Lieutenant Hugh (Henry) Francis Cotton. Hugh Cotton died on 20 July 2015 aged 85. He was born in Rangoon in 1929 and at eight years of age was sent to a boarding school in England for two years before returning to his family living in Kashmir until 1945 when he was again sent to England to continue his education at Stowe. Moving on to University he gave up his degree course in electrical engineering at the intermediate stage having decided the possibility of an 8 year short term commission flying in the Fleet Air Arm was a very much more attractive alternative.
This he duly achieved and joined HMS Ocean, one of two training carriers in Portland, in August 1954. HMS Theseus was the other. After a concentrated six months he along with six others were appointed as sub-lieutenants. Various courses followed until all but one of the six were appointed for flying training in the United States under a Mutual Aid Agreement. This agreement commenced unofficially before the States had entered the war and by the time it finished in 1956 had trained something over 4000 UK aircrew. Pensacola Veterans Association was very active until recently and included several return visits to Pensacola where the veterans were always treated both respectfully and generously with typical American hospitality. As it happened the course Hugh was on was the very last under the Agreement and the very last pilot to pass through with due ceremony was Sub Lieutenant Tim Spencer.Unfortunately on 14th March 1957 Tim had a fatal landing accident at Lossiemouth. Before that Sub Lieutenant Roy Davis, the course member destined for training with the RAF at Valley, had already been killed in bad weather. Others on that course were Chris Mostyn killed when his Sea Hawk exploded flying off HMS Eagle (803 Squadron) n 1957 and Colin Hill killed on takeoff in a Skyraider at Culdrose. Pete Shrives who returned early from the States and had a successful Royal Navy career an traffic control. The course was joined by Lieutenant Sandy Davidson, later Captain, a flying doctor who among other achievements in a long career, deck landed a Sea Hawk with no Air Speed Indicator.
Shipped to the States in the luxury of the RMS Parthia (Cunard) the size and power of the US Navy soon became apparent. After 12 months at US Naval Air Station, Pensacola flying SNJs (Harvards) which included batted carrier landing qualification in the Gulf of Mexico the course, split up by this time, individually transferred for six months to USNAS Corpus Christi for transition to jets – TV2s (Shooting Stars) for instrument training (under a hood. Flying in cloud was forbidden even if one could be found) and weapon training, etc in F9F2-4 (Panthers).
On returning to the UK, after a Divisional Officer´s Course at Portsmouth, a period of familiarisation to British weather and aircraft types began at HMS Peregrine (Ford). A further period of general flying practice at HMS Fulmar (Lossiemouth) with accent on instrument flying culminating in White and Green Cards preceded front line squadron appointments. Some to the dreaded Wyvern, some to the Sea Hawk and in Hugh´s case all weather Sea Venoms. Hugh completed two front line tours in Sea Venoms, the first in HMS Eagle. It was on this tour while docked in Gibraltar that he had the great fortune to meet his future wife, Patricia Adam, a New Zealand air hostess with British European Airways and they married two years later. Still together until Hugh´s death 56 years later. Pat died only a few months later
Deciding the chances of employment at the end of his time would be improved with helicopter experience Hugh´s consequent application for transfer was accepted. It resulted eventually in Malaya flying overloaded Westland Wessex´s in too high temperatures and too high altitudes-not a happy combination. It was in these conditions that a search and rescue operation resulted in a citation from the South East Asia Commander thanking the Royal Navy pilots for their skill and courage particularly as the RAF declined the mission as impossible.
On completion of his Short Service Commission Hugh qualified as an air traffic controller but never took up duties in that line having in the meantime gained employment with Bristow Helicopters. While with them flying a VIP to an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico the engine failed while over water. Fortunately the auto rotating landing was successful. The local newspaper reported this at length and quoted the VIP who seemed to consider Hugh as being somewhere between his guardian angel and Buzz Aldrin.
Finally to end his flying career Hugh returned to fixed wing with BOAC (later British Airways) until his retirement which he and Pat enjoyed in the peaceful countryside around the Pewsey Vale, Wiltshire. He stayed fully occupied with his many hobbies but especially model ship building.
A memorial service was held in Woodborough Church, Wiltshire on 6th September last. Pat died only a few months afterwards.They are survived by their son,Alastair, daughter Jennifer and grand children, Felicity(12) and Alex(9)