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

Year by Year

Discover the history of the HMS Cossack from 1938 to 1941.

You can search the ‘year’ and ‘month’ to find a specific date and also ‘click’ on the date itself to reveal any images and moments from that date.

24 July 1940

0930 COSSACK and other ships revert to 4 hours notice.  (The enemy force was attacked by 9 Skuas of 801 Squadron and 6 Swordfish of 823 Squadron. The minelayers completed their task and returned safely)

02 August 1940

0800 The Home Fleet was reorganised. Consisted of COSSACK, FAME, FORTUNE, MAORI, SIKH, and ZULU. Temporary attached were FIREDRAKE, FURY and FOXHOUND (on return to England).

Pennant number changed to G03. 3 August 1940

06 August 1940

Departed Scapa Flow at 1700 with SIKH to carryout anti submarine in Fair Island Channel. No contacts made.

07 August 1940

Met convoy WN5 in the Minches near Troddy Island and escorted it to Pentland Firth

08 August 1940

At 1515 COSSACK and SIKH joined convoy OA 195 to escort it to Cape Wrath.

09 August 1940

COSSACK and SIKH arrived at Scapa Flow at 0240

10 August 1940

0830 COSSACK in company with DUNCAN, MAORI and SIKH departed Scapa Flow to join convoy OA 196.  The destroyers stay with convoy as far as Cape Wrath then proceed to Loch Alsh for minelaying operation SN13

11 August 1940

Departed Loch Alsh as part of escort with MAORI, SIKH and DUNCAN for ships of the 1st Minelaying Squadron whilst they laid mines in the northern sector of the East coast Mine Barrier – Operation SN13.

13 August 1940

Returned to Scapa Flow at 0700

16 August 1940

COSSACK in company of HOOD, MAORI, SIKH and VORTIGERN departed Scapa Flow at 0620 for Rosyth arriving the same day.

19 August 1940

Departed Rosyth

25 August 1940

Arrived at Rosyth for docking and repairs

11 September 1940

Undocked to complete on 13 September 1940.

13 September 1940

Reported repairs delayed owing to defect in feed system.

01 October 1940

Following trials after repair she resumed flotilla duties

13 October 1940

Departed Firth of Forth in the evening with ASHANTI, MAORI and SIKH to attack German convoy off Egero Light Egersund, Norway. Arrived Midnight. German netlayer GENUA (1949 tons) was sunk. Leading Stoker Woods was wounded in the arm when a single shell hit the stern of COSSACK on the Starboard side plating beneath the waterline. (Home Fleet Operation MD) Woods had just taken over from Kellaway and was reporting the fact to the bridge when the incident happened. The ship sustained minor structural…

Departed Firth of Forth in the evening with ASHANTI, MAORI and SIKH to attack German convoy off Egero Light Egersund, Norway. Arrived Midnight. German netlayer GENUA (1949 tons) was sunk. Leading Stoker Woods was wounded in the arm when a single shell hit the stern of COSSACK on the Starboard side plating beneath the waterline. (Home Fleet Operation MD) Woods had just taken over from Kellaway and was reporting the fact to the bridge when the incident happened. The ship sustained minor structural damage to after steering flat and some flooding

14 October 1940

Returned to Rosyth

15 October 1940

Rosyth for repair to rudder damage caused by own torpedo!  The ship rolled heavily at time of launch and the torpedo hit the side of the deck causing it to deviate towards the stern.

25 October 1940

Repairs complete

04 November 1940

Departed Firth of Forth at 1615 in company of BONAVENTURE, BRILLIANT, ELECTRA, MATABELE, MAORI, NAIAD, NELSON, PUNJABI and RODNEY.

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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