Donald Joseph Cotter Rank: Flight Sergeant Status: Killed in Flying Accident 1943-10-23

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"A" Able flying through the Eiffel Tower? (although this event likely happened, this photograph is likely fake.) It is signed by the late Bill Bryant RAF who was the navigator of that aircraft piloted by Bob Boorman RCAF. The caption reads "This Stars Stripes photograph was taken on 14 September 1944 and shows a Mosquito Mk XIII of 409 Squadron RCAF. Pilot - W/O Bob Boorman RCAF Navigator F/S Bill Bryant RAF Flying through the Eiffel Tower."
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Cotter, Donald Joseph (Flight Sergeant)

Killed in Flying Accident 1943-October-23

Birth Date: 1923-August-22 (age 20)

Born: Pembroke, Ontario

John J. Cotter & Marie Cotter

Home: Pembroke, Ontario (parents)

Enlistment: Ottawa, Ontario

Enlistment Date: 1941-09-08

Service
RCAF

Unit
48 (MP) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Forte Et Fidele By strength and faithfulness

Base
RAF Gibraltar

Rank

Flight Sergeant

Marshal
Air Chief Marshal	A/C/M
Air Marshal	A/M
Air Vice Marshal	A/V/M
Air Commodore	A/C
Group Captain	G/C
Wing Commander	W/C
Squadron Leader	S/L
Flight Lieutenant	F/L
Flying Officer	F/O
Pilot Officer	P/O
Warrant Officer 1st Class	WO1
Warrant Officer 2nd Class	WO2
Flight Sergeant	FS
Sergeant	SGT
Corporal	CPL
Senior Aircraftman	SAC
Leading Aircraftman	LAC
Aircraftman 1st Class	AC1
Aircraftman 2nd Class	AC2

Position
Wireless Air Gunner

Service Numbers
R/125780

Took off from Gibraltar to practice rocket firing at targets in the sea.

Aircraft crashed into the sea 15 miles east of Gibraltar during the practice.

Killed includes Cotter: Flight Sergeant Stanley Maynard Craig RCAF R/125457 KIFA Malta Memorial Panel 11, Column 1. Flight Sergeant Gordon John McFadyean RAF KIFA Malta Memorial Panel 7, Column 2. Flight Sergeant Paul Newns RAF KIFA Malta Memorial Panel 7, Column 2.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave.com Finadagrave.com

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Flight Sergeant Donald Joseph Cotter has no known grave.

Home

Pembroke, Ontario (parents)

Gibraltar War Memorial

Hudson FK398

Flight Sergeant Cotter, Donald Joseph (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Flying Accident
1943-October-23
Gibraltar War Memorial, Gibraltar

Flight Sergeant Craig, Stanley Maynard (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1943-October-23
Malta War Memorial, Malta

Lockheed Hudson A-28 A-29 AT-18

Lockheed Hudson
Source National Air Force Museum of Canada.

The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force (RAF) shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter. The Hudson served throughout the war, mainly with Coastal Command, but also in transport and training roles, as well as delivering agents into occupied France. They were also used extensively with the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) anti-submarine squadrons. National Air Force Museum of Canada.

YouTube Hudson