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Sergeant William
Hobson Cotterill -
RAFVR |
| Sergeant William
Cotterill was serving as Flight Engineer on board Halifax Mk.V
LK622 coded AL-Q during an
operation to Leipzig on February 19/20, 1944. The aircraft failed to
return, three of the seven men aboard were killed, including Sgt
William Cotterill. The crew
consisted of:
|
Name |
Service |
Trade |
Hometown |
Age |
|
F/O Leslie Fincham |
RCAF |
Pilot |
Toronto, Ontario |
22 |
|
Sgt William Cotterill |
RAFVR |
Flight Engineer |
Bradford, England |
35 |
|
F/Sgt Oscar Morrison |
RCAF |
Navigator |
Toronto, Ontario |
27 |
|
F/O M. Meech - POW |
RCAF |
Bomb Aimer |
- |
- |
|
W/O2 S. Mingle - POW |
RCAF |
W/Op/AG |
- |
- |
|
Sgt L. Martin - POW |
RCAF |
Air Gunner |
- |
- |
|
Sgt V. Barton - POW |
RCAF |
Air Gunner |
- |
- |
Sergeant Cotterill's body and parachute
were found in a snow covered field by a Polish farm worker working
at Dachwig and it is believed that he was too low to bale out and
for his parachute to open successfully. The Luftwaffe examined the
body, took all personal effects and ordered it to be buried in the
local cemetery. On the 9th of April 1944,this body was
placed in a coffin and buried in an individual grave (3144). A
cross was erected, bearing the inscription in German-"Here
lies an unknown Canadian Airman". Nothing was known of the
other two members of this crew.
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Letter to
Sgt Cotterill's wife. |
Letter from Canada |
A later exhumation of the body on the 4th
of December 1947,carried out by Captain J.B.Cheetham of 56 G.C.U.,
assisted by F/O R.P.Hunter of Berlin detachment, M.R.E.S revealed
that the body was wearing an RAF type battledress with a Sergeants
chevron, (brevet not found, probably previously removed), no shirt
or markings of any kind. The body has been re- buried in the
British cemetery Heerstrasse, Berlin in Plot VIII, Row C; Grave
33. The body therefore could be that of P/O Morrison RCAF or
Sergeant Cotterill RAF.
According to German documents captured at the end of the
war, state that at the time of the crash, German investigators
were of the opinion the body was that of Sergeant Cotterrill, RAF.
The case remains open today.
William
Cotterill was the husband
of Bridget of Eccleshill, Bradford, Yorkshire. He joined 429
squadron on the 31st of December 1943.
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Photos courtesy of
Michael Cotterill, research by Linda Ibrom.
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