independent single-company corps, the volunteers were gradually converted into definite battalions and, later (1888) into volunteer infantry brigades. As with volunteer corps everywhere, opinions differed as to their need and usefulness, particularly in time of peace and, as Atkinson says, "it wanted enthusiasm, determination and devotion to carry on with the volunteer movement in those discouraging days, (in the 1870s and 1880s) and the country owes much to the officers and men who persevered." In Britain, the volunteers were converted into the Territorial Force on 1st April, 1908 and organised on the pattern of the Regulars into divisions and yeomanry brigades. Like the volunteers, the Territorial Force was specifically designed for home defence. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1985 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/gt54s866x 213 As a result of the day's action, the Company was almost wiped out but with the odds heavily against it, it had covered itself in glory. But courage on its own, sadly, had not been enough. Details of the Warrant Officer's exploits were not officially known until after the war. Even then records vary slightly, which is not surprising, as there is often some confusion in the heat of battle, and, afterwards, many were not left to tell the tale. However in this case one of the six survivors, speaking on behalf of the group, said it was hard to express how much they owed to Osborn's gallant sacrifice. On 1st April 1946, the posthumous award of the Victoria Cross Britain's highest decoration for conspicuous bravery or devotion in the presence of the enemy was made to CSM H6008 John Robert Osborn. The citation reads: “CSM Osborn was an inspiring example to all throughout the defence, which he assisted so magnificently in maintaining against an overwhelming enemy force, for eight and a half hours, and in his death he displayed the highest quality of heroism and self-sacrifice". Ex-Grenadier Harry Atkinson told me that Sergeant Pugsley, who is now dead, as well as Corporal Hall, were both there when Osborn threw himself on the grenade. Atkinson also said it was, in his opinion, a well deserved Victoria Cross and Osborn was a brave man. Osborn left a wife, Margaret Elizabeth, and a family who then lived at Saint Vital, Manitoba, Canada. Some members of the family now live in Winnipeg. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1985 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/gt54s866x 215 Osborn knew his job although he tended to stick to the book: he did not lose his temper, nevertheless he stood no nonsense. Manchester continued: "He was both strict and straight, and he did his best to set an example and to 'make something' of his men.” Osborn was also said to be ‘gentlemanly' and a good ‘mess man'. As Manchester pointed out: "Jack Osborn was a moderate drinker and not a 'womaniser'." In short, while as a sergeant major he had few friends, he was looked up to by his men. Having walked in the Tai Tam Country Park many times, with instructions from Harry Atkinson (he was just over the ridge, so he told me, on the day of the battle), I found the location where, 44 years before, Osborn and his brave band made their last stand. It is situated on a knoll, which is now overgrown with bushes, at the foot of Jardine's Lookout, not far from Stanley Gap. It was a lovely, peaceful December day when I visited the place, although there was a considerable amount of building construction going on on the hill opposite. But it was easy to believe that, somewhere on that hill, was a fitting place for the remains of a hero to lie. D.D. WATERS ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1987 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/rx919b522 105 ALPHABETICAL LIST OF PERSONS BURIED IN THE PROTESTANT CEMETERY, MAKATI, RIZAL TO BE TRANSFERRED TO MANILA MEMORIAL PARK Date of death Name Date of death Name 12.6.1944 AARON, Margaret Tyre ADAMS, Henry Not known AEROBE (baby) 26.4.1886 AHR-LEGER, Suzanne 5.10.1919 AITKEN, Charles H W 2.3.1921 AITKEN, Mary Louise 29.10.1952 ALFON, Jose 21.4.1919 ALKAN, Camille 3.10.1915 ALLEN, George 15.4.1906 ALLINSON, James 20.5.1918 AMER, Basserody 14.11.1904 AMOLOCHITIS, John 30.6.1962 ANDERSON, James 20.11.1936 ANDERSON, William 6.4.1908 Roberts ANDREWS, James 27.1.1894 ANDREWS, Richard 31.8.1900 Montgomerie Henry ARMSTRONG, George 12.11.1920 ATKINSON, Dorothy 20.6.1925 AULE, John 30.9.1889 AYLETT, William 20.8.1880 BAALK, Emil Ch. M 13.8.1878 BACKHOUSE, C 18.3.1903 BAEL, Joe 25.9.1919 BAENZIGER, Gustav Adolph 27.10.1899 BALLEY, George 3.9.1909 BARKAS, Gabriel 25.4.1938 BARNES (still-born) 25.1.1923 BARNETT, Edward 8.5.1936 BARR, Robert 24.1.1926 BARRIOS, Raphael Plaza 28.4.1960 BATCHELLOR, John 8.1920 BAUEN, G William Not known BENZIE, John M 12.5.1925 BERGACKER, Johanna Maria 3.10.1963 BERNARD, Son of M L 8.7.1881 BERNSTEIN, Simon 13.3.1900 BETZ, Max 11.9.1882 BIERMANN, Fritz 12.1903 BINDER, Heinrich 22.8.1892 BIRD, Isaac J BLACK, John Gordon 22.2.1870 BLANCO, Emilio Palomov 6.8.1964 BOIE, Reinhold 14.9.1896 BLAIR, William A BLOCH, Leon Not known BOLLWILL, DE 6.7.1887 BOLTON, Edwin 10.12.1920 BONIFACE, Mark Graham 15.1.1945 BOUNTIFF, Eliza 13.11.1918 BOWER, I H 19.3.1899 BRAMHALL, J C 7.5.1868 BRAMMER, Agnes 26.8.1902 BARMMER, Heinrich 2.9.1898 BRAMMER, Otto Franz Ernst Rudolf Hugo 15.9.1893 BRAMMER, Pauline 8.10.1901 BRAMMER, Richard 20.11.1900 BRAMWELL, Geoffrey 17.1.1915 BRAUN, Max Francis 12.4.1909 BREMER, Adelisa 25.1.1962 BREMER, Ann Marie 25.9.1961 BREMER, Dennis 30.11.1941 BRENNER, Issac 2.9.1915 BRETTHAUER, G Luísa Gonzales de 6.1903 BRIGENDIRE, Maria 10.1.1945 BROUGH, Robert BRIDGE, Harry 27.12.1922 BROOK, John Evans 24.2.1902 BROWN, Bright 18.6.1921 16.12.1913 ================================================================================