SHOCKING Stories from a WWII Fighter Pilot | #8

Edwin Bert Cottrell
17 January 1922 – 28 March 2025
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A profound interview with a WWII P-47 fighter pilot.

Dr. Edwin B. Cottrell flew several dozen combat missions in WWII, piloting a Republic P-47D Thunderbolt. He shares some incredible career stories in this interview we were grateful to conduct, such as fighting against the Luftwaffe, narrowly surviving several harrowing encounters, and providing close air support to the troops on the ground for key events such as the Battle of the Bulge. He flew 65 combat missions before the end of the war.

During WWII, Lt. Col. Cottrell flew with the 493rd Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force.

Recording Date: 13 January 2024
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A huge thanks to Mike McCarthy for making this interview possible. He invites all to visit 'The Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas.' Please learn more about this museum here:

https://theveteransmuseum.org

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Credits—

Animated Visuals: ‪@TJ3‬

Footage: US Archives, ‪@AllVeteranGroup‬ (courtesy of Mike Elliott), DVIDS, Stephen Keeler

Photos: US Archives, Ed Cottrell's Personal Collection, Peter Randall, Ron Kaplan, Gerald Asher, Landon Wilkey (curator at Historic Wendover Airfield), The Rifle

Artwork: 'Waiting for Bullets' by Gareth Hector;
P-47 Outline by ®JohnMollison.com, used with permission.

Thumbnail: Ariel Horton

Director: Andrew Horton

Editor: Shawn Zhen

Videographer: Christopher W. Childers

Narrator: John-Michael Sedor

Soundtrack: Over Quadrille – Brightarm Orchestra

Special thanks to Susan Nation.

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
02:09 - Becoming A Fighter Pilot
07:51 - Flying the P-47
10:12 - Deploying to Europe / Thunderbolt Comparison
13:35 - Low Level Combat
16:59 - Saved by the Luftwaffe
23:34 - Fallen Comrades
26:05 - Airfield Under Attack!
30:00 - Finishing the War Plus More Losses
32:45 - Final Mission
35:51 - Into the Reserves
37:33 - Ed Flies Again!
38:05 - Skydiving at 100 Years Old!
40:47 - Epilogue
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