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.

20 May 1941

Departed Plymouth for the Clyde

21 May 1941

Arrived at Greenock

22 May 1941

Left Clyde for Gibraltar – Convoy WS8B (7 merchant ships which dispersed off Aden 4 July 1941 for Suez ) to Indian Ocean with troop reinforcements.  Other ships – CARIO, ERIDGE, MAORI, SIKH, ZULU, RCN ships RESTIGOUCHE, OTTAWA: Polish ship ORP PIORUN. Rendezvous Oversay 6 miles. (Oversay is the lighthouse on the southern end of Islay)

24 May 1941

F.W. Condor attacks convoy at 0827. Flies low between two western columns from astern. Aircraft engaged by ships of convey and escort.

0828 Two bombs close to liner ABOSSO stopped their port engine. Convoy delayed for repair. (One source states this was the 23rd May)

28 May 1941

en route to Loch Ewe with KING GEORGE V and ZULU

29 May 1941

Arrived at Loch Ewe (Aultbrea)

30 May 1941

Departed Loch Ewe at 0300 in company of ESKIMO, INGLEFIELD, JUPITER, KING GEORGE V, LANCE, NESTOR, PUNJABI, SOMALI and ZULU for Scapa Flow.

01 June 1941

Extract from Chapter 7 ‘Action this Day’ by Sir Philip Vian indicates COSSACK was dispatched to operate from Plymouth against E-boats. It was at this time a POM POM gun was fitted either side of the Signal Bridge.

Departed Scapa Flow to escort convoy WS9A to the Clyde in company with MAORI, SIKH and ZULU.

02 June 1941

Arrived at the Clyde

03 June 1941

Departed the Clyde as part of escort to convoy WS9A

07 June 1941

(Approximately) COSSACK sinks submarine. (Bill Yeo, Maritime Gunner 6th Regiment – Tales of the Sea The Maritime Gunner Issue 1 Summer 2008)

Dispatched from convoy and believed to be at Londonderry until 9 June 1941

14 June 1941

Arrived in the Clyde with ARGUS, FURIOUS, MAORI, SIKH, and Greek liner NEA HELLAS

17 June 1941

Deployed as escort for HMS Victorious from Gibraltar.

20 June 1941

Arrived at the Clyde and despatched to Scapa Flow for Home Fleet Duties

23 June 1941

Departed the Clyde

28 June 1941

Met and escorted convoy TC11 from Halifax ( Troops form Canada)

30 June 1941

Arrived at the Clyde at 0800

01 July 1941

Departed the Clyde

(Another source shows 2 July at Plymouth 3 July to 10 July under repair at Devonport)

03 July 1941

Joined Convoy WS9A as local escort during passage in NW Approaches. Other ships in attendance: CARIO, MAORI, OTTAWA (RCN), RESTIGOUCHE (RCN), RAMSEY, RICHMOND, SIKH, VANQUISHER, ZULU AND WINCHELSEA.

07 July 1941

Returned to the Clyde

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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