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

Ships Company

Start typing to discover family names.

Rank: Boy Seaman
Relation: He was married to Edna and had a daughter

Remarks: Boy Seaman. Onboard at January 1939. Altmark Incident.
(Commander MBE Served 1937 -1972 in Ganges,
Ramillies, Shikari, Resource, Cossack, Pembroke, Golden Eagle, Goathland, Diadem, Lynx, Belfast, Diamond, RN Staff College Greenwich, Deputy Captain of Port Portsmouth.) Died 14 February 2000. Aged 79. John was born in Lincolnshire and was the commander of several ships. He retired and lived on Leicester Road, Glen Parva a civil parish in the Blaby district of Leicestershire, He was married to Edna and had a daughter

Rank: Telegraphist

Remarks: Telegraphist. October 1939 to March 1940?

Grant Nobby Arthur David Henry Lewis
Rank: Able Seaman/Acting Leading Seaman

Remarks: Able Seaman/Acting Leading Seaman. DSM for making secure loose depth charges during a storm . Tied himself to the rail and a loose depth charge and waited for the next watch to come and assist. At Altmark Incident . His wife was a catholic and he wasn't and when he went back after one leave she had bought him a silver cigarette case and had his initials engraved on it. It is flat and on the top where his initials are there is a little place for matches and she asked him to put a Miraculous Medal of the Virgin Mary in it to keep him safe. He did so to please her and also put a photo of his wife with it. A bullet hit it and it is all bent and you can see the impact. He was a bit embarrassed to tell the story .

(COSSACK May 1938 to April 1941. ). See Newsletter 1/2002. Joined the Queens Own Surrey’s Regiment 1924 (Age 14) (Lance Corporal Lewis Gunner) and transferred to the RN 1926 where he served until 1946. Ships include the VINCINT, , BENBOW (1941),NELSON (1929), WARSPITE (1930) QUENN ELIZABETH (1931) VICTORY (1931), HOOD (1932), BLANCHE (1935), DOLPHIN (1936), GREEN WICH (1937) COSSACK ( 1938 TO 1941) BERWICK (1928-1929), VERNON (1942) ALACRITY (1944) GOSLING (1945). Born 27.9.1910. Died November 1993 aged 83

Grant, Arthur David Henry Lewis
Rank: Able Seaman/Acting Leading Seaman.
When Allotted: May 1938

Remarks: DSM for making secure loose depth charges during a storm. Tied himself to the rail and a loose depth charge and waited for the next watch to come and assist.
At Altmark Incident – His wife was a catholic and he wasn't and when he went back after one leave she had bought him a silver cigarette case and had his initials engraved on it. It is flat and on the top where his initials are there is a little place for matches and she asked him to put a Miraculous Medal of the Virgin Mary in it to keep him safe.  He did so to please her and also put a photo of his wife with it. A bullet hit it and it is all bent and you can see the impact.  He was a bit embarrassed to tell the story
Joined the Queens Own Surrey’s Regiment 1924 (Age 14) (Lance Corporal Lewis Gunner) and transferred to the RN 1926 where he served until 1946.
Ships include the ALACRITY, BENBOW (1941), BERWICK (1928-1929), GLENGYLE.
Born 27.9.1910.
Died November 1993 aged 83.

Rank: Ordinary Seaman

Remarks: Ordinary Seaman. January 1939 to March 1939?

Rank: Able Seaman

Remarks: Able Seaman. October 1939 to March 1940?

Rank: Ordinary Seaman

Remarks: Ordinary Seaman. January 1939 to March 1939?

Rank: Ordinary Seaman

Remarks: Ordinary Seaman. October 1939 to March 1940?

Pay Book Number: P/KX 119199
Rank: Stoker 2nd Class

Remarks: Stoker 2nd Class. P/KX 119199. (Survivor discharged to Military hospital and HMS Cormorant) (Not listed as wounded or injured in the Official Admiralty Communique of 1941)

Pay Book Number: P/FX 76200
Rank: Stoker 2nd Class
Relation: Son James and Margaret Green

Remarks: Stoker 2nd Class. 1st Class. P/FX 76200. (Born Ednam – Scotland) (Missing presumed killed 23.10.41) Age 20 (single) Son James and Margaret Green

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.

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