Officers and crew of HMS Cottesmore.
CHART TWO, (Part off) showing firing of star shells.
Letter from Act. Sub Lieut. B. R. Bulberk, following his promotion to full Lieutenant and leaving the Cottesmore, in which he says, "my own step up the ladder owes more than a little to you." Lieutenant Bulbeck goes on to encourage Gordon Catt to get his Commission and calling him "the finest Navigator's Yeoman afloat!"
CHART TWO: Produced by Gordon Catt while serving on HMS Cottesmore. It shows HMS Cottesmore in combat with enemy vessels, sinking one enemy supply ship and three torpedo boats, with one damaged.
CHART ONE: Produced by Gordon Catt while serving on HMS Cottesmore. It shows an encounter with enemy Schnellboots (E-boats) fast torpedo boats.
Gordon Catt, served on HMS Cottesmore during World War Two and was Mentioned in Dispatches.
Ships Officer’s reference.“Gordon Catt served for five years as this ships Navigator’s Yeoman. He has proved himself a most excellent type of rating, extremely conscientious, hard working and reliable. His knowledge of chart work and pilotage is considerable. For the past few years all the correction of charts in the ship, has been in his hands, and at sea he has been responsible for manning the combined chart house and pilot in action or when in pilotage waters. He has been “mentioned in despatches”.
HMS Cottesmore, May 5-6th 1943, Operation KL1.
00:13, E boats reported from St Catherine’s (Point, Isle of Wight).The red line is the E-boats course.
HMS Cottesmore leaves Portsmouth area on Operation KL1. The blue line is HMS Cottesmore's course.
02:03, E-boats twice cross the Cottesmore’s course.
HMS Cottesmore searches for the e-boats.
02:43 E-boats retire to Cherbourg in German occupied France.
HMS Cottesmore searches close to the French coast near Fecamp and Cap d’Antifer (north of La Havre”)
HMS Cottesmore fires star shells to help with her search.
Gordon Catt.
HMS Cottesmore
Photographs, Charts and information by kind permission of Jon Catt, whose father Gordon Catt served on HMS Cottesmore.
Gordon Catt, P/JX2203555, is in the 4th row 5th on the left. (circled)
HMS Cottesmore L78. Notice in this photograph the number "78" has been concealed for security reasons.
HMS Cottesmore
CHART TWO, (Part off) showing action off Cherbourg Peninsular, the Cottesmore opening fire and the enemy shore battery's firing.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 1st January 1945, where "Able Seaman Gordon Roy Catt, P/JX220355" was Mentioned in Despatches.
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HMS Cottesmore, Oct 13 -14th.
Operation Kevs. 1 enemy supply ship heavily escorted.
Result:
(a) Supply ship sunk.
(b) 3 Torpedo boats probably sunk.
(c) 1 Torpedo Boat damaged.
20:53, Cottesmore leaves Dartmouth.
21:49, Cottesmore is off Start Point Lighthouse, South Devon.
00:50, Cottesmore opens fire at enemy vessels, off the Cherbourg Peninsular, German occupied France.
Shore batteries near Cherbourg open fire.
01:16, There is an explosion.
01:26, Cottesmore continues firing at enemy vessels.
05:25, Fired star shells at two MTB ? (not known if friend or foe.)
06:06 Fired star shells at MTB’s (Friendly)
Two copies each to C in C Portsmouth
C in C Plymouth
C in C Nore.