# Kevin Winterbottom
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{{Short description|South African Air Force officer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use South African English|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Kevin Roy Winterbottom
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| birth_date = {{Birth date text|1955}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1976|06|09|1955|df=y}}
| birth_place = [Pretoria](/source/Pretoria), [South Africa](/source/South_Africa)
| death_place = [Pretoria](/source/Pretoria), [South Africa](/source/South_Africa)
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| allegiance = [South Africa](/source/South_Africa)
| branch = [South African Air Force](/source/South_African_Air_Force)
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| rank = [2nd Lieutenant](/source/2nd_Lieutenant)
| service_number = 70388129PE
| unit = [4 Squadron SAAF](/source/4_Squadron_SAAF)
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| awards = {{MilAward Stack|HC75}}
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'''Kevin Roy Winterbottom''' (1955{{snd}}9 June 1976) was a [South African Air Force](/source/South_African_Air_Force) (SAAF) pilot who chose to avoid crashing his stricken [Impala](/source/Aermacchi_MB-326) jet aircraft in the [Monument Park](/source/Monument_Park%2C_Gauteng) suburb of [Pretoria](/source/Pretoria) by remaining with his aircraft to the end. He was posthumously awarded the 25th [Honoris Crux](/source/Honoris_Crux_(1975)) decoration for bravery, the first such award for gallantry outside battle.[{{cite web |url=http://www.justdone.co.za/ROH/main.php?page=View_Person&PersonNumber=1673 |title=SA Roll of Honour - Person Information - Kevin Roy Winterbottom |access-date=9 July 2011 |archive-date=29 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929002138/http://www.justdone.co.za/ROH/main.php?page=View_Person&PersonNumber=1673 |url-status=dead }}] The HC was at the time South Africa's highest military decoration that could be awarded in peacetime.[{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xJZkoEf_gh4C&pg=PA283 |title=Borderstrike!: South Africa into Angola 1975-1980 |first1=Willem |last1=Steenkamp |date=30 March 2024 |pages= 283–284|publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-920169-00-8 }}]
== Early life ==
Winterbottom was born in [Pretoria](/source/Pretoria), [Transvaal Province](/source/Transvaal_Province), [South Africa](/source/South_Africa). He attended [Pretoria Boys High School](/source/Pretoria_Boys_High_School) where he [matric](/source/matric)ulated in 1972.
== Service and fatal accident ==
Winterbottom joined the SAAF in 1973, entering Officer and Pilot training. He was serving with [4 Squadron](/source/4_Squadron_SAAF) at the time of his death.
On the morning of 9 June 1976, Winterbottom was piloting [Atlas MB326 km Impala Mk II](/source/Aermacchi_MB-326) #1022.[{{cite web|title=KEVIN ROY WINTERBOTTOM|url=http://www.southafricawargraves.org/lists/saborder_w_x_y_z.htm|publisher=South Africa War Graves Project|access-date=10 July 2011}}] While making his approach to land at [Waterkloof Air Force Base](/source/Waterkloof_Air_Force_Base) an engine failure due to a [bird strike](/source/bird_strike) left him with no thrust and insufficient altitude to reach the airfield.[{{cite journal|last=Du Toit |first=Graham C.L. |title=Roll of Honour - South African Air Force |publisher=[South African Air Force Association](/source/South_African_Air_Force_Association) |year=2005 |issue=4 |url=http://www.saafa.co.za/images/honour.pdf |access-date=10 July 2011 |page=100 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007183622/http://www.saafa.co.za/images/honour.pdf |archive-date= 7 October 2011 }}] His options were to eject and risk the aircraft crashing with possible casualties in the suburban areas of [Waterkloof](/source/Waterkloof) or [Monument Park](/source/Monument_Park%2C_Gauteng) in Pretoria, or to remain with his aircraft and guide it away from populated areas.[{{cite book | last = Uys | first = Ian | year = 1993 | title = Cross of honour | publisher = Uys Publishers | isbn = 0-9583173-2-1 | page =45 }}] He chose the latter, steering his aircraft to crash into a small deserted recreation park where he was killed instantly on impact.