Captain David Lacy Cowan was born in Guelph, Ontario to William and Edith Cowan. He was trained as an apprentice carpenter when he entered the University of Toronto for a brief time before moving to Winnipeg where he graduated from the School of Architecture at the University of Manitoba in 1934. On his return from Manitoba and as a diversion, he and his brother William built a scale replica of John Galt’s Priory, the first house built in Guelph.  The model has been on display in the Guelph Museum since 1965.

From March 1935, David worked as a draftsman for the Toronto firm of Vaux Chadwick & Bryan Chadwick, serving as their local site superintendent for construction of the Dominion Public Building, Upper Wyndham Street in Guelph. Under his own name, he designed the Royal Dairy Company, also in Guelph. Cowan continued to practise in Guelph until February 1941 when he transferred to the Canadian Active Service Force (CASF).  Until then, he had served in the 1^st Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers, Canadian Army (Reserve) as a 2^nd Lieutenant.

David was immediately sent to A5 Canadian Engineer Training Centre in Camp Petawawa for training.  In July, he was posted to the 4^th Battalion, RCE as a lieutenant and disembarked with them in England in November. On arrival in England, the 4^th Battalion was quickly absorbed by Canadian Military HQ works programme building camps, roads and hospitals, to release the engineers of the 3^rd Division. David continued training taking courses in field engineering, bridging, chemical warfare, camouflage and staff duties. In May 1943, the 4^th Battalion, R.C.E. was disbanded to become an engineer formation, II Canadian Corps Troops comprising the 29^th, 30^th, and 31^st Field Companies and the 8^th Field Park Company.  David was sent to the 30^th Field Company. In September 1943, he was sent to First Canadian Army HQ as a staff lieutenant. On 10 May 1944, he was appointed General Staff Officer Grade III (GSO3 Camouflage) and appointed Acting Captain whilst so employed. He arrived in France on 7 July 1944 and was attached the II Canadian Corps HQ. After his death, he was awarded a Mention in Dispatches.

Capt Cowan was killed in action near Antwerp, Belgium on 2 October 1944. He was buried in a temporary grave at Destarbergen, Belgium and later moved the Adegem Canadian War Cemetery near Brugge. He left a wife and daughter in Guelph. 

David’s brother, Lt William MacDonald Cowan, died on 16 November 1944 while serving as a Canloan officer with the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) and is buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery. A second brother, Robert, served as a navigator in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and a third brother, Walter, served in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve. Walter and Robert survived the war.

Return to Part 5: Tributes to the Fallen Sappers of the Scheldt