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Personal info

Full name
COWEN, Noah Nelson
Date of birth
20 February 1922
Age
22
Place of birth
Covington County, Alabama
Hometown
Covington County, Alabama

Military service

Service number
O-829824
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
350th Fighter Squadron,
353rd Fighter Group
Awards
Air Medal with Oak Leaf cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
5 December 1944
Place of death
7 Km south of Wunstorf, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
B 34 43

Immediate family

Members
Daniel F. Cowen (father)
Susan (Ham) Cowen (mother)
Robert H. Cowen (brother)
Roy G. Cowen (brother)
Reginal D. Cowen (brother)
Frederick N. Cowen (brother)
Franklin H. Cowen (brother)
Erma Cowen (sister)
Anna Cowen (sister)
Grace Guy (sister)
William Guy (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
44-14538
Data
Type: P-51D
Nickname: Margaret Too
Destination: Berlin, Germany
Mission: Bomber Escort
MACR: 10816

More information

2nd Lt Noah N. Cowen graduated from Auburn University with the class of 1944 with a major in Electrical Engineering.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Montgomery, Alabama, on 6 June 1942.

Statement of Capt William F. Tanner:
"Lt Cowen was flying my wing in a three-man flight. We were escorting a crippled B-17 down at about 500 feet, when we were jumped by approximately 15 FW 190s. We mixed it up quite well, when another gaggle of 190s came in. Attempting to pull out of the fight with my flight, I was in a tight climbing turn with 3 enemy aircraft on my tail, when I saw Lt Cowen with two 190s after him. They were scoring hits on his tail assembly. So I called him to break. At the same time, tracers started buzzing past me, so I broke into the cloud layer. When he was called to break, no answer was heard from him. Lt Cowen was last sighted at 1,000 feet."

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, James T. Cowen, Terry Hirsch, Dana Cowen Johnston, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, Auburn University memorial
Photo source: Dana Cowen Johnston