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: Stoker

Remarks: Stoker. January 1939 to March 1940?

Pay Book Number: P/JX 146508
Rank: Able Seaman. Acting Leading Seaman. (Temporary)

Remarks: Onboard as an Able Seaman at October 1939. Senior ASDIC rating. DSM. (London Gazette 25 November 1941 - page 6772) for Operations Style and Substance).
Died on HMS Legion (Buried at sea from HMS Carnation 24.10.41). Age 22 (single).
Son of Frank and May of Wolverhampton. Sister Mrs. Eileen Codd.
Cyril attended St Peter’s in 1931 followed by his sister a year later.
Parents ran The Summerfield., New Hampton Road West, Whitmore Reans, in 1921. Butlers, who owned the pub then, had let Cyril’s parents stay there, putting up with the mess and keeping the pub open, while they did a big modernisation, kicking them out when the job was finished and putting in a younger man. Cyril’s father, Frank with wife May, moved to the Coach and Horses, Snow Hill, and later to the Criterion, in the centre of the town.
Able Seaman Lambe was on the bridge at the time of the attack, and was seriously injured but swam for some time through the oily seas to be picked up by HMS Carnation. Because HMS Legion had a surgeon lieutenant on board it was decided to ship all the seriously wounded by small boat to the Destroyer. it seems that Able Seaman Lambe was still alive when picked up and that only one of the wounded died on HMS Legion.  Eileen said how her brother was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and that her mother and father were invited to Buckingham Palace to the investiture. May, Eileen’s mother went forward to receive the medal from His Majesty King George IV who asked her if she was there by herself. She said, no, that her husband was in the crowd at the back of the room. His Majesty had Frank, May’s husband, brought forward and said to him. “You should be up here, to share his honour.”
 
Frank and May Lambe, Cyril’s parents presented a pew to be placed in the Lady Chapel of St. Peter’s Church.

Pay Book Number: P/JX 146508
Rank: Acting Leading Seaman
Relation: Cyril’s father, Frank with wife May, moved to the Coach and Horses, Snow Hill, and later to the Criterion, in the centre of the town.

Remarks: Acting Leading Seaman. (Temporary.) Onboard as an Able Seaman at October 1939. Senior ASDIC rating. DSM. ((London Gazette 25 November 1941page 6772) for Operations Style and Substance) P/JX 146508. Died on HMS Legion (Buried at sea from HMS Carnation 24.10.41) Age 22 (single) Son of Frank and May of Wolverhampton . Sister Mrs. Eileen Codd. Cyril attended St Peter’s in 1931 followed by his sister a year later. Parents ran The Summerfield., New Hampton Road West, Whitmore Reans, in 1921. Butlers, who owned the pub then, had let Cyril’s parents stay there, putting up with the mess and keeping the pub open, while they did a big modernisation, kicking them out when the job was finished and putting in a younger man. Cyril’s father, Frank with wife May, moved to the Coach and Horses, Snow Hill, and later to the Criterion, in the centre of the town.
Able Seaman Lambe was on the bridge at the time of the attack, and was seriously injured but swam for some time through the oily seas to be picked up by HMS Carnation. Because HMS Legion had a surgeon lieutenant on board it was decided to ship all the seriously wounded by small boat to the Destroyer. it seems that Able Seaman Lambe was still alive when picked up and that only one of the wounded died on HMS Legion. Eileen said how her brother was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and that her mother and father were invited to Buckingham Palace to the investiture. May, Eileen’s mother went forward to receive the medal from His Majesty King George IV who asked her if she was there by herself. She said, no, that her husband was in the crowd at the back of the room. His Majesty had Frank, May’s husband, brought forward and said to him. “You should be up here, to share his honour.”

Frank and May Lambe, Cyril’s parents presented a pew to be placed in the Lady Chapel of St. Peter’s Church

Pay Book Number: P/X 9603 B
Rank: Seaman RNR. Acting Leading Seaman.

Remarks: Seaman RNR. Acting Leading Seaman. Temporary. P/X 9603 B. (Missing presumed Killed 23.10.41)

Pay Book Number: P/X9603 B
Rank: Seaman RNR. Acting Leading Seaman. Temporary.

Remarks: Missing presumed Killed 23.10.41.

Pay Book Number: D/JX 152760 or D/JX 184859
Rank: Ordinary Seaman

Remarks: Ordinary Seaman. Torpedoman. D/JX 152760 or D/JX 184859. 1939 BISMARK, ALTMARK incident, Narvik. Was preparing depth charges at time the torpedo hit. (Survivor picked up by Fleur de Lys discharged to HMS Victory taking passage in HMS Rodney) Left RN 1945 to become a road haulage contractor. Died 24 April 2000

Rank: Able Seaman

Remarks: Able Seaman. October 1939 to March 1940?

Rank: Leading Seaman

Remarks: Leading Seaman. Joined as Able Seaman 1938 to 1940. Died November 2000

Rank: Leading Seaman
When Allotted: 1938

Remarks: Joined as Able Seaman 1938 to 1940.
Died November 2000.

Rank: Ordinary Seaman

Remarks: Ordinary Seaman. October 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.

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