Back COTTON Maxwell Tylney
d. 15 Jun 1943 CWGC
Service Number Aus 408204
P/O 29-Dec-42
DFC 06 Jul 1942. 
Date A/C Crew Duty Up Down Details of Sortie or Flight
10-Oct-42 P.7062 Sgt M.T. Cotton Shipping Recco 14:10 15:20 Armed recco, Alderney – Cherbourg area, nothing seen.
14-Oct-42 P.7062 Sgt M.T. Cotton Shipping Recco 14:15 15:25 This armed low recco was intended to search Guernsey - Alderney – Barfleur but after 25 mins flying to a point S.W. of Guernsey cloud cover failed altogether and the section returned.
17-Oct-42 P.7062 Sgt M.T. Cotton Convoy Patrol 08:45 10:25 Convoy escorted without incident from Needles to Portland.
17-Oct-42 P.7094 Sgt M.T. Cotton Convoy Patrol 12:05 13:20 Convoy escorted without incident from Needles to Portland.
21-Oct-42 P.7062 Sgt M.T. Cotton Convoy Patrol 12:50 13:15 This convoy was found to be tucked up in Portland.
21-Oct-42 P.7062 Sgt M.T. Cotton Convoy Patrol 13:45 14:45 Another convoy escorted from Portland towards St Aldhelm's Head.
07-Nov-42 P.7062 Sgt M.T. Cotton Rhubarb 10:30 11:40 This operation had as its target the Valognes – Carentan railway.
08-Nov-42 P.7062 Sgt M.T. Cotton Convoy 14:30 15:55 Large convoy escorted without incident from Isle of Wight towards Portland.
18-Nov-42 P.7117 Sgt M.T. Cotton Convoy 13:20 14:40 This convoy of 16-18 ships was escorted without incident from Needles area to Portland.
18-Nov-42 P.7013 Sgt M.T. Cotton Convoy 16:15 17:30 This convoy of 16-18 ships was escorted without incident from Needles area to Portland.
19-Nov-42 P.7013 Sgt M.T. Cotton Roadstead 40 Whirlwinds Antiflak 11:20 12:15 This was the first all-Whirlwind Roadstead Operation. 4 “B” Flight Whirli-bombers were escorted by 4 “A” Flight Whirlwinds antiflak. No incident.
23-Nov-42 P.7094 Sgt M.T. Cotton Convoy 09:40 10:45 Convoy escorted Eastwards from Portland.
14-Dec-42 P.7052 Sgt M.T. Cotton Anti-Rhubarb Patrol 15:00 16:25 Pilots flew, or were vectored, five or six times between Portland and St. Aldhelms Head. Finally vectored to 20 miles North of Barfleur. Returning from there, they met 2 F.W.190s and had a dogfight from zero to 4000 feet
10-Jan-43 P.7099 Sgt M.T. Cotton Roadstead Operation from Predannack 09:22 11:05 The channel was swept for minesweepers reported off Ile Vierge.
15-Feb-43 P.7117 Sgt M.T. Cotton Rhubarb 08:25 09:25 Attack on Carentan-Valognes Railway abandoned because of no cloud cover.
18-Feb-43 P.7013 Sgt M.T. Cotton Rhubarb 08:25 09:35 Bombed railway junction at La Haye du Puits Triangle.
26-Feb-43 P.6971 Sgt M.T. Cotton 10 Group Circus 16 16:00 17:00 Attack on Maupertus. Landfall made at Cherbourg. Hits were observed on aerodrome, dispersals and buildings.
27-Feb-43 P.6971 Sgt M.T. Cotton Diversion to 10 Group Ramrod 13:30 14:30 Attack on Maupertus. Landfall made at Pointe du Barfleur. Hits were again observed on aerodrome, dispersals and buildings.
28-Feb-43 P.6971 Sgt M.T. Cotton 10 Group Circus 17 14:40 15:40 Attack on Maupertus. The veteran dive-bombers of “A” Flight went in for the third time.
14-Mar-43 P.7108 P/O M.T. Cotton 10 Group Circus 18 16:22 17:30 Attack on Maupertus. They dive-bombed 15000 – 8000 ft. and saw 8 bursts on centre of the airfield, on the S.W. perimeter and in the S.E. dispersal area. Moderate flak.
04-Apr-43 P.7108 P/O M.T. Cotton Roadstead Operation 07:40 08:45 Swept the Alderney – Cap de la Hague area at zero feet, in quest for E Boats reported there, but none was found
06-Apr-43 P.7108 P/O M.T. Cotton 10 Group Circus 20 18:27 20:12 These Whirlibombers were intended to form a second bombing wave to the Typhoon bombers which had bombed Caen/Caupiquet aerodrome an hour before. However they found 9/10 cloud at Ouistreham at 8000 feet and the operation was abandoned.
09-Apr-43 P.7108 P/O M.T. Cotton 10 Group Roadstead 55 12:50 14:30 Swept the Sept Iles – Ile de Batz area for shipping reported there, as often, ship-like rocks were found.
13-Apr-43 P.7013 P/O M.T. Cotton Roadstead from Exeter 12:45 14:00 A 3,000 ton M/V escorted by “E” Boats had been reported off BREHAT, but this sweeping operation failed to locate them.
13-Apr-43 P.7013 P/O M.T. Cotton 10 Group Circus 22 17:30 19:00 Brest/Guipavas aerodrome was successfully divebombed with 20 x 250lb bombs.
16-Apr-43 P.6874 P/O M.T. Cotton Escorted Armed Dusk Ship Recco 20:40 22:10 Dusk escorted armed recco in Channel Islands area.
17-Apr-43 P.7108 P/O M.T. Cotton Night Armed Shipping Reccos and Rhubarbs 22:44 23:30 Ordered to recco the Channel Islands area, he returned from the Casquet area with port engine trouble.
18-Apr-43 P.7108 P/O M.T. Cotton Night Recco 22:45 00:05 Night Recco of Southern Channel Islands area
21-Apr-43 P.7108 P/O M.T. Cotton Night Roadstead 02:00 03:40 The Channel Islands convoy which F/O Coyne had attacked was sought for, but not found. It had probably berthed in Alderney.
27-Apr-43 P.7108 P/O M.T. Cotton 10 Group Roadstead 59 16:35 17:50 Attack on convoy of 9 ships S. of Jersey.
28-Apr-43 P.6981 P/O M.T. Cotton 10 Group Roadstead 60 10:15 12:50 Attack on convoy of 8 ships N. of Sept Isles
28-Apr-43 P.7057 P/O M.T. Cotton 10 Group Roadstead 62 14:22 15:45 This operation did not find the depleted convoy in its estimated position south of Jersey.
29-Apr-43 P.7057 P/O M.T. Cotton 10 Group Roadstead 63 13:10   Attack on shipping near Isigny. Found to be fishing vessels
30-Apr-43 P.7108 P/O M.T. Cotton       Attack on shipping off Ushant. No shipping sighted
02-May-43 P.7008 P/O M.T. Cotton Roadstead 64 12:10 13:15 Roadstead to Channel Island area. Mistaken report of tanker at Casquets
03-May-43 P.7008 P/O M.T. Cotton Armed Ship Recco 14:25 16:15 Swept Guernsey, Sept Iles, Ile de Batz, where W/Cdr Dolezal and 310 Squadron became involved in combats with 6 F.W.190s.
05-May-43 P.7008 P/O M.T. Cotton Roadstead 17:15 19:00 Search for a minelayer reported steaming East from Brehat. Between Sept Iles and Ile de Batz. They found fishing vessels, probably misreported
06-May-43 P.7008 P/O M.T. Cotton Roadstead 65 17:15 18:10 Attack on tanker with 5 small escort vessels reported W.N.W. of Alderney. The Casquets were indeed found in this position.
19-May-43 P.7108 P/O M.T. Cotton Night Recco 00:50 01:15 Repitition of previous nights uneventful ship Reccos.
23-May-43 P.7089 P/O M.T. Cotton Roadstead 70 07:45 09:00 Attack on convoy nearing Guernsey from C de la Hague
22-May-43 P.7108 P/O M.T. Cotton Night Roadstead 2 00:25 01:50 Attack on convoy steaming from Cap de la Hague towards Cherbourg.
29-May-43 P.7000 P/O M.T. Cotton Roadstead 71 14:10 15:15 The 15 Ship Convoy reported off Barfleur was found without much enthusiasm to be the French Fishing Fleet.
29-May-43 P.7000 P/O M.T. Cotton Scramble 17:15 18:45 These sections patrolled base at 5,000ft
30-May-43 P.7000 P/O M.T. Cotton Ship Recco 18:35 19:50 Recco of Jersey area
06-Jun-43 P.7000 P/O M.T. Cotton DFC 10 Group Roadstead 72 17:15 18:45 It was intended to dive-bomb Cherbourg Docks. But found 10/10 cloud at 7000-12000 feet over the target
15-Jun-43 P.7000 P/O M.T. Cotton DFC Shipping Recco   missing An armed escorted shipping recco had been ordered for first light. 4 warships found. P/O Cotton KiA