On 31 August, one of the heaviest days of fighting in the Battle of Britain, Coward was shot down during an attack on Do 17s east of Duxford. He baled out, badly wounded, and landed by the Royston-Newmarket Road. Coward was taken to Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, where his left leg was amputated below the knee. During his descent he had used his radio lead to improvise a tourniquet for the leg.
After recovering, he was posted to the staff of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for roof spotting at Chequers and Chartwell. He then held various senior instructing posts, before going to the Air Ministry to take charge of fighter operational training. He remained in the RAF after the war and was awarded the AFC in 1954, having carried out test work on the Gloster Meteor while commanding an advanced flying training school.
Air Commodore Coward retired from the service in 1969 and went to live in Australia. He died in 2012 aged 97.
