| Accession Number | P08816.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | c 1944 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of 425278 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Roland Reginald (Chip) Cowan, pilot of No ...
Description
Studio portrait of 425278 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Roland Reginald (Chip) Cowan, pilot of No 467 Squadron, RAAF, of Caloundra, Qld. Cowan was a clerk prior to enlisting in February 1942. He trained under the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) in Australia, Canada and England and was promoted to the rank of Acting Flight Lieutenant in May 1944. On the night of 24 June 1944, Flt Lt Cowan was piloting Lancaster ND 729, radio call sign PO-L , on a raid on flying bomb launch sites at Prouville, France. ND 729 was hit by flak and broke up over Mareuil-Caubert, France. Flt Lt Cowan and the six other crew on board were killed. Flt Lt Cowan was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was 23 years of age.