David Tennent Cowan (1896 - 1983), also known as Punch Cowan, was an officer in the British Indian Army, who was distinguished for leading the Indian 17th Infantry Division during almost the entire Burma Campaign. Year 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar). ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A group of native Indian muslim soldiers posing for volley firing orders. ... The Indian 17th Infantry Division was a formation of the British Indian Army raised during World War II. It had the distinction of being continually in combat during the three-year long Burma Campaign (except for brief periods of refit). ... The Burma Campaign was a campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II. It was fought primarily between Commonwealth, Chinese and American forces against the Empire of Japan. ...

After serving in World War I, he joined the 6th Gurkha Rifles. Between the wars, he served on the north-west frontier, and in various staff positions. From 1932 to 1934, he was the Chief Instructor at the Indian Military Academy. By the outbreak of World War II, he was in command of the 1st Battalion of his regiment. Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nikolay II Aleksey Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Robert Nivelle Herbert H. Asquith D. Lloyd George Sir Douglas Haig Sir John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Promoted brigadier, he was Deputy Director of Military Training in India. When the Japanese invaded Burma, he was posted to Rangoon, initially as a staff officer in Burma Army HQ with rather ill-defined duties, but took command of the Indian 17th Infantry Division when its commander was relieved after a bridge was blown behind the retreating division and much of it was cut off. Yangôn, formerly Rangoon, population 4,504,000 (2001), is the capital of Myanmar. ... The Indian 17th Infantry Division was a formation of the British Indian Army raised during World War II. It had the distinction of being continually in combat during the three-year long Burma Campaign (except for brief periods of refit). ...

He remained in command of the division during the retreat into India, the fighting around Tiddim in 1943, the Battle of Imphal in 1944 and the drive into Central Burma in 1945. Early in 1945, his son was killed whilst serving as an officer in Cowan's old unit (1/6 Gurkha Rifles). He fought the decisive Battle of Meiktila having suffered this loss, although only a few close friends were aware of it. 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Combatants British Fourteenth Army Indian IV Corps Japanese 15th Division Japanese 33rd Division Japanese 31st Division Commanders Louis Mountbatten Geoffrey Scoones Renya Mutaguchi Masakasu Kawabe Strength 4 Infantry Divisions 1 Armoured Brigade 1 Parachute Brigade 3 Infamtry about 100,000 Japanese Army Casualties 17,500 53,879 The Battle of... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Battle of Meiktila. ...

He was intended to lead the Indian army contingent of the Commonwealth Corps being tentatively formed to participate in the planned invasion of Japan. The surrender of Japan changed these plans, and Cowan instead led the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan. In 1947, he handed over command of this force and retired from the army. Commonwealth Corps was the name given to a combined British Commonwealth army formation, to be formed for the proposed invasion of Japan, alongside United States forces in 1945-46. ...

External links

• Biography at www.generals.dk