Ethel Glover

'On 28 June 1939 King George VI established the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) for duty with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in time of war.' www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/women-of-the-air-force/womens-auxiliary-air-force-waaf-1939-1949

No record has yet been traced of when Ethel joined the WAAF, but her birth in 1923 was registered between the period April-June 1923 (AMJ) - the 1939 Register gives the third of the month but the month is illegible - so it was unlikely that she joined much before her 18th birthday in early 1941. Conscription for women was introduced from December 1941.

Aircraftwoman 2nd Class Ethel Glover, ('Trade: Ground'), was posted to Bomber Command at Tempsford, Befordshire, in May 1942. This may have been her first posting after basic and trade training.

She was killed on the night of 1 August 1942 when she was knocked down by an Army lorry while walking to the aerodrome. An airman who was accompanying her suffered head and arm injuries in the accident.

Ethel is buried in Sutton in Ashfield Cemetery (grave ref. Sec. A. Grave 11443). There are 65 war graves, including Ethel's, in the cemetery.

Extract from the a history of Tempsford, which includes the period Ethel Glover was stationed there. Source: harringtonmuseum.org.uk/tempsford-airfield

July 1940. Contractors John Laing and Balfour Beatty commence construction of an airfield to RAF Class A standard on land known as Tempsford Flats, acquired from Leslie Pym.

October 1941. Airfield nearing completion, handed over to No 3 Group RAF, responsible for Special DutyOperations.

December 1941. Wellington 1Cs of 110 Operational Training Unit move in to the airfield on a temporary basis, until their home at Bassingbourne is completed.

January 9th 1942. HQ and Wireless Development Flights of 109 Squadron move in with Wellington IIIs to begin trials with OBOE radio direction finding equipment and other secret radio equipment.

March 11th 1942. Number 138 Special Duty Squadron (SD) moved into Tempsford together with their Whitley and Lysander aircraft to carry out covert supply and agent delivery operations. Stores and administration follow from Stradishall.

Mid March 1942. Secure communications established with SOE (Special Operations Executive) and SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) intelligence sections in Baker Street, London. Container packing facilities and agent holding centre set up at Gaynes Hall near St Neots. Hazells Hall, near the airfield on the road to Sandy, requisitioned for staff and agent accommodation.

March 18th 1942. First covert supply mission carried out in the March moon period to drop zone in Northern France.

CWGC Additional information: Daughter of Joseph and Ethel May Glover, of Sutton-in-Ashfield.

Bedfordshire Times & Independent, 7 August 1942: 'Coroner Suggest that a Footpath is Needed. There was an inquest at Everton on Tuesday on a nineteen-year-old member of the W.A.A.F., Ethel Glover, who was killed by an Army lorry on Saturday night when walking from Sandy to Everton after a dance. Evidence of the cause of death was given by Medical Officer Ian Brown Miller, who said that the girl’s injuries included a fractured skull and pelivs. She had died almost instantaneously. May Lee Holland, Flight-Officer in charge of the unit to which Ethel Glover belonged, said that Glover’s home was at 26 Park Street, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. She had been in the unit since 16th May. Her hearing and eyesight were good. A/C G.H. Green said that he was in company with Glover on Saturday. He was on the outside [‘walking with deceased with his arm around her waist’, Biggleswade Chronicle]. Light was fairly good. He heard no impact and could only remember finding himself on the side of the road. Hear A Thud. A/C Frederick James Russell said that he walked a few yards ahead of the last witness with a friend. When one lorry passed them he heard a dull crash and groans, and saw the airman lying on the road [he suffered head and arm injuries, Biggleswade Chronicle]. He did not see the girl. He stopped the next lorry and made a report to an officer. Later, the W.A.A.F. was found farther on, having apparently been carried on by the lorry. [A/C Russell said ‘the lorry involved in the accident was travelling at 30pmh and did not stop’, Biggleswade Chronicle] Driver Cunningham [a passenger] said he was riding in front of the lorry which was travelling with side lights only. When about half-way up Sandy Hill he said to the driver, ‘I think someone wants a lift.’ A lance-corporal said, ‘I thnk we’ve hit something.’ He went back about ninety yards, and saw the W.A.A.F., who was seriously injured. He thought the lorry was travelling at a steady twelve to fifteen miles an hour. Trees made the road dark at that point. Visibiilty Was Good. P.c. Sandell (Sandy) said that at 1.15am on Sunday he proceeded to the palce where the accident occurred. He was told the body had been taken to the mortuary. He inquired for the driver of the lorry (Driver Lister) and asked him why the accident had not been reported earlier to the police. Later the sergeant saw an officer on whose instructions the driver made a statement. He made certain tests which showed that a white handkerchief in the road was visible from the driver’s seat at a distance of fifty yards. Visibilty was good, the night was fine, there was no moon. At this part of the road both sides were darkened by overhanging trees. The Coroner (Mr RG Rose), addressing the Service representation, said he would press for a pathway to be constructed by the local authories, but meanwhile he urged themn to instruct their personnel when using the road to walk facing oncoming traffic as a safety precaution. Driver Lister then gave evidence.he said he left Beford with his lorry and about twenty men a few minutes after eleven o’clock. About half-way up Everton Hill someone knocked on the tailboard for hm to storp. He did so, and learned tht a W.A.A.F. had been killed. He was driving at about fifteen miles per hour. He could not say why he did not see the two people in the road. The Coroner said that death must be recorded as accidental. The driver was unable to give any explanation why he had not seen these people. He thought he certainly should have been able to do so. There was no evidence that he had driven dangerously of at excessive speed. He expressed his sympathy with the father of the dead girl, who was present.’ (www.britishnewspaperachive.co.uk)

A report of the inquest was also published in the Biggleswade Chronicle. 7 August 1942. Although similar in content to the report in the Befordshire Times and Independent, there was additional information including that the Coroner recorded a verdict of Accidental Death’ and also asked a witness at the inquest which was held ‘at a Bedfordshire aerodrome on Tuesday to inform his superior officers that the police should be assisted as much as possible in dealing with accidents in which military vehicles or personnel were involved.’ This referred to the driver of the Army lorry involved who ‘had been to the pictures in Bedford and was returning with about 20 men in the lorry. He had had ony one pint of beer’ he also said that he ‘told a police sergeant that he had been instructed not to make any statements after accidents.’

Additional research, RF (Aug. 2026)