Alfred was born on 10 December 1912 in North Bierley, Yorkshire to Henry and Annie née Nathan and had four siblings, Bertha, Joseph, Albert and Ruth. Their father Henry died in 1937 and had worked as a commercial traveller. Alfred announced his engagement to Terry Lyons of Blackpool three months before he was killed.

Alfred was the observer on Whitley T4165 which departed from RAF Tangmere on a night special duties operation bound for the power station at Passac with six Polish saboteurs on board. The aircraft was returning from the unsuccessful sortie when it stalled and crashed 03.20 hrs and then caught fire on attempting to land at Tangmere. Two members of the crew were killed and four injured.

P/O, J.E. Wilson, Pilot, injured
W/Op, Sgt R.T. Briscoe, injured
Observer, Sgt Alfred Julius Cowan, killed
F/O J Molesworth, injured
W/Op, Rear Gunner, Sgt Lloyd George Morris, Killed
2nd Pilot, F/O A.J. Oettle, DFC, injured
Sgt P.E. Pacy, injured
Capt M. Kalcinski – Polish
Lt K. Bogdziewicz – Polish
Lt K. Dendor – Polish
Lt S. Kruszewski – Polish
2 Lt W. Miciek – Polish
2 Lt L. Zwolanski – Polish