George Cottrill
Production date
21 Oct 1944
Description
Serviceman George Alfred Cottrill (b.1920), originally from London, transferred from the RAF to the RNZAF when he moved to New Zealand during the Second World War after serving in Singapore. He was awarded the Military Medal for his actions.
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Object detail
Artist/Maker
Production role
Photographer
Production date
21 Oct 1944
Production place
Production period
Subject person
Classification
Collection
Credit line
'Swainson/Woods
Collection,
Puke
Ariki
and
District
Libraries'
Accession number
SW1944.2379
Collection type
Public comments
That is really unfortunate, Bruce. I hope you have a family to tell this story.
- Margaret Williamson-Teitanga posted 6 months ago.
This is my father, George Alfred Cottrill. He was from London and joined the RAF. He served in Singapore and was on one of the last ships to escape during the evacuation. He heroically manned an anti aircraft gun on the ship and shot down one enemy aircraft. He was awarded the Military Medal for this action. After the evacuation he assembled at a base in Levin, where he met my mother and transferred to the RNZAF. He was then sent to the Islands until the end of the war. In 1950 after a compassionate discharge from the RANZ he left NZ and our family, and has not been traced since.
- Bruce Cootrill posted 9 years ago.