24th June 1915 - 6th June 1917
Don Cotterill was shot down in a spotter plane whilst observing the fall of shot on enemy positions on the western front. The pilot of the plane was another gunner officer, George Weston Devenish, whose mother published a book in 1917 which recorded their presumed deaths. The plane was seen falling and in flames. The book (linked below) consists mostly of long letters written home by Devenish. Don Cotterill is named in the book throughout and his story is very much the same although he was not such a prolific letter writer. Don was mobilised to France on 24 June 1915 so his story starts there. The book is an easy read and my Father, Don's Nephew, says that the book describes how very comfortable the dug-outs which they had managed to construct seemed to be?! The spotter's lot in 1944 was obviously not as comfortable as I expect my Father was making comparisons to his own experiences as a junior gunnery officer in WW2!
Created by: , Philip75517
Born 1893
Died 1917
British Army Second Lieutenant Royal Field Artillery
British Army Lieutenant Royal Flying Corps 35th Squadron