Virtual Museum

Personal Information:

Date of Birth: November 23, 1893

Place of Birth: Kingston, Ontario

Profession: Clerk

Attended: Lisgar Collegiate Institute

Family:

Youngest son of Maj. Gen. William Henry Cotton and Jessie Cotton.

Brother of Charles, Henry and Dorothy.



Military Information:

Date of Enlistment: 23 September, 1914

Place of Enlistment: Valcartier, Québec

Regiment:  Central Ontario Regiment 

Brigade: 4th brigade 

Division: 2nd Canadian Division 

Rank: Captain

Other Military service: Formerly served in 72nd Seaforth Highlanders in Vancouver. Appointed ADC to Brigadier-General Leekie, Promoted to Captain in August 1915.

Family in Military: Charles, older brother also served and died in WW1, buried at the same site. Henry died in the South Africa war. Dorothy served as a nurse in WW1. William Henry cotton, father is a Maj. Gen.


Death Information:

Killed in Action

Mortally Wounded: Wounded by a shell while leading a bombing detachment.

Date of Death: June 13, 1916 

Age of Death: 23

Buried:  Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery , Belgium.

Other Burial Information: Buried along side Charles Penner Cotton, his brother.

Grave reference: VI - A - 27

Burial Location at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery



Other Personal Information

  • Graduated Lisgar Collegiate Institute, and later became a clerk.
  • It is unknown where he worked, although he worked for a couple years before joining the war.
  • His family has extensively served in the Canadian Military.
  • He was born in Kingston Ontario, sometime afterwards, he moved to Ottawa because he attended Lisgar Collegiate Institute. Although, it is unknown what age he moved and where he lived.


Burial Register Sheet

Google Maps of Burial Site

Picture Gallery

Sources:

  1. Veteran Affairs Canada. "Canadian Virtual War Memorial." Veterans Affairs Canada. Government of Canada, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2015. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/432202>.
  2. Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. "Ross Penner Cotton." ROSS PENNER COTTON. Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2015. <http://www.lijssenthoek.be/en/adres/3737/-ross-penner-cotton.html>.
  3. The Royal British Legion. "Captain Ross Penner Cotton." Every Man Remembered. The Royal British Legion, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2015. <http://www.everymanremembered.org/profiles/soldier/432202/>.
  4. University of Waterloo."Cotton, Ross Penner." Cotton, Ross Penner. University of Waterlo, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2015. <http://libgeohistprd01.uwaterloo.ca/items/show/93908>.