COOK Albert

Appears on the Royal Navy casualties list for Worcestershire.

A letter from Albert Cook’s sibling, J.W. Cook, 5 Worth Crescent, Stourport on Severn dated 27th March 1952 can be found within war records held at Worcestershire Archives requesting that Albert Cook be added to the county roll of honour. The letter gives the information: Albert Cook, Stoker 1st Class, Royal Navy, HMS Dorsetshire, Service No D/KX126557, 5th April 1942.

HMS Dorsetshire and her sister ship HMS Cornwall sailed from Colombo, Ceylon on 4th April 1942. At around 1340 on 5th April the two ships were spotted by aircraft from a Japanese Aircraft Carrier in the vicinity. Three aircraft attacked HMS Cornwall, dropping their bombs at a low altitude. At the same time a separate formation of three aircraft attacked the Dorsetshire. Despite avoiding action taken by the ship’s crew, three bombs hit the ship and successive waves of aircraft scored further hits on the stricken ship. Within minutes of the initial attack, the ship sunk with the loss of 234 men. Several hundred men survived in the shark infested waters and were picked up the following day by allied ships.

Albert Cook has no known grave, the photograph available shows his name on Plymouth Naval Memorial.