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

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Rank: Stoker

Remarks: Stoker. January 1939 to March 1940?

Rank: Able Seaman

Remarks: Able Seaman. October 1939 to March 1940?

Rank: ERA/ Chief ERA

Remarks: ERA/Chief ERA January 1939 to March 1940?

Pay Book Number: P/JX 136296
Rank: Able Seaman

Remarks: Able Seaman P/JX 136296 On loan from AURORA for Altmark incident. Gained DSM

Rank: Petty Officer

Remarks: Petty Officer. October 1939 to March 1940?

Berthon Edward Lyon
Rank: Captain

Remarks: Captain. DSC*. (Succeeded Vian) 10 July 1941 - Killed 23.10.41 Age 47 Previous ship KEITH sunk at Dunkirk. Lived at ‘Moorings’ Home Farm Close Esher. Married Miss Doris Brown in 1930 at Wimbledon and had a son ( Aged 6 in 1941). Joined the RN 1907 and made Lt in 1947. Gained DSC during 1st WW for sinking a submarine in the Mediterranean. Promoted to Commander in 1920. 1930 found him in Auckland. New Zealand followed by a destroyer flotilla at Portsmouth. In 1935 was on CRUSADER which visited the Thames during Jubilee Year. Was promoted to Captain in 1936 and appointed to WINCHESTER. Took charge of the naval establishment at Ceylon in 1938. When the war started he was appointed Captain of the Dover Patrol where his ship was sunk at Dunkirk. A mention in despatches and COSSACK followed. Other ships WILD SWAN.

Born 15 September 1894 – Demerera British Guiana.
15 September 1916 Lt
15 September 1924 Lt Cdr
31 December 1929 Cdr
30 June 1937 Captain

Decorations
22 June 1917 DSC
23 July 1918 Bar to DSC
16 August 1940 Mentioned in
Dispatches
25 November 1941 DSO (Posthumous)

Documents:

Gallery:

Remarks: LTO (Mentioned by Landrigan)

Rank: Ordinary Seaman

Remarks: Ordinary Seaman. January 1939 to March 1939?

Rank: Chief Yeoman of Signals

Remarks: Chief Yeoman of Signals. Transferred to COSSACK with Captain Vian. Joined the RN aged 15 in 1920 and died in 1958

Rank: Yeoman of Signals

Remarks: Yeoman of Signals. January 1939 to March 1940?

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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