The HMS Cossack Association News Page

This section contains news and information on forthcoming events, and developments of interest to association members.

This page is the Main Notice Board which we hope will be read periodically. Since our much missed Bill Bartholomew passed away in March 2007, Peter Harrison has taken on management of the website and, although this may preclude items being posted or updated very often, he will endeavour to maintain a reasonable service.

Although we are keen to get items for 'Cossack Chats' ( comes from the matelots' {sailors} term for Chatham, 'Chatty Chats'), shipmates, the association Newsletter, also edited by Peter Harrison, must go hand-in-hand. More members receive the newsletter than are on the net at present, so a larger audience can be reached within the association. An abridged version of the Newsletter will be included on this website.

We would be delighted to receive any additional pictures - please e-mail as Gif or Jpg files if at all possible, otherwise, let us know if you have something, and we will scan them and insert them.

PLANNING FOR 2010

Both here, with our Association, and in Norway we are making our plans for the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Altmark Incident. In February 1940 men from HMS Cossack boarded the German prison ship Altmark and rescued 299 merchant seaman who had been taken when the battleship Admiral Graf Spee sank their ships in the South Atlantic. We would be pleased to hear from anyone who took part in that action or with personal knowledge of the event.

NEWSLETTER 3/2008

The above Newsletter is now available to download.Click here

SOME NEW PHOTOGRAPHS

Hill Dowsett (a.k.a. Daisy Dowsett) has sent in some photographs from his time on the 1954-55 D57 commission. These can be seen on the 'MEMORIES' page.

THE COSSACK TREE

In 1998 an oak tree was planted at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, Staffordshire. It was dedicated to those who died when HMS Cossack was sunk in 1941 and to all those who served in Cossack (L03)1938 - 1941 and Cossack (D57) 1945 - 1960. They are not forgotten.

The tree planted at the National Memorial Arboretum in 1998 continues to flourish.

Due to deterioration the plaque had to be replaced. This photograph shows the new plaque in place since August 2007.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ALTMARK AND CAPTAIN DAU?

The following was published in the Daily Mail on Wednesday 30th May 2007 and may be of interest.

REUNION 2007

Photographs taken at the reunion in April can now be seen in the REUNION section.

US Naval Retirement Ceremony

During a trip to the USA last year Bill Bartholomew was invited to a Retirement Ceremony and, as few would have seen one, his story has been included together with some photos to the GALLERY page, after the current photos. The photos were all taken by a US Naval Photographer, so our thanks to him, but special thanks to Ken Reichert for his kind invitation.

L03 PHOTOGRAPHS

Thanks to Brian Bagshaw there is now an addition to NARVIK on the HISTORY page, and very clear photos of LO3 RASing on the MEMORIES page. They were left by the late Robert William Reeve (Brian's wife's late stepfather) who was the Coxswain on LO3 during the Altmark incident and the Second Battle of Narvik.

TRIBUTE

A new section has been added to 'IN MEMORIAM', thanks to Norman Drake's son Raymond who supplied the photos. As a survivor of LO3's sinking it is appropriate that his personal respects are displayed there.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW SITE

More photos and other items will be to 'Memories', 'Chats' , 'History' and other pages as time goes by.

As most computer users know, problems sometimes result in loss of e-mails, so if we have not acknowledged receipt or failed to reply to you, we apologise and ask you to contact us again via e-mail.

NEW PHOTOS

Thanks to Nigel Duncan, the son of the late Chief Yeoman of Signals A.G.Duncan we have a couple of new photos of the 1958 - 59 commission on our 'MEMORIES' page.

LEST WE FORGET

Peter Marchant after planting a Cross in memory of HMS COSSACK 's Ships Companies - 2005

Peter Marchant's tribute in the Field of Remembrance - 2006(Cossack crest in centre)

PHOTOS

A couple of additions to the 'Gallery', taken by Finn Nesvold, have been sent from Norway and are now included in 'The Norwegian Connection'.

There are now more new photos on 'Memories' and 'Gallery'.

Due to the Bill's hard drive crash a while back, and the subsequent partial losses, some of the photos may be incorrectly titled. If you see that are please inform us, together with the correct identification. Should you recognise anyone on the sites without a name, the same applies.

ADDITIONS TO THE ALTMARK INCIDENT

Thanks to Andrew Featherstone, the great, great, nephew of Albert, 'Raggy' Marshall, and Malcolm Pratt, the nephew of Norman Pratt some human interest has been added to the Altmark story, which can be found on the 'HISTORY' page.

MEMBERS

The 'MEMBERS' page has now been updated.

THE BISMARCK

A personal account of the Bismarck action by Eric Farmer, who was a Telegraphist on LO3 at the time, can now be accessed from the 'HISTORY' page. The photo of Eric holding a German flag (probably from the ALTMARK, as he was there), is also shown. Both items came from his grandaughter, Sallyann Pagett, to whom I send my thanks.

IN MEMORIAM

This page remembers all those members of the L03 ship's company who died during the war.

REUNION AND NEWSLETTER PHOTOS

To reduce the size of this page an extra one has been created titled 'REUNIONS'. Photos from future Newsletters (if required) and coming Reunions will be found on it.

CUTLASSES

The subject of cutlasses being used by the Cossack's boarding party on the Altmark, arises from time to time. A question in the Daily Mail of the 17th June 2003 was spotted by one of our sharp-eyed members, Richard O'Clee, and rang our Secretary. Noted for his quick responses, he quickly laid the rumour to rest as far as he could, but of course, once rumours such as this spread the romantic idea is preferred, and the truth frequently suffers.

Maybe the Germans started the legend as their notice, put up at the site, translates as 'Here on 16th Feb. 1940 the Altmark was set upon by British sea-pirates' - photo on the 'HISTORY' page. The original is in the Airborne Forces Museum at Aldershot, Hampshire.

Answer published in the Daily Mail 20th June 2003

CAN'T SETTLE IN CIVVY LIFE ?

Go to 'CHATS', the solution can be found there! Click here: Chats

PHOTOS

Thanks to HMS LONDON Association for the photo of D57 delivering despatches to the LONDON, and to Harry (Lofty) Harrington, for another photo of the 1951 D57 Ship's Co. Harry is the bearded Chief on the extreme left, second row. They are both on view on the 'MEMORIES' page.

2nd BATTLE of NARVIK - Ron Maynard's story

Lt. Cdr. R.C. Maynard, RNVR, served on LO3 as an Ordinary Signalman, RNVR. During the battle he spent most of his time on the bridge and this is his first hand account of that action. Ron, who was our Welfare Officer, died last December (his obituary is in Newsletter 1/2003).

His story can be located by clicking:

THE SINKING OF LO3

A compilation of Survivors stories has been added to the details of the sad loss of LO3, sunk by the U-Boat, U-563 and can be found on the 'GALLERY' page. Click here: Gallery

Anyone who has a news item they would like to be included here, please send them by e-mail to the Secretary:

The HMS Cossack Association cossack.assn@tiscali.co.uk

For further information on the association's activities, an abridged version of the last two HMS Cossack association newsletters are available for download by clicking on the buttons below.

Note: The newsletter is in PDF format, which should be compatible with most systems, however, if you are having difficulty reading the file, you can obtain a free Adobe Acrobat reader from their website (www.adobe.com)

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