Date of birth:

February 7th, 1916 (Market Rasen/Lincolnshire, Great Britain)

Date of death:

February 7th, 1983 (Yeovil/Somerset, Great Britain)

Service number:

565570 (NCO) / 49680 (Officer)

Nationality:

British

Promotions:
1938: Sergeant;
?: Warrant Officer;
May 19th, 1942: Pilot Officer on probation (emergency);
November 19th, 1942: Flying Officer on probation (war subs.);
May 19th, 1944: Flight Lieutenant (war subs.);
June 6th, 1946: Flying Officer;
July 1st, 1946: Flight Lieutenant (seniority November 19th, 1945);
January 1st, 1953: Squadron Leader;
July 1st, 1960: Wing Commander.

Career:
?: Macaulay St School, Grimsby;
?: Wintringham Secondary School, Grimsby;
September 1931: Apprentice, RAF Halton;
July 1934: Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment (MAEE);
March 1936: No. 24 Squadron, Hendon;
?: No. 3 Flying Training School;'
1938: No. 80 Squadron;
1938: No. 33 Squadron;
1941: Instructor No. 71 Operational Training Unit;
September 1942: Test Pilot No. 139 Maintenance Unit, Khartoum;
March 1943: Ministry of Aircraft Production;
May 1943: No. 1 Air Armament Training School;
?: Headquarters, Fighter Command;
?: Headquarters, No. 11 Group;
?: Headquarters, No. 70 Group;
?: Hornchurch;
December 1943: Headquarters, No. 38 Group;
February 1944: No. 150 Airfield;
March 1945: No. 54 Operational Training Unit, Charter;
May 1945: No. 128 Wing;
May 1945 - August 1945: RAF Fighter Wing, Gardermoen, Norway;
?: No. 3 APS, Hawkinge;
March 1946: AHQ, Athens, Greece;
November 1946: MEDME Communications Squadron, Helopolis, Egypt;
January 1947: No. 1 EAAS, Manby;
?: Armament Specialist, Ministry of Supply;
September 1949: RAF Lyneham;
?: RAF Staff College, Andover;
March 1951: HQ, Technical Training Command;
December 1951: RAF Technical College;
August 1952: A & AEE, Boscombe Down;
April 1956: HQ, Task Force "Grapple";
?: No. 160 Wing, Christmas Island;
?: P & EE, Pendine;
?: Air Ministry;
January 1964: Chief Armaments Officer, FEAF, Changi, Singapore;
1966: Headquarters, Bomber Command;
April 1968: Headquarters, Strike Command;
?: RAF Liaison Officer, Portland Naval Base;
February 7th, 1971: Retirement.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Warrant Officer

Unit:

No. 33 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

April 7th, 1942

W/O. Cottingham has served with this unit since December, 1938, and has taken part in operations against the enemy in Greece and the Western Desert.
Since the war began in the Middle East he has destroyed 14 enemy aircraft. He has always shown the greatest determination and devotion to duty."

LG 35514/1557 (7 April 1942).

• - Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 3rd April 1942, Issue 35514, dated 7th April 1942
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 2nd October 1942, Issue 35731, dated 6th October 1942
  - Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 8th January 1943, Issue 35858, dated 12th January 1943
  - Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 6th June 1944, Issue 36554, dated 9th June 1944
  - Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 8th November 1946, Issue 37784, dated 12th November 1946
  - Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 6th December 1946, Issue 37812, dated 10th December 1946
  - Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 25th February 1947, Issue 37892, dated 28th February 1947
  - Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 16th May 1947, Issue 37958, dated 20th May 1947
  - Eighth Supplement to The London Gazette of 30th December 1952, Issue 39739, dated 1st January 1953
  - Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 28th June 1960, Issue 42080, dated 1st July 1960
  - Supplement to The London Gazette of 19th February 1971, Issue 45309, dated 23rd February 1971
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