Monument record 7267 - WWII Crash site of an Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle in Hartford

<1> Various, Written Communication to the HER, Herbert, Phil 08/05/2013 (Written Communication). SCH3756.

Copy of an email from the RAF museum which gives information about the crash. The aircraft concerned was Albemarle V1609 of 42 Operational Training Unit and it was lost on 15th April 1944. The crew were undertaking a general training sortie but the aircraft was over 50 miles away from its intended route. The aircraft was seen executing low level steep turns over Hartford and during one of these it collided with a chimney stack and crashed, killing four of the five personnel on board. These four personnel are named in this report.

<2> Storr, Alan, 2008, RAAF Fatalities in second world war among RAAF personnel serving on attachment
in Royal Air Force Squadrons and Support Units, p.122 (Web Site). SCH7175.

RAAF record for the Pilot summarised that on 15th April 1944, Albermarle V1609 crashed at 1535 hours during a day non-operational training excercise doing local circuits and landings. Four of the crew were killed and one injured. The Wireless Air Gunner on board lived in Hartford and initial reports were that one wing of the aircraft struck the chimney of a house causing the aircraft to crash only 200yds from his house. The names of all the crew are listed in this record.

<3> C.C. Publishing, ?, Cheshire Magazine, Remembering 1944 and a plane crash in Mid Cheshire (Web Site). SCH7176.

Account of the crash which was extensively researched by the local newspaper in 1970. This account describes the location of the crash as "After hitting the chimney, the aircraft continued over Chester Road, knocking the tops off trees and came to rest around the wall opposite the village shops and parish church."

<4> RAF Worksop 1943-1960, No. 18 OTU (Web Site). SCH7177.

Details of the crash and air crew included in this websites section on the 18 Polish Operational Training Unit

<5> Bevan, R.M., 2009, Hartford, Whitegate and Vale Royal (Times Past), p.23 (Book). SCH7207.

Description of the crash site of the the Albermarle Bomber in Hartford in April 1944. "It had taken off from Derby and twice flew over Hartford at very low altitude on the third run it clipped a chimney of a house opposite the Crecent, crashed into the orchard of Grange Farm and catapulted through the brick wall opposite to the row of shops in Chester road" this source refers to one survivor of 6 crew and gives the address of the Hartford Sergeant.

<6> Ferguson, Aldon, 2008, Cheshire Airfields in the Second World War, p.29-30 (Book). SCH7173.

Description of the accident describing the location of the crash."The aircraft was one of 99 special transport versions and it had flown low over Hartford twice. It commenced a third low pass when it struck a chimney or treetop opposite The Crescent with its starboard wing. The Albermarle flew on towards Hartford church, knocking the tops off the trees at the end of Walnut lane and crashing in the orchard of Grange Farm. The wreckage fell on and around the wall opposite the church and the row of shops in Hartford. The only survivor was the Australian mid-upper gunner whose turret was detached from the aircraft and catapulted into Chester Road with him inside it."

<7> Various, Written Communication to the HER, Herbert, Phil 28/01/2014 (Written Communication). SCH3756.

Additional information about the crash site provided including three estimated grid references. GIS information updated (from approximate OS ref SJ 6371 7220) and a polygon created based on a buffer of these three points.

<8> L-P Archaeology, 2017, Archaeological Watching Brief Report: Grange Farm, Hartford, R4073 (Client Report). SCH8330.

An archaeological Watching Brief was undertaken intermittently between 2013 -2016 during groundworks at Grange Farm, Hartford. The development area lies close to the crash site of the Albermarle Bomber. As part of the archaeological evaluation, the surrounding area was closely monitored for artefacts. It was also tested for traces of nuclear isotopes, as a faint signal from the luminescent paint in the aricraft's cockpit dials would have been detected. However, no significant artefacts were located and the test results proved to be negative.