, 30 March 1946 He was appointed a General Staff Officer, 1st grade in India from 18 September 1940 to 17 February 1941. Appointed acting brigadier, he was Director of Military Training in India from 18 February 1941 to 30 September 1941, then deputy director of Military Training in India 1 October 1941 to 14 December 1941, then Director of Military Training in India from 15 December 1941 to 1 March 1942. 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 was appointed acting Major-General and commander of the
Indian 17th Infantry Division when its previous commander,
Jackie Smyth VC, was relieved after a bridge was blown behind the retreating division and much of it was cut off. He remained in command of the division for the rest of the
Burma Campaign: 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. For his leadership in Burma he was twice awarded the
Distinguished Service Order. His army commander,
Bill Slim, was later to write about Cowan's handling of the Meiktila battle: He was promoted to the rank of substantive Major-General on 12 February 1945. A fine picture of the soldier's life, fighting in his Division, is found in George MacDonald Fraser's memoir
Quartered Safe Out Here (London, Harvill 1993). 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 joint British-Indian division BRINDIV, part of the
British Commonwealth Occupation Force, in Japan. In 1947, he handed over command of this force and retired from the army. ==Career summary==