Son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Cottingham of Tilbury, brother of Claire.  While in high school Donald trained with the Essex Militia. Originally enlisted in Tilbury with the 2^nd Kents , Donald was discharged from the Kents 24 August of 1943. 

On Thursday 26th of August Donald  left Tilbury for Windsor, ON to enlist in the RCAF, Service No. R261362. The CDN 24/09/43 reported that Donald then at RCAF Guelph was in Chatham on a week-end visit with his parents. The CDN 7/10/43 AC2 Donald was reported home in the Tilbury vicinity on leave from Guelph.   In October of 1943 Don was on a weekend pass from RCAF – Guelph. TT 7/10/43.   AC2 Donald was home again near the end of October on a weekend leave. TT 21/10/43.

Graduated wireless school in Calgary in 1944. a six week course at No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School at Fingal, ON. Donald was reported home on leave after graduating as a WAG (Wireless air Gunner) aka “Sparks” at No. 2 Wireless School, Calgary, AB., graduating in July of 1944 as a Flying Officer.  Attended bombing and gunnery school at Fingal, ON., graduating in July of 1944 as a Flying Officer.  CDN 21/06/44,he was home on a brief leave. Donald received his commissioned rank Pilot Officer, effective 13/07/44.   Donald went to Nassau in August of 1944 to RAF/OTU (Operational Training Unit) for three months pre-combat, from there he went to England and then to Ceylon. He was promoted to the rank of Flying Officer CDN 21/06/44

Donald served in Ceylon with the RAF 160 Sqd. In a letter to his parents reported in the CDN 20 September, 1945, F/O Cottingham reports that he has finished his final flying tour and should be starting his return journey home, which might take three months to complete. He also tells of being involved in a 24 hour and ten minute flight, the longest recorded for that type of aircraft. Ten days before VJ-Day while flying in a Liberator (of the Indian Ocean Air Force) piloted by F/L J. A. Muir, RCAF, they had been “dodging bad weather – rain low cloud and visibility at times was nil”, which made for some “hard going”, the flight was four hours longer than any other recorded flight during the war and log enough miles to equal to crossing the Atlantic Ocean twice. Also on the crew with Donald was F/O Herb Brown of Chatham a former member of the Chatham Daily News advertising staff. Information sheet and photograph from Donald Cottingham; Rita Lobzun Collection, Canada’s Weekly.

F/O Cottingham was discharged from the RCAF in March, 1946.

 

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources	Certificate of Discharge (30-08-1943), TT (07-10-1943), TT (21-10-1943), CDN (20-09-1945), Self interview, RLC, TT – (26/08/43, 7/10/43/21/10/43), CDN 20/09/45, NB, MGF
Supplemental Information	Son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Cottingham of Tilbury, brother of Claire.

Birthplace

Tilbury, Ont.

---

Notice something wrong with this record? Or, do you have something to add? Report it using our online form.