Handley Page Halifax JB926

Main wreckage pool in front of Slipstone Crags on Agra Moor .

 The area surrounding this memorial is burnt earth covered with a scatter of tiny fragments .

The night of 23rd/24th November turned into tragedy for No4 Groups No.1658 Heavy Conversion Unit .
Six Halifax's took off from Ricall on a cross country training exercise , the weather was poor to begin with ,and rapidly detereorated , only two aircraft from this flight completed the task and returned to Ricall , one landed at another airfield and three crashed .

The crew of 8 were all killed

Pilot Sgt. R.E.C. Bacon
Flt Eng Sgt G.H. Manley
Flt Eng Sgt. J. Titterington
Nav F/O H. McCarthy
BA F/Sgt J.J. MacGillivray (RCAF)
WO Sgt B.F. Taylor
AG Sgt, A.J. Winton
AG Sgt.D.E. Phillips

JB926 was reportedly heard to circle before going into a steep dive . Icing up of the flying surfaces is thought to be the cause . The crash was at high speed and the aircraft burned on impact . Evidence of which can clearly be seen at the crash site .

No.1658 HCU was first formed on 7th October 1942 adopting the word 'Heavy' in the name on 1st November the same year. It supplied airmen to No.4 Group .
The HCU,s didnt teach men to fly as such but rather prepared trained men to fly heavy bombers (usually 4 engined ones ,Halifaxes for No4 Group Squadrons) .