Roderick Cosmo Gordon DSO, RN

Birth details unknown

Ranks

15 May 1922S.Lt.
15 Mar 1924Lt.
15 Mar 1932Lt.Cdr.
30 Jun 1938Cdr.


Retired: 17 Feb 1952

Decorations

14 Jan 1941DSO

Warship Commands listed for Roderick Cosmo Gordon, RN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
HMS Wolverine (D 78)Cdr.Destroyer31 Jul 193927 Nov 1939
HMS Intrepid (D 10)Cdr.Destroyer28 Nov 193916 Sep 1941
HMS Savage (G 20)Cdr.Destroyer15 Mar 194311 Dec 1943

Career information

We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.

Events related to this officer

Destroyer HMS Intrepid (D 10)


9 May 1940
The minelaying destroyers HMS Express (Cdr. J.G. Bickford, DSC, RN), HMS Esk (Lt.Cdr. R.J.H. Couch, RN) and HMS Intrepid (Cdr. R.G. Gordon, RN) lay 180 mines in known German swept channels in oparation XMG.

31 Aug 1940
On 31 August 1940 a group of destroyers sailed from Immingham on a minelaying mission off the Dutch coast. The minelayers were from the 20th Destroyer Flotilla and consisted of the destroyers HMS Express (Cdr. J.G. Bickford, DSC, RN), HMS Esk (Lt.Cdr. R.J.H. Couch, DSC, RN), HMS Icarus (Cdr. C.D. Maud, DSC, RN), HMS Intrepid (Cdr. R.C. Gordon, RN) and HMS Ivanhoe (Cdr. P.H. Hadow, RN). The minelayers were escorted by members of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla consisted of the destroyers HMS Kelvin (Cdr. J.H. Allison, DSO, RN), HMS Jupiter (Cdr. D.B. Wyburd, RN) and HMS Vortigern (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Howlett, RN). Aerial reconnaissance detected a German force and the ships of the 20th and 5th DF were ordered to intercept, beliving wrongly that the German ships were part of an invasion force. HMS Express struck a mine and was badly damaged, HMS Esk went to her assistance and hit mine and sank immediately, HMS Ivanhoe also went to her assistance and hit a mine and was badly damaged, so much so she she had to be sunk by HMS Kelvin. The following day they were joined by the light cruisers HMS Aurora (Capt. L.H.K. Hamilton, DSO, RN) and HMS Galatea (Capt. B.B. Schofield, RN) and while returning to base HMS Galatea struck another mine and was slightly damaged off Cleaner Shoal Buoy near the Humber light vessel.

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