Site last updated 1st February 2012

Peak District Air Accident Research

Handley Page Halifax Mk.II BB320 coded A2 of 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF, crashed near to Cellerhead in Staffordshire on the 7th February 1944.

Crew / Passengers	Rank - If Applicable	Position e.g. Pilot	Status
Ernest Charles David Richards	Pilot Officer	Pilot	Killed
Albert John Denny	Sergeant	Flight Engineer	Killed
Hubert Lloyd Kerr RCAF	Flying Officer	Navigator / Bomb Aimer	Killed
Kenneth Murray	Sergeant	Navigator	Killed
William Desmond Joshua	Sergeant	Wireless Operator / Air Gunner	Killed
Herbert John Couling	Sergeant	Air Gunner	Killed

The crew were on a night navigation exercise from RAF Lindholme near Doncaster, having taken off at 17:40. A little under an hour into the flight the aircraft was seen to emerge from cloud in a spin and crashed into a field in the Cellerhead area where the wreck was destroyed by fire.

The AM Form 1180 recorded that control had likely been lost following an engine failure while in the cloud, may be as a result of icing.

Above is a the crash site of BB320, very little of the aircraft remains at the site today, most having been cleared at the time and later excavated by M.H.A.S.

The crew were buried in various locations throughout the UK, below are graves of 4 of them, 3 in Chester (Blacon) Cemetery and Sgt Denny in Wandsworth Streatham Cemtery

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