Cowan, John Died

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Personal Information

Rank Sgt
Forename(s) John
Surname Cowan
Gender M
Age 21
Date of Death 03-08-1943
Next of Kin Son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh J. Cowan.
COWAN J 185

Aircraft Information

Aircraft Vickers Wellington X
Serial Number HE464
Markings AS-W

Memorial Information

Burial/Memorial Country Netherlands
Burial/Memorial Place Westdongeradeel (Ternaard) Protestant Churchyard
Grave Reference Row 1A. Grave 5.
Epitaph BE YE ALSO READY, AS I WAS. NOW I AM WITH THE LORD; SAVED BY HIS OWN BLOOD

IBCC Memorial Information

Map
Directions to panel 24
COWAN J 185

Location

Row -
Panel 24
Column -
Line -

Directions From the Chadwick Centre, take the central path towards The Spire.

Phase 1
Panel Number 24

Enlistment Information

Service Number 1361185
Service Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Group 1
Squadron 166
Squadron Motto Tenacity
Trade Air Gunner
Country of Origin United Kingdom

Other Memorials

Location Terminal Building, Humberside Airport, Lincolnshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Air Ministry WWII Bell & Inscribed Metal Plaques
Memorial Text To commemorate the aircrew of 166 Sqn RAF who were killed in action flying from RAF Kirmington during WW2
Location Adjacent to Terminal Building, Humberside Airport, Lincolnshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Info Board & Inscribed Stone Monument
Memorial Text In memory of the aircrew from many nations who flew with 166 Sqn RAF who were killed in action flying from RAF Kirmington during WW2
Location Memorial Gardens, Kirmington, Lincolnshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Plaques
Memorial Text Memorials to those who served on 166 Sqn flying from RAF Kirminton during WW2, including those who flew on Op MANNA
Location St. Helena's Church, Kirmington, Lincolnshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Stained Glass Window, Inscribed Metal Plaque & Roll of Honour
Memorial Text In memory of the members of 166 Sqn RAF who flew from RAF Kirmington during WW2 and did not return
Location In front of the mess esplanade, Mailly-le-Camp, 10 - Aube Prefecture
Country France
Memorial Type Stone memorial sculpture, inscribed marble tablets and inscribed metal plaque
Memorial Text En souvenir des heros de la RAF. Qui ont participe au bombardment du camp de Mailly. Unites de la RAF engagees dans le raid sur Mailly-le-Camp, la nuit du 3 au 4 May 1944. N° 9-12-44-49-50-57 61-83-97-100-101 Special Duties Flight-103-105-106-166- 169-192-207-460 (RAAF)-463 (RAAF)-467 (RAAF)-550-576-617- 619-625-626-627-644
Translation "In memory of the RAF heroes who took part in the bombing of Mailly Camp. RAF units engaged in the raid on Mailly-le-Camp, the night of 3-4 May 1944. Squadrons that took part: N° 9-12-44-49-50-57 61-83-97-100-101 Special Duties Flight-103-105-106-166- 169-192-207-460 (RAAF)-463 (RAAF)-467 (RAAF)-550-576-617-619-625-626-627-644"
Location Bawtry Hall, Bawtry, South Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Marble Tablet
Memorial Text In memory of those who did not return 1939 - 1945

The National Archives

Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1089/17
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1089/17

Fellow Servicemen

Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.

Name Outcome
Fernando V F (Sgt) Died
Fitzgerald G W (F/O) Died
Nash H (Sgt) Died
Perrin R J (Sgt) Died

Last Operation Information

Start Date 02-08-1943
End Date 03-08-1943
Takeoff Station Kirmington
Day/Night Raid Night (3% moon)
Operation Hamburg
Reason for Aircraft Loss The last air raid on Hamburg as part of Operation Gomorrah, and the Hamburg Firestorm. Homeward bound, south of Ameland island, at 500m, HE464 was intercepted and shot down by a night-fighter (Oblt Georg Herman Greiner, 1V./NJG1). This killed the rear gunner (Sgt Cowan), and set the aircraft alight. Other RAF crew observed the aircraft plummet in flames, crashing at 0400 in the Waddenzee between Ameland and Dutch mainland. All five crew killed
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Casualty Pack

IBCC is delighted to introduce a unique facility to link the Losses Database to the relevant RAF Casualty Pack on the National Archives website. This project is the result of on-going collaboration between IBCC, the MOD Records Office and National Archives, Kew. This document describes what Casualty Packs are, when they were created, the process of making them available to the public and then goes on to describe the process by which you can view the contents of the packs. Casualty Packs (CPs) were created by the RAF whenever there was serious injury or loss of life associated with operational activity within the RAF. This includes operational flying losses, enemy action due to air raids, road accidents either on station or even off-station if they involved RAF vehicles. Deaths due to natural causes in service or accidents that did not involve RAF vehicles did not generally give rise to a CP.

CPs were originally given a unique reference number by the RAF. Each begins with the letter ‘P’ and is followed by six digits, then an oblique (forward slash) and the finally the year in which the incident took place- for example P396154/42.

The CPs are in the process of being made available to the general public as they are passed from the MOD Records Office, Portsmouth to National Archives, Kew. This process requires some rework to the files which is very time consuming, so the process of making them all available to National Archives will take several years. They are being made available in increasing date order.

Once CPs arrive at National Archives they are assigned a unique AIR81 number, so each CP has both a P-number and an AIR81 number. Both are searchable on the National Archives website under ‘Search the catalogue’ and both are included on the IBCC website.

The AIR81 reference on the IBCC website is a link to the file on the National Archives website. When you click on it, the relevant page will open in a new tab on your browser.

There is currently no plan to digitise AIR81 files, partly because they are fragile and partly because the information they contain can at times be sensitive, even harrowing, since they may contain exhumation reports and even photographs of corpses. Family members wishing to read the AIR81 files relating to their ancestors are advised to exercise caution and be guided by National Archives warnings where appropriate.

There are two means for accessing AIR81 files- to attend in person or to order a copy by post.

To attend in person, the attendee should first create a Reader’s Ticket. This can be done online by following this link: https://secure.nationalarchives.gov.uk/login/yourdetails. Then click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and click Order in Advance. Enter your Reader’s Ticket number and state the date on which you intend to visit. National Archives will have the file ready for you when you arrive, saving you time. When you visit Kew, you must quote the Reader’s Ticket number and take along two forms of ID- one bearing your signature and one bearing your address. When you view the files, you are permitted to take photographs of each page, should you wish.

Alternatively, if you wish to order a copy by post, please be aware that there is a charge for this service based on the number of pages in the file. Click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and then click Request a Copy. There is an £8.40 charge for National Archives staff to access the file and give you a quotation for the copying service. The process takes around 24 days to complete and can be expensive.

IBCC wishes to thank the staff at the MOD Records Office and National Archives for their engagement and assistance in making this facility available to our website users.