35:
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One night in July, 1943, he engaged a
Junkers 88 and caused it to explode. The enemy aircraft disintegrated and a large portion struck and so disabled Flying Officer Cowper's aircraft that he was forced to leave it by parachute. He was later rescued from the sea and rejoined his squadron to resume operational flying. Since then, Flying Officer Cowper has destroyed another Junkers 88.
665:, who he had met during his time at Ballyhalbert and married in 1943 and their daughter. In civilian life, he worked for an engineering firm before taking up farming. In his retirement, he was an advocate for recognition of No. 456 Squadron's war service, as the RAAF's only night fighter squadron. His efforts saw its logo officially recognised as the squadron's badge.
529:
This officer has completed 68 sorties and has displayed great courage and determination. During a sortie in
January, 1943, Flying Officer Cowper was compelled to make a forced landing behind the enemy's lines but he displayed great resource in outwitting the enemy and regained our own lines on foot.
503:
on the night of 11 July but his
Beaufighter was damaged by debris from the exploding Ju 88. He and his navigator baled out; the latter, flying in Watson's stead, was lost at sea while Cowper, suffering severe cuts and a broken nose, apparently was in free-fall for some time in a state of
649:
in March as bomber-support, a duty it performed until the end of the war in Europe. Cowper was the squadron's final commander, leading it from May until 15 June 1945 when it was disbanded. He ended the war credited with having destroyed six German aircraft and damaging one.
464:
and in
January 1943 Cowper and Watson were sent there. While flying their Beaufighter to Malta, they ran out of fuel over Tunisia and had to bale out. Walking for four days, Cowper and Watson reached the Allied lines and from there were transported to Malta.
606:
being carried by the aircraft that he attacked. Then on 14 June, with Watson providing directions from his radar equipment, he shot down a Ju 88, the bomber going down into the sea. His last aerial victory was a He 177, shot down to the south of
1103:
514:
Cowper was back at No. 108 Squadron within a few days and on 21 July shot down another Ju 88. His tour of operations ended the following month and he returned to the United
Kingdom. He was awarded the
299:
to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the invasion of
Normandy. Prominent in veteran's affairs during his retirement, he was later a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia. He died in
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280:. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), he returned to the United Kingdom later in the year as an instructor. In May 1944 he returned to operational flying with a posting to
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unit. The later months of the year were relatively quiet as the squadron reverted to night patrols over
England. At the end of the year it moved north to
440:. It saw little action while performing its patrolling duties and by September was carrying out convoy patrols. By this time, Cowper had been promoted to
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323:
and had emigrated to
Australia when he was 21. The Cowper family, which in addition to Cowper's parents also included three sisters, later moved to
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252:, Cowper joined the RAAF in 1940. After completing his flight training the following year, he was sent to the United Kingdom to serve with the
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288:, shot down several German aircraft. Awarded a bar to his DFC early in 1945, he finished the war as acting commander of the squadron.
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on 19 June 2016; his wife had predeceased him by three years and he was survived by two of his four daughters. One daughter married
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1002:. Australia in the War of 1939â1945 Series 3 â Air. Vol. IV (online scan ed.). Canberra: Australian War Memorial.
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Returning to civilian life, he worked for an engineering company and later took up farming. In 2004 he was also appointed a
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238:
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targeting the south of
England. Cowper made a claim for one V-1 destroyed but this was subsequently awarded to an
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At the end of the year, Cowper and his navigator/radar operator, Flying
Officer Bill Watson, were transferred to
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on 5 July. This was one of three aircraft of this type destroyed by pilots of No. 456 Squadron that night.
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unconsciousness before awaking and opening his parachute. He was spotted and picked up by a hospital ship,
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Aces High: A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Forces in WWII
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squadron, it became operational in December but in early 1942 began to re-equip with the twin-engined
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584:, the Allied invasion of Normandy, commenced on 6 June, it flew at night over the landing beaches.
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in Egypt, also operating Beaufighter night fighters. The squadron had a detachment stationed on
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recognising the 60th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy, Cowper was later awarded the
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in July, he proceeded to the United Kingdom the following month to serve with the
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in 1943. He achieved his first aerial victories in the lead up to and during the
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Reunited with Watson as his navigator and radar operator, Cowper destroyed a
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in July, the squadron flew cover for the landing beaches. Cowper destroyed a
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714:"Obituary - Bob Cowper, D-Day Fighter Ace who had Two Remarkable Escapes"
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Australian recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
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night fighter attacks on bomber bases in England. Cowper, promoted to
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on the night of 9 June. He carried on with his patrol and shot down a
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and in the following months saw more action dealing with incoming
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484:. On the night of 18 April, Cowper made his first claim, for a
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medium bomber as well. In both instances, he reported seeing
576:, carrying out night patrols over the south of England using
339:
and once he finished his schooling, he found employment as a
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518:(DFC) at the end of August; the citation, published in
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Cowper returned to Australia with his wife, Katherine
245:. He was credited with at least six aerial victories.
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unit, before going to the Middle East to serve with
614:Later in July, No. 456 Squadron became involved in
568:, Scotland. He returned to operational flying with
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468:In March, Cowper's detachment was integrated into
1129:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia
945:"Veterans given Legion of Honour at War Memorial"
488:heavy fighter that was damaged over the town of
1036:Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft
668:One of ten Australian war veterans appointed a
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684:for his work in veteran's affairs. He died at
1053:Shores, Christopher; Williams, Clive (1994).
511:, after spending several hours in the water.
8:
971:"Medal of the Order of Australia Recipients"
367:. In April 1941 he went to Canada under the
355:Cowper's flight training was carried out at
933:(Supplement). 9 February 1945. p. 817.
882:(Supplement). 31 August 1943. p. 3870.
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1124:People from Broken Hill, New South Wales
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552:, Cowper was posted as an instructor to
1119:Military personnel from New South Wales
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572:, a RAAF unit, in May. It was based at
560:. In March 1944, he was transferred to
409:, in November he was posted to the new
365:No. 8 Elementary Flying Training School
834:Pitchfork, Graham (30 December 2019).
812:
777:"Squadron Leader Robert Barson Cowper"
645:No. 456 Squadron began operating from
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769:
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373:No. 11 Service Flying Training School
7:
1019:. Fyshwick: Aerospace Publications.
692:, a noted Australian horse trainer.
638:at the start of 1945, was awarded a
618:, the RAF's campaign against German
233:(24 June 1922 â 19 June 2016) was a
1134:Royal Australian Air Force officers
1109:Australian World War II flying aces
1079:Oral Histories: Bob Cowper's story
14:
1038:. London: MacDonald & James.
836:"Above and Beyond: Robert Cowper"
311:Robert Barson Cowper was born in
999:Air Power over Europe, 1944â1945
676:on 7 June 2004 in a ceremony in
403:No. 10 Operational Training Unit
1114:Knights of the Legion of Honour
682:Medal of the Order of Australia
201:Medal of the Order of Australia
712:Davison, Phil (22 July 2016).
472:for the aerial defence of the
343:. In June 1940, he joined the
205:Knight of the Legion of Honour
1:
578:de Havilland Mosquito Mk XVII
357:No. 5 Initial Training School
562:No. 5 Tactical Exercise Unit
973:. SBS News. 25 January 2012
538:, No. 36152, 31 August 1943
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757:Shores & Williams 1994
516:Distinguished Flying Cross
401:After a period of time at
369:Empire Air Training Scheme
345:Royal Australian Air Force
239:Royal Australian Air Force
193:Distinguished Flying Cross
101:Royal Australian Air Force
779:. Australian War Memorial
494:Allied invasion of Sicily
480:to the Italian island of
331:. Cowper was educated at
278:Allied invasion of Sicily
32:
996:Herington, John (1963).
642:to his DFC in February.
377:Royal Canadian Air Force
371:for further training at
1057:. London: Grub Street.
1034:Rawlings, John (1976).
1015:Newton, Dennis (1996).
672:(Knight) of the French
295:(Knight) of the French
256:. Cowper was posted to
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448:Middle East and Sicily
381:North American Harvard
949:Sydney Morning Herald
580:heavy fighters. Once
415:Boulton Paul Defiants
405:(OTU) in Scotland at
107:Years of service
18:Australian flying ace
486:Messerschmitt Me 210
286:invasion of Normandy
214:Robert Barson Cowper
173:Invasion of Normandy
1017:Australian Air Aces
435:Bristol Beaufighter
930:The London Gazette
879:The London Gazette
582:Operation Overlord
241:(RAAF) during the
168:Invasion of Sicily
628:RAF Church Fenton
550:flight lieutenant
544:Later war service
361:Western Australia
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647:RAF Bradwell Bay
620:V-1 flying bombs
570:No. 456 Squadron
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492:. Following the
478:intruder patrols
470:No. 108 Squadron
429:. Training as a
427:Northern Ireland
413:, equipped with
411:No. 153 Squadron
407:RAF East Fortune
351:Second World War
297:Legion of Honour
282:No. 456 Squadron
270:No. 108 Squadron
258:No. 153 Squadron
243:Second World War
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333:Queen's College
329:South Australia
317:New South Wales
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284:and during the
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254:Royal Air Force
250:New South Wales
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975:. Retrieved
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844:. Retrieved
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721:. Retrieved
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592:heavy bomber
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153:Battles/wars
71:(2016-06-19)
69:19 June 2016
52:24 June 1922
20:
15:
1099:2016 deaths
1094:1922 births
925:"No. 36931"
874:"No. 36152"
813:Newton 1996
690:Peter Jolly
609:Selsey Bill
456:, based at
423:County Down
341:draughtsman
313:Broken Hill
303:, aged 93.
82:, Australia
61:, Australia
55:Broken Hill
1088:Categories
990:References
718:The Herald
654:Later life
554:No. 63 OTU
474:Nile Delta
307:Early life
235:flying ace
87:Allegiance
48:1922-06-24
670:Chevalier
632:Luftwaffe
596:Cherbourg
458:Abu Sueir
379:, flying
363:and then
347:(RAAF).
293:Chevalier
268:and then
110:1940â1945
90:Australia
977:24 March
955:24 March
846:23 March
783:23 March
723:22 March
686:Adelaide
678:Canberra
594:west of
533:â
525:, read:
384:trainers
301:Adelaide
207:(France)
143:Commands
95:Service/
76:Adelaide
1008:3633419
840:Flypast
558:Honiley
490:Marsala
398:(RAF).
237:of the
1061:
1042:
1023:
1006:
482:Sicily
321:London
221:&
195:&
189:Awards
97:branch
696:Notes
566:Annan
506:HMHS
462:Malta
390:as a
274:Malta
248:From
228:
226:,
1059:ISBN
1040:ISBN
1021:ISBN
1004:OCLC
979:2023
957:2023
848:2023
785:2023
725:2023
574:Ford
520:The
260:, a
125:Unit
115:Rank
66:Died
42:Born
661:nÊe
640:bar
564:at
556:at
508:Aba
421:in
417:at
359:in
335:in
327:in
315:in
272:on
230:OAM
223:Bar
219:DFC
197:Bar
1090::
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