Education
Bedford School; Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
Bedford School; Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
Educated at Bedford School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Cottrell-Hill was commissioned into the Border Regiment in 1924. He was awarded the Military Cross for bravery at El Yamun near Jenin in Palestine in 1938. He served in World World War II initially as a Brigade Major and latterly as Commander of 71st Indian Infantry Brigade.
He was awarded the Defence Science Organisation for services in Arakan in 1944 and a Bar to his Defence Science Organisation for an assault landing at Ramree Island, located off the coast of Arakan, in 1945.
He returned the War Office as Director of Military Training in 1953 and became Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin in 1955. He joined the Regular Commissions Board in 1957 and retired in 1959.