Cotter, David Grenfell
Killed in Action 1945-01-12
Birth Date: 1916-December-14
Born: Wilkie, Kindersley Census Division, Saskatchewan, Canada
Son of Alexander McCaul Cotter and Mildred (nee Edwards) Cotter
Home: South Mountain, Dundas County, Ontario
Enlistment: Ottawa, Ontario
Enlistment Date: 1941-10-08
Service
RCAF
Unit
435 (T) Sqn- Squadron
Certi Provehendi Detemined on delivery
Base
RAF Tulihal, Manipur, India
Rank
Pilot Officer
Position
Warrant Officer Class I
Service Numbers
J/94218
Prev: R/135638
First Burial
Tabingaug Cemetery
435 Chinthe Squadron (Certi Provehendi)(RCAF), RAF Tulihal, Manipur, India. The crew of Dakota Mk IV KJ 857 were dropping supplies to the British 14th Army when the Dakota was attacked by Japanese Nakajima Ki-43 fighters near Schwebo, Burma (Myanmar), setting the cargo of ammunition on fire and causing the left engine burst into flames. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant RF Simpson (RAFVR) force-landed in a clearing and evacuated his crew
Flying Officer A E Foster (RCAF), Flying Officer T Jordan-Knox (RCAF) and Leading Aircraftman R G Evans (RCAF) survived, although wounded
Wireless Operator D G Cotter (RCAF) died from shrapnel and bullet wounds the following day
Flight Lieutenant R F Simpson DFC (RAFVR) and Flight Lieutenant L Dumont (RCAF) survived, safe
Flight Lieutenant Simpson was awarded a DFC for this operation
The RCAF Overseas, The Sixth Year page 410
Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database 
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial
www.findagrave.com435 (T) Sqn Certi Provehendi ("Chinthe")
History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Dakota III, IV)
No. 435 was the 34th RCAF squadron formed overseas in WWII. It was the 3rd transport squadron and the second formed in India. It was inaugurated on November 1 1944 at Gujrat, Punjab, India . Based in Tulihal, Manipur, India from 18 December 1944, it flew Dakota aircraft in support of the British 14th Army in northern Burma. After cessation of hostilities in the Far East, the squadron relocated to Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, UK , where it provided transport services in Britain and Europe for Canadian units. It was finally disbanded at Down Ampney on April 1, 1946.
Overall, in Burma the squadron flew 15,681 sorties, airlifted 27,460 tons of freight, 14,000 passengers and 851 casualties. An additional 1018 sorties were flown in England. Casualties were 3 aircraft, 9 aircrew and 6 passengers killed, 2 aircrew and 13 passengers injured. Awards gained by the squadron were 1 MBE, 1 DFC, 1 AFCs and 1 MiD. Battle Honour was Burma 1944-45Wikipedia, Kostenuk and Griffin
Maps for Movements of 435 Squadron 1944-46
435 Squadron History Summary 1944-46
History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Dakota, Boxcar, Hercules)
No. 164 (Transport) Squadron was created on 23 January 1943 at Moncton, New Brunswick . The squadron flew Lodestar and Dakota aircraft on East Coast transport duty. It was the RCAF’s premier transport squadron and the cornerstone of the peacetime Air Transport Command. It provided trained aircrew as the nuclei of other transport units. On 1 August 1946 it was divided into two units, one at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and one at Edmonton, Alberta . The Dartmouth squadron become No. 426 (T) Squadron and the Edmonton detachment was re-designated 435 (Transport) Squadron. It flew Douglas Dakota IV aircraft until 1952, then re-equipped with the Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar. The squadron relocated a few miles north to RCAF Station Namao in 1955. From 1960, it flew Lockheed Hercules C-130B, and from 1966 the Hercules C-130-E. Due to the Chrétien government's budget cuts and the resultant closure of the airfield at CFB Edmonton, the squadron was moved to 17 Wing Winnipeg in 1994. It was re-designated '435 Transport and Rescue Squadron' on 1 May 1995. The squadron is now based at 19 Wing, Comox, British Columbia . 435 Squadron is the only Air Force squadron equipped and trained to conduct air-to-air refuelling of fighter aircraft in support of operational and training activities at home and abroad. The CC-130 Hercules tanker is a key asset for the Canadian NORAD Region in its mission to defend Canada and the United States against aerial threats that originate outside or within North American airspace. The Squadron has been operating the tankers in support of fighter operations since 1992.
For additional details see
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