During the 2nd WW the ship was adopted by Beckenham, Kent. As the sister of Lt Cmdr P Vian (Later Admiral) – Marian Vian had a school in Beckenham named after her. Reg Morrison passed the 11 plus whilst attending in 1942. A plaque marking the adoption was put up in the town hall. This building was demolished in 1991 to make way for a supermarket. The area is now under the London Borough of Bromley.

HMS Cossack F03

The 5th of its name - HMS Cossack

Battle Honours

Baltic 1855

Witu 1890
Dover Patrol 1914-1919
Narvik 1940
Norway 1940
Atlantic 1940-1941
Bismarck Action 1941
Malta Convoys 1941

Pennant Numbers

L03 May 1938 – December 1938
F03 January 1939 – 5 May 1940
G03 5 May 1940 – October 1941

Ships colours – claret and light blue

As told by R.E. Morrison of Penge.

The most famous of all the ships named Cossack she played a major role in the second world war. She was forever appearing in the daily newspapers that she earned the nickname – “The Daily Mirror Ship”.

You can read about her exploits n freeing 299 merchant seamen from the German prison ship ALTMARK and find out who they were.   You can find out how she fared at the second battle of Narvik and how she was supported by the people of the Lofoten Islands until battle damage had been repaired. You can see how Cossack was involved with the sinking of the Bismark and marvel at what the ships company went through on the Malta convoys.

Although she carried three pennant numbers during her life she is fondly remembered as “L03”

Hidden Gems

The HMS Cossack 1938-1941 was accepted on 10 June 1938 and dented, whilst coming alongside the jetty in Portsmouth on 12 June 1938.

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1806-1816

This is the account of the first vessel named HMS Cossack, a title that would be passed on to five later ships and commemorated by the Royal Navy in the Cossack Building at HMS Raleigh.

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1854-1875

The second Cossack was originally ordered by Russia for the Black Sea Fleet in December 1852 at a cost of 290,000 silver roubles. However, when relations between Britain and Russia deteriorated, Russia sold the vessels to the Hamburg trading firm Henry Mersk & Co.

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1886-1905

This account covers the third vessel named HMS Cossack. Launched on 3 June 1886 and in service until 1905, she spent the majority of her career in the Far East, calling at India, Aden, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and other ports.

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1907-1919

The fourth HMS Cossack received the first Battle Honour for participating in operations along the Belgian coast from 17 October to 8 November 1914. This section contains copies of the original construction contract and detailed plans showing her launch, deck arrangements, and machinery.

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1938-1941

Credited with battle honours including Baltic 1855, Witu 1890, Dover Patrol 1914–1919, Narvik 1940, Norway 1940, Atlantic 1940–1941, the Bismarck Action 1941, and the Malta Convoys 1941, the HMS Cossack in service from 1938 to 1941 was a formidable presence.

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1944-1960

During Warship Week in February 1942, the town of Esher raised £1,192,211, contributing to the construction of the warship HMS Cossack. The funds were collected by the public depositing money into a rubber-type float in a pool. Remarkably, the surplus was enough to fund a submarine as well. The story continues.

Anchor crest

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