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This story was submitted to the People's War site by Sarah Blackaby, a volunteer from CSV Action Desk on behalf of Mr Cowin and has been added to the site with his permission. Mr Cowin fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

My name is Jack Finch, but I know much about the war history of my old friend Peter Cowin. We were both RAF pilots, but did not meet until 1952. I am now 81, and Peter is 86. This is the account I wish to place on record of Peter Cowin鈥檚 war service.

On return to the UK, in 1943, from service in Canada. Peter Cowin was faced with a variety of opportunities. When a rare chance was presented of flying Spitfires, an aircraft he had long admired, he seized it, and training started at No. 57 Operational Training Unit at Eshott, Northumberland. Pilots of the Spitfire needed to do their first solo flight unaccompanied, with no instructor鈥檚 seat, and Peter faced was he remembers as the unforgettable rush of power as one was hurled forward, on opening the throttle of a thousand horsepower.

On top of this he had to take off in poor weather on a runway cleared of snow banked up on both sides.

On his second flight Peter took off as one of three spitfires. Soon after take off on a planned long flight he ran into a blizzard, reducing visibility drastically, and only with difficulty struggled back to a heavy landing in the swirling snow. A second aircraft somersaulted in a field near the runway and was completely wrecked, but the pilot was rescued by fast action of the crash crew. The third pilot died in the wreck of his plane on the Scottish border.

After a brief spell with another squadron Peter was posted, on 14th April 1945, to No 322 Squadron at Twente, in Holland. 322 Squadron was part of the Royal Dutch Air Force, all Dutch pilots, apart from 5 British pilots, including Peter. Together with their sister Belgian Squadron, No 329, the squadron provided ground support for the Canadian Second Army, both squadrons being part of the Second Tactical Air Force (2nd TAF).

Operations with their Spitfires went into full swing with non-stop attacks, by bombs and cannon, on a German strongpoint, troops, tanks, an army headquarters, and troop trains. These targets were sought out by the pilots. Another role was to circle in typical groups of 6 aircraft, at points where the Allied armies could call on them to attack German positions holding up the advance.

By May 1945 the squadron had moved over the border into Germany, at Kloppenberg, where the squadron joined with a Polish fighter wing. On 8th August 1945 Peter switched to flying Meteors. The same kind of attacks continued, as those from the Dutch airfield.

This work continued until the ceasefire in the War in Europe was declared.

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