Andrew King Cowper, (16 November 1898 – 25 June 1980) was an Australian

fighter pilot A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, air-to-ground combat and sometimes electronic warfare while in the cockpit of a fighter aircraft. Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and ...

and flying ace of the First World War. Born in Bingara, New South Wales, he was educated in the United Kingdom at

Eastbourne College Eastbourne College is a co-educational independent school in the British public school tradition, for day and boarding pupils aged 13–18, in the town of Eastbourne on the south coast of England. The College's headmaster is Tom Lawson. Over ...

. Joining the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

in May 1917, he was posted to No. 24 Squadron RFC in France and was credited with shooting down nineteen German aircraft between November 1917 and March 1918. Cowper was awarded the Military Cross and two Bars during the war for his efforts in destroying German aircraft, in addition to carrying out ground-attacks. He was posted to the Home Establishment in April 1918, serving out the remainder of the war in the United Kingdom; he was discharged in 1920. Returning to Australia, he established his own horticultural business. He served in the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

in the Second World War, and died on 25 June 1980 aged eighty-one.

Early life

Andrew Cowper was born in Bingara, New South Wales, on 16 November 1898, the fifth child of Henry Percival Cowper, a surveyor, and his

Channel Island The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

er wife Amy Fraser (née Farquhar). Cowper was a descendant of poet William Cowper and colonial administrator Philip Gidley King. He was educated in England at

in Sussex, graduating in 1916.

First World War

On the completion of his secondary studies in 1916, Cowper enlisted in the Royal Sussex Regiment for service in the First World War. On 10 May 1917, he transferred to the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

and was selected for flight training as a temporary

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

. Gaining his wings, Cowper was posted to No. 24 Squadron RFC in France during August, piloting

Airco DH.5 The Airco DH.5 was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft. It was designed and manufactured at British aviation company Airco. Development was led by aircraft designer Geoffrey de Havilland as a replacement for the obs ...

s. The squadron operated over the

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Amiens sectors, with Cowper working against German aerial and ground forces in the area. Cowper claimed his first aerial victories in November 1917, shooting down two German Albatros D.IIIs. The following month, No. 24 Squadron was re-equipped with

S.E.5a The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the fast ...

s. Cowper achieved flying ace status on the new aircraft, being credited with his fifth victory on 19 February 1918. Seven days later, he led a formation of six aircraft out on a patrol. While airborne, the group intercepted a party of four German triplanes. Closing in for an attack, Cowper managed to destroy one of the machines, while the remaining three were shot down by the other men in his patrol. Heading back to base, Cowper spotted a

Pfalz D.III The Pfalz D.III was a fighter aircraft used by the '' Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Air Service) during the First World War. The D.III was the first major original design from Pfalz Flugzeugwerke. Though generally considered inferior to c ...

scout and "shepherding it by the most skilful piloting west of the lines" forced the aircraft to land, undamaged, at a British aerodrome. Thus during the period of 18 February to 6 March, he had been credited with shooting down six hostile aircraft, bringing his tally to nine. For his "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty" coupled with displaying the "greatest courage and determination" in the destruction of these aircraft, Cowper was awarded the Military Cross. The announcement and accompanying citation for the decoration was announced in a supplement to the ''

London Gazette London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

'' on 22 April 1918. Andrew Cowper portrait P03709

Throughout the remainder of March 1918, Cowper was credited with shooting down a further ten German aircraft, either destroying the machines in aerial combat or forcing them down as out of control. These proved to be Cowper's final victories of the war, bringing his ultimate score to nineteen aircraft shot down and making him No. 24 Squadron's fourth highest scoring ace. Cited for his "gallantry and skill ... of the highest order" in bringing these aircraft down, Cowper was awarded a

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to his Military Cross. On 24 March, he was made a flight commander within No. 24 Squadron and promoted to temporary

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. In addition to working against German airborne elements, Cowper carried out twenty ground-attack sorties between 21 March and 1 April 1918. On one particular day during this period, he executed four separate attacks on entrenched German infantry and transport. In the first raid, Cowper bombed a unit of troops in their trench, causing "great havoc and confusion" despite being subject to heavy gunfire himself and consequently forced the men to abandon their trench. After returning to his aerodrome for further bombs and ammunition, he set off a second time and successfully assaulted troops and transport forces, before carrying out two further raids that day. Cowper was awarded a second Bar to his Military Cross for his "magnificent dash and determination" in his attacks on land forces. The awards of both Bars were promogulated in a supplement to the ''London Gazette'' on 22 June 1918, along with the full citations for the decorations. In April 1918, Cowper returned to the United Kingdom for duties with the Home Establishment. Transferring to the newly established Royal Air Force later that month, he spent the remainder or the war in England. The following year, he was posted to No. 79 Squadron RAF and served with the unit as part of the British occupation of Germany. He was later posted to India, before retiring from the Royal Air Force on 13 February 1920.

Post-military career and later life

Cowper returned to Australia on his retirement from the Royal Air Force, working on his parents' sheep farming property near

Coonamble, New South Wales Coonamble is a town on the central-western plains of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the Castlereagh Highway north-west of Gilgandra. At the 2016 census, Coonamble had a population of 2,750. It is the regional hub for wheat growing and s ...

. At the district registrar's office, Randwick, Cowper wed Miriam Goldberg on 28 April 1924; the couple later had sons Leon and Henry. Moving to Sydney, Cowper became proprietor of a seed and plant merchant company, Henderson & Co., while Miriam established a florist store. As their business ventures expanded, the couple purchased a gladioli-farm at Mona Vale. On the outbreak of the Second World War, Cowper enlisted in the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

on 23 February 1942. He served as an officer in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch, rising to the rank of squadron leader. He was discharged from service on 2 March 1945, his final posting being to

RAAF Base Rathmines RAAF Base Rathmines is a heritage-listed former RAAF Second World War seaplane base and now used as community venues, sports venues and a visitor attraction at Dorrington Road, Rathmines, City of Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia. It ...

; his son Leon had also served as a warrant officer in the Royal Australian Air Force during the war. An accomplished and passionate horticulturalist, Cowper cultured a "fine garden" at his home in Bellevue Hill. A member of the

Australian Jockey Club Australian Turf Club (ATC) owns and operates thoroughbred racing, events and hospitality venues across Sydney, Australia. The ATC came into being on 7 February 2011 when the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) and the Sydney Turf Club (STC) merged. The ...

and Sydney Turf Club, Cowper died at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, on 25 June 1980. Predeceased by his wife and children by some years, he was cremated.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cowper, Andrew 1898 births 1980 deaths Australian people of English descent Australian World War I flying aces British Army personnel of World War I People educated at Eastbourne College Royal Australian Air Force officers Royal Flying Corps officers Royal Air Force personnel of World War I Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II Recipients of the Military Cross