06 July 1940

Departed Scapa Flow at 0215 to find and escort damaged submarine SHARK to Rosyth. (SHARK was captured before the force arrived)

Whilst off Denmark German ME110s attacked and shot down two British Bleneims. (M254 and N254). 1214 COSSACK picked up three airmen before being attacked by HE111s.

ADM 1 / 10830 – Awards to Members of the crew of HMS Cossack – Humane Society –At 1050 a British aircraft was shot down by enemy fighters and crashed near HMS Cossack. Sgt Johnstone was thrown out of the plane as sit struck the water. Cossack stopped about 100 yards short of the aircraft and Lt Gretton immediately jumped fully clothed into the water, which was thick with petrol, to assist the sergeant to safely reach the ship. This was regardless of the fact that Cossacks propellers were still in motion and that the ship may have to leave the scene if enemy aircraft arrived leaving him and the plane crew behind. Lt Gretton was awarded the Royal Humane Society Testimonial on Vellum.

Rosyth (There are some minor discrepancies between sources for the dates 6 to 8 July)

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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