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.

29 March 1941

2100 rendezvoused with King George V at 61N 25W.

30 March 1941

1200 ordered to return to Scapa Flow

31 March 1941

British battleship King George V arrived at Scapa Flow with COSSACK, MAORI and ZULU at 1416 from escorting convoy HX 115. (Home Fleet WD) (Tovey’s Diary)

04 April 1941

Departed Scapa Flow at 0900 and arrived at Loch Alsh at 1630

05 April 1941

Departed Loch Alsh for mine laying operation

06 April 1941

Escort for ships of the 1st Minelaying Squadron for Operation SN8 (Minelaying in Northern Barrage).  Other ships ANTHONY, LANCASTER and ST MARY.

08 April 1941

Arrived at Port ZA (Loch Alsh) at 0829 and departed the same

09 April 1941

Arrived at Londonderry to refuel and departed at 1400 to join the HOOD group

11 April 1941

Joined the Hood group at 0800 at 50N 21W.

14 April 1941

Arrived at Scapa Flow at 2230

18 April 1941

Departed Scapa Flow at 1700 in company of KENYA, MAORI and ZULU to relieve battleship KING GEORGE V on BISCAY Patrol. Diverted to  support the cruiser patrol in the Iceland Faeroes passage.

19 April 1941
German Battleship BISMARCK and escort passed the Skaw
21 April 1941

COSSACK in company of HOOD, INGLEFIELD, MAORI and ZULU arrived at Hvalfjord at 0730 and ordered to remain at two hours notice.

25 April 1941

COSSACK and ZULU departed Hvalfjord at 0100 to carry out an anti submarine sweep in advance of the minelayers at field SN 71.

26 April 1941

The mines were laid

29 April 1941

Arrived at Scapa Flow at 2130

30 April 1941

Departed Scapa Flow at 1700 with ZULU en route for Plymouth to join the Plymouth Command to deal with German destroyers and E-boats causing problems to Channel convoys

02 May 1941

Arrived Plymouth for repairs

14 May 1941

Departed from Plymouth.

Dartmouth. (May have been training Midshipmen)

19 May 1941

Departed Dartmouth arriving at Plymouth the same day

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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