Four: Stoker Petty Officer D. Cozens, Royal Navy

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (D. Couzens, Lg. Sto., H.M.S. Pearl); British War Medal 1914-20 (150731 D. Cozens, S.P.O., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (David Cozens, Ldg. Sto. 1 Cl., H.M.S. Pearl); Russia, Medal for Zeal, Nicholas II, small, silver (150731 D. Cozens, Sto. P.O., H.M.S. Jupiter) officially impressed naming, on modern ‘St. Stanislaus’ ribbon, note variation in spelling of surname, some contact marks, very fine and better (4) £550-650

Ex Douglas-Morris Collection, D.N.W. 16 October 1996.

David Cozens was born in Lyme Regis, Dorset on 29 July 1867. A Labourer by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 2 August 1889. He was advanced to Stoker in September 1890 when on H.M.S. Himalaya and Leading Stoker in June 1901 when on H.M.S. Britannia. He served on H.M.S. Pearl, December 1901-November 1904, qualifying for the Q.S.A., being promoted to Leading Stoker 1st Class in June 1902 and being awarded the L.S. & G.C. in September 1904. He attained the rank of Stoker Petty Officer in July 1906 when on H.M.S. Blake and was pensioned ashore on 3 August 1911. Cozens joined the R.F.R. in November 1911 and was recalled to the Royal Navy on 2 August 1914. As Stoker Petty Officer he served on the old battleship H.M.S. Jupiter, August 1914-May 1915.

In January 1915 the Admiralty received a request for assistance from the Russian Government, their icebreaker used to keep open the passage to Archangel in the White Sea had broken down. In response the Royal Navy sent out the Tyne Guard Ship H.M.S. Jupiter, an old Majestic-class battleship. She departed for Archangel in February 1915, freeing en route a number of vessels stuck in the ice, occasionally by using explosive charges. She, too, sometimes became icebound, but still managed to make a major impression on the problem, improving the safe passage of numerous vessels, many of them laden with highly important war materials, among them the S.S. Thracia. The latter was taken in tow after the use of explosive charges to free her. Throughout these operations it was not unusual for the temperature to fall as low as minus 20 degrees, a hard test indeed on the morale and well being of the Jupiter’s crew. Her mission completed by May 1915, the Tzar expressed his gratitude by the presentation of a variety of Russian Honours and Awards to her crew. For his part, Cozens was awarded the Russian Medal for Zeal.

After this, Cozens served on the light cruiser H.M.S. Constance, January-July 1916, on which ship he served at the battle of Jutland. He was demobilised on 31 December 1918. With copied service papers and other research.