Simon Glancey has submitted the following:
The 92 Squadron O.R.B. (Operational Record Book) Form 540 and Form 541 report that F/Sgt Cowan was killed in Spitfire VIII JF514 of 92 Squadron, based at Treviso, Italy:
“We report with deep regret that this morning F/Sgt R Cowan was killed while air testing a new machine – the aircraft crashed into a house and exploded in the little village of Barbisanello, about 5 mile west of Conegliano. How and why it happened is likely to remain a mystery for when P/O Stevenson went up to find out from the villagers what had happened, he got two conflicting stories from them.”Air 27/747, The National Archives.
He is remembered in Annfield Plain on A38.01
