1900 Jun 16 Born Plymouth, Devon
1901 census at 2, Granby Green, Plymouth
1911 census at 3 Henry Street , Plymouth
1916 Jun to Feb 1918 Worked as a printers clerk at Brendon & Sons in Plymouth.
. Enlisted in Devon Regt
1918 Mar 20 Transfers to RAF
1919 The undermentioned Cadets are granted honorary commissions as 2nd,Lts., with effect from the dates of their demobilisation : 70049; James Alfred Cotter
1921 Oct 25 Joined ADRIC with service no 2116. Posted A Coy
1922 Jan Appears to be still serving on demobilisation of ADRIC
1922 Oct/Dec Married in Plymouth to Beatrice H Sambells
1922 Nov 10 Arrived in New York. The record indicates that he was held for "special inquiry". He was a Commercial Traveller. With a Plymouth address of his father C Cotter 29 Frederick St, Plymouth.
1935 Sep 25. Arrives back in USA from UK
1940 census living in Detroit with "Betty H Cotter" and son James. He is a salesman at a dept. store.
1941 Mar 4 He becomes a naturalised US citizen at Michigan