Haunted Wartime Airbases

[Peter]

Wow Happy 7th Anniversary! I had no idea it would attract so much attention!
Although I have toured many old bases here in Canada. When we visited RCAF Station Mossbank or what remained of it, it was a but surreal as shortly after the war, the entire base was flattened and buildings removed. Walking around it today there are still piles of junk from the hangars which give you the sense that the buildings were recently taken down not 60+ years ago!

[jack russell]

Happy 7th Anniversary! A short story....one of my clients lived adjacent to Bottesford, and as I'd heard many local tales of strange lights coming at night from the Control Tower, I asked her if she'd ever seen anything. She said she had for a while, but it now seemed to have stopped, but she said she still got the knocking on her front door in the middle of the night. She went on to explain it was the lost airman and his dog, she thought he didn't know where he was, and was knocking to find out. I sat quietly for a while but then couldn't resist asking how if she'd never actually seen him and only heard him did she know he had a dog? Because she explained, her gardener used to complain that after he'd carefully dug over the flower beds near the door, there would often be a man's footprints accompanied by pawprints in the freshly dug soil! She was convinced they couldn't belong to anyone else.
Made my hair stand up on end anyway!

[Jim C]

About four years ago, having a free afternoon to myself, I thought I'd have a nose round a WW2 airfield in Essex beginning with R
I came across the Ops Block and a few attached Nissen huts hidden in woods and so began wandering through them. The Ops Block was quite dark inside but I went in and took a few photos, came out the other side of the building and walked through the Nissen huts before leaving the site.
All the time I was there I had a feeling of being watched but put that down to the airfield enthusiast's expectation of seeing a shotgun wielding farmer with a "git orf my land!" greeting.
I have since learnt that the Ops block (or 'bunker') and Nissen huts were (and still are) the subject of paranormal investigations such as this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slGP0...feature=fvwrel
It's known to one paranormal group as 'The Haunted Airfield'. If I'd known at the time I certainly wouldn't have been wandering round there on my own!

A few weeks after my first visit I went back with fellow forumite Denis - as airfield buffs, not ghost hunters. Most of the photos we took had 'orbs' in them and one had a misty shape.
After looking inside a flight office (on a different part of the airfield) we were standing outside the building when both of us heard an audible 'sigh' from inside the hut . We left the scene quite sharpish after that!

There are some fascinating stories on this thread, keep it going.

[bravo533]

Interesting Jim C, but should point out that "orbs" are caused by dust particles illuminated by the flash-light of the camera interacting with the properties of the lens.

The misty shape sounds good though -any chance you could post it?

[Clio]

When I was a kid I recall my Uncle, who was a local, telling me a very eerie tale about Montrose in the 1950s. I must apologise that the tale is diluted because he just died last week and I do not have all the details, but this is the gist.

He was on the beach below the airfield playing football one Sunday afternoon with his mates when he suddenly became aware of a figure watching them from the embankment above. All present saw the figure. His hands were casually stuck in his pockets and there appeared to be an overcoat draped over his arm, Nothing unusual about that. However my Uncle then had to leave the game because of some errand he was obliged to carry out at the Montrose Academy. His route from the beach was bound to lead him directly past the man. As me made his way along the track through the marram grass, he noted the fellow appeared to be wearing jodpurs. He was certain that the figure was staring intently at him. As he approached the man, my Uncle smiled and wished him good afternoon. Without changing expression, breaking gaze, or moving a limb, seemingly motionless, the figure rapidly and silently receded backwards 'as if on castors'.

My Uncle ran for it and did not stop running until he breathlessly reached some distant houses.

Years later when recounting the story he would not use the word, 'ghost' but he was adamant he had experienced something he could not explain. Of course the tales of Lt Desmond were legion in those days so perhaps he had been the victim of his brain informing his senses. Either way he never took that coastal path alone again.

[Denis]

The misty shape sounds good though -any chance you could post it?

I will post it, I cant remember if Jim has a copy still.
It was not cold, an ambient summers day, so no condensation by my breath. I was not smoking,and I had not kicked up any dust. I had forgotten to get the torch out of the Land Rover, so I was using the flash to illuminate the interior of each room. This was the only image I took inside the Ops block that had this misty effect. Somewhat more to the point is this...what the hell is that in the doorway at the rear of the room?

[benyboy]

I suppose you see what you want to see, but I dont like what I see in that door way

[Peter]

Mist could be from your breath but not sure what we are supposed tp be looking at in the doorway??

[Griffhawk]

looks like quite a broad shouldered black mass...

[hindenburg]

with no head !!!!!!!!!!!!

[benyboy]

Like I said before we see what we want to if given a context. We also interpret things in different ways. That is why I m holding off saying what I see.

I was instantly drawn to the door way. I also see something in the `mist` as well. Coincedental I`m sure.

I`m a sceptic. The picture will have a simple explanation, but it certainly deserves some scrutiny.

Thank you for sharing it.

Ben

[Peter]

Cropped and inverted. I think what we are seeing is either the mist over the doorway or possibly a shadow of the photographer stretching in front? Was there any light behind you?

[Denis]

Peter, it was as dark as Newgates Knocker inside the ops block. Not a scrap of light anywhere, hence using the flash to illuminate the room.
As I said, there was no breath mist as it was a steady ambient temperature inside the building. Its not damp in there, quite the reverse,dry in fact.
As for the shape in the doorway at the back, I had only noticed this when I posted it here, and probably not relevent.
I myself am sceptical...no, not the right word..unsure of what the mist is. I didnt take a lot of notice of it at first until I displayed it on the computer not long after getting back from Rivenhall. My then 20 something daughter walked past, and said that the mist to the left hand side looks like a face with a collar and tie under it.

[benyboy]

Therer is a `face` in the `mist` to the left of picture and there is a `figure` in the door way. It cant be a shadow if the flash is pointing in that direction and there is no other light source. i though this might have a had a little bit more interest.

[Clio]

Of course there is a rational explanation its just that none of us can come up with a convincing one...yet

[STAN05]

This picture has been bothering me ever since I took it last week.

It was taken in an old hangar still is use - for agricultrial purposes - storage of grain and tractors. But as the owner has an interest in aircraft he kindly allowed my friend to store some original glider parts in there. There has been a project at Shawbury near Birmingham to build an original Horsa

http://www.assaultgliderproject.co.u...ircraft.html#0

and people were asked to donate parts, which they did. The left over parts have now been given to a chap who runs a small private museum in Holland near Wolfhaze. On Friday we loaded these onto a lorry and I took some photos. If you look closely there are these little circles all over the place in this shot. In a couple of others they're present as well. The photos preceeding and after the ones showing these ?'Orbs' are clear and I used the same setting on the camera.

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/v...9/IMGP5118.jpg

The parts are all all genuine, and come from three different aircraft - Horsa, Waco, and a Hotspur.

Can anyone offer me a logical explanation?

[DCK]

The picture reminds me of some mystic fog I caught on camera over 10 years ago. I was sitting by a lake, around 22:00 hours in the evening. It was fall and the air was crisp. Picture of the cloudbase also attached. I snapped one picture, saw this odd fog on the display of my camera (when I checked out the first picture taken) and took another, knowing it was there, ergo the face I'm doing. It doesn't show on any of the others I took.

What made it eerie was that the area was included a very old house, then being used for
scouts, red cross and so on for weekend trips.

I used that camera for over 3 years and I never saw this type of thing again during nighttime or daylight for that matter.

What can cause this?

[Denis]

This picture has been bothering me ever since I took it last week. Can anyone offer me a logical explanation?

'Dust refraction' I think it is referred to. Apparently a phenomenon associated with digital cameras so I'm told. Not that I know stuff all about photography
Someone once told me that it does not happen on actual film, so I await to be told otherwise!

[Jim C]

Thanks for posting that photo Denis, I couldn't find it anywhere.

Here's a close up of an orb taken outside the flight office I mentioned in my earlier post. It was taken in daylight, although the camera did flash.



Not sure about the dust particle theory, looks like a small ball of energy....

[darnsarf]

Interesting article on orbs here:
http://www.ssprstn.com/id65.html

In brief:
"Orbs have been scientifically debunked as a modern inception with no pre-recorded example prior to the availability of CCD lens (digital camera) technology and it's inferior ability to focus (this is especially true of cell phone cameras which cannot in any way compare to professional grade or even consumer grade stand alone cameras), "supernatural orbs" make up the predominant presence of 'ghost photos' on the Internet."

[Frazer Nash]

After much pleasant and informative discussion on the topic of ghost photos with another chap on this forum (name withheld to protect......um...whatever), he offered the interesting conclusion / opinion that it is not possible for photographic technology to accurately record the image of a ghost. Hence, we are so often presented with orbs and mists. Please note, to quote Mickey Dolenz, "I'm a believer" and I don't question the validity of the pics posted. It's just his comment (the forumite, not the Monkees drummer) made an awful lot of sense to me.

Be interested in other thoughts!

[Firebex]

I was involved for many years with the great war birds displays on the ground/support crew.I was at the last show at Westmalling with my late wife Irene and it was a very strange tail we never got to the bottom of. It was a very horrible night and bad fog Irene got up aroun 3 am to go to the loo's and walking into the block almost so she thought tripped over a young american airman,even more strangely he spoke to her was very polite and apologised for having frightened her.She did not think much more ofit until morning as there were a lot of guys on site with aircraft and also those with period costume.But the odd thing was that night and during the next 24 hours there was not anyone on site dressed as this young man had been and no one knew of anyone it could possibly have been.Although extensive enquiries were made we could never establish who or what this polite young american airman was ????

Does anyone know of any reports or information on who this young man might have been ?.

[SADSACK]

there are clearly orbs everywhere, you can see thick legs, and a head and face, about 2 inches from the left of the picture.

[/QUOTE]

[bravo533]

Nope.....I cant see legs nor head/face

Can anyone else?

[Clio]

I can see the outline of the figure previously referred to. Would not care to speculate on its origin. Of course it is something of a Rorshach exercise

[Jeff Glasser]

My sentiments entirely...

Jeff

[sandridge]

A case of seeing what you WANT to see.......

[CJH]

Firebex

interesting account from West Malling...I have checked my files but to date this is the only recorded possible sighting of USAAF/USAF personnel (that I have) at the airfield...there are many accounts of sightings from this airfield.

WM did have an American contingent stationed at the airfield after the war - several squadrons of the US Navy were based there until 1967 when it was vacated and placed on Care & Maintenance.

Chris

[lmisbtn]

I will post it, I cant remember if Jim has a copy still.
It was not cold, an ambient summers day, so no condensation by my breath. I was not smoking,and I had not kicked up any dust. I had forgotten to get the torch out of the Land Rover, so I was using the flash to illuminate the interior of each room. This was the only image I took inside the Ops block that had this misty effect. Somewhat more to the point is this...what the hell is that in the doorway at the rear of the room?

There is certainly something black in the doorway and it has a very sharp delineation line where the bricks stop and the shadow begins.

It looks to me like there is something actually 'there' (no head visible). It seems to be facing on to the camera - if it was a shadow from whatever lies to the left or right of that doorway I'd expect to see some distortion of the shadow from a lightsource coming in from either beam as you see long shadows in the evening and maybe even some gradation in the black as the possibly very weak lightsource peters out.....

but no, it is just very black and head on to the camera. I would categorise that as 'Spooky'.

As for the swirls, having looked a few times I sometimes see what resembles a lower face, chin and perhaps the the upper torso of a human and sometimes a blurry figure up against the wall on the left, side on and head bowed seemingly floating above the ground (top two thirds of pic). Sometimes I see nothing at all.

All down to interpretation but that shadow - shudder. Not proof but I wouldn't want to take a nap there.

[GrahamSimons]

This is a story that is not of haunted airfields, but it is one that I have been meaning to share for some time, but decided to wait until the thread when quiet and I was not likely to offend anyone by going off topic.

I am proud to say I called Monique ‘Aggie’ Agazarian a friend. I met her for the first time in the early 1980s when she was advertising ‘Fly Down Picadilly’ with her Flight Simulator Training Centre in the basement of the old Piccadilly Hotel there.

Some of you may have heard of Aggie – an ATA girl, who went on to operate Island Air Services out of Croydon, London Airport and Ramsgate – and who was often seen around the airshows in the 1950s. Famously, she celebrated VE Day by flying a Seafire knife-edge down Knightbridge – or so she loved telling everyone!

You always called her Miss Agazarian or Monique until you were invited to call her ‘Aggie’ – that honour was reserved for special people! She went to RADA, and was a superstar before the phrases was invented.

Aggie was an amazing character – she lived in Park Mansions, Knightsbridge, called everyone ‘darling’ – and referred to Harrods as ‘her corner shop’. Of course from her apartment you could watch Concorde and other LHR traffic joining the approach to land at Heathrow - which she always called her own private airshow.

Aggie was an amazingly persuasive person when she wanted to be – but she was also an incredibly annoying, frustrating pain in the ass at times – that was just Aggie being Aggie. I never found anyone who had a REAL bad word to say about her. When you wanted her to do something – there were often four million and one reasons why she would not do it. When SHE wanted YOU to do something, it was always needed yesterday – but somehow, you always did exactly what she wanted, and you never complained!

Back in the autumn of 1992 I got a phone call from her: typical Aggie, blunt and to the point. ‘I want you to know – I’ve got cancer. That’s all there is to it – I don’t want to talk about it’. My reply – and to be honest, I could not think of anything else to say was just ‘OK Aggie – thanks for letting me know’.

Weeks passed, Christmas came and went with the usual exchanges of cards – then, on Monday 1st March 1993 the telephone rang – it was one of Aggies daughters Mary. ‘Mummy wants to see you tomorrow’. I replied that things were kind of frantic – I was in the middle of re-writing my Dan-Air history having just got clearance to speak with Mr Fred Newman and was just about to go to press. I told Mary I could make it later in the week. ‘No...’ came the reply. ‘...You will come down tomorrow’. Daughter Like Mother I thought.

10am the next morning I was in her apartment. It was clear she was not going to be long with us. Her daughter had moved her bed into the lounge where it faced the window and from it Aggie could look out over Knightsbridge and see the aircraft going into London Airport.

I leaned over and kissed her cheek. ‘Thanks for coming’ she said, gripping my hand ‘..and you need a shave!’. I laughed, what else could I do?

From that moment until when I left I can honestly say I have never laughed or smiled so much – the atmosphere was warm, friendly and distinctly surreal. Perhaps I should explain.. She was slipping in and out of lucidity, but was being very, very funny with some of the things she was saying.

I was sitting on a chair towards the end of the bed, facing her. A lot of the time, there was just she and I in the room – sometimes her daughter Mary would come in and stay for a while.

Aggie would talk to me… then pause, listening – but not to me. She would then talk to someone behind me. Her eyes focused to one side and behind me… then she would listen, perhaps smiling her face ‘reacting’. Then reply. Then she would look to the other side – and a similar thing would happen. Then she would talk to me. I was all inconsequential stuff… nothing earth shattering. I’d try and say something – and get shhhh’ed into silence while someone else said something… Only thing was, there was no-one from this world in the room. I caught the name Noel. Then Jack. There was also Ray… There were a few ‘Yes Maarms’… Then Jim and Amy and a few other names.

I honestly admit, I did not have the courage to ask her who she was talking to. Also – I just did not want to break the spell. I do know that her brother was Noel Agazarian – his Spitfire is in the Imperial War Museum, Jack was another brother and member of the SOE; both died in the war. Ray Rendall was her ex-husband. As for the Maarms… and Jim and Amy? I can only guess. But she did know Pauline Gower, the Head of the Women’s Section of the ATA, and I know she knew Jim Mollison pretty well in the post war years and we often talked about the time she met Amy Johnson just before the war broke out.

About 4.30pm, she said she was tired, and was going to rest. I told her I would go… kissed her cheek again and told her I would see her later – knowing that in this world, I would not. As I walked out, she was already asleep.

Next morning, as you may have already guessed, I got a call from Mary telling me that her mother passed away in the night without waking up.

There were no goulies, ghosties and long-leggedey beasties – no shadowy figures. Just warmth, friendship and love. To this day I cannot – and probably do not want to explain it.


Aggie was my friend – and to this day, I think she was being welcomed – wherever she was going.