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
