James Henry Cooke

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Panel 76, Column 2

HMS Egret

HMS Egret, a Royal Navy sloop, became the first ship ever to be sunk by a guided missile. She was built by J. Samuel White at Cowes, Isle of Wight, launched on 31 May 1938, and entered service on 11 November that year. Early in the war, Egret served in the Indian Ocean and North Sea and took part in the Norway campaign and Operation Torch – the allied landings in French North Africa. In 1943, Egret remained on escort duty protecting convoys to and from North Africa. In August 1943, while escorting MKF 20 from Gibraltar, Egret and her escort group were detailed to relieve 40 EG which was operating against U-boats traversing the Bay of Biscay.

On 27 August 1943 the 40th Support Group was relieved by the 1st Support Group, consisting of Egret together with the sloop Pelican and the frigates Jed, Rother, Spey and Evenlode. The group was attacked by a squadron of 18 Dornier Do 217 carrying Henschel glide bombs. Egret was sunk with the loss of 194 of her crew including Ordinary Seaman James Henry Cooke from Retford and Leading Cook Francis Bert Watson from Willoughby on the Wolds. Four RAF Y-Service electronics specialists on board with electronic surveillance equipment designed to monitor Luftwaffe bomber communications, also died in the attack, bringing the total killed to 198. (Wikipedia)

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