The Airmen's Stories - F/O W H Coverley

William Hugh Coverley was born at Lowdham, near Nottingham on 5th April 1917, the son of Thomas Craven Coverley (1888-1917) and of Mary Elizabeth Coverley (nee Elmitt 1894-1960).

See note at bottom regarding his birth.

His father died in France on 2nd December 1917, serving in the 8th Battalion Royal Fusiliers. He is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial.

WH Coverley attended Scarborough College.

Coverley began his training in the RAFO on 12th October 1936. He was commissioned in December 1936 and was called to full-time service at the outbreak of war. He joined 3 Air Observer School at Aldergrove from the Reserve on 3rd September 1939. He was posted away on 27th November to 602 Squadron at Drem.

On 13th January 1940 Coverley damaged a He111 over the Firth of Forth. On 7th July he shared in destroying a Ju88. He was shot down by enemy fighters over Dorchester on 25th August and baled out, unhurt. His Spitfire, P9381, crashed and burned out on Galton Heath.

On the 31st he probably destroyed a Me109.

Coverley was shot down over the Biggin Hill area on 7th September. He baled out, badly burned but his descent was not seen and his body was not found until 16th September.

(However see subsequent newspaper reports below).

His Spitfire, N3198, crashed in flames at Fosters Farm, Hayesden Lane, near Tonbridge.

Coverley was 23.

He is buried in Dean Road Cemetery, Scarborough.

Above: the graves have now been restored.

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June 2026 - David Nunn writes:

I should just like to question one or two details about William Coverley. Firstly, I think he was born near Metheringham, Lincolnshire (not Lowdham) and his birth was registered at Lincoln. I don't think they were a Nottinghamshire family and indeed can find no connections with Notts. I am surprised CWGC cited Lowdham, Notts because he never lived there. I think he was educated and later buried at Scarborough because that's where he grew up. Possibly his widowed mother did retire to Lowdham ?

Note - the Ancestry website has two entries for his birth, one in Nottinghamshire and another in Lincoln, the issue is currently unresolved.