Haunted airfield

[Hugh Spencer]

For those of you are interested and can receive Sky Living channel television, tonight at 9 pm and every night next week, a series of investigations on a WW2 haunted airfield in Norfolk(UK) will be shown.

[Capetonian]

I seem to recall that Tangmere is haunted and has an interesting history. Does anyone have any further info on the Tangmere hauntings?

[XV490]

Apparently it's West Raynham. And "security measures" are in place from tonight to prevent gate-crashers and wind-up merchants. Shame.

Anyone fancy an Arctic survival exercise/perimeter invasion later? White sheets should suffice as camou and ghost costumes. :ok:

[Talkdownman]

Lindholme has a ghost of a polish airman (http://www.donny.co.uk/Doncaster/news/index.php3?ID=376)

[Mr_Grubby]

Yeah,

I worked with a couple of Gay guys at West Drayton. They were always going on about ghosts.

I think they were just trying to put the willies up me.

C.

[Herod]

Teeside (EGNV). The St George airport hotel has a supposedly haunted room. The story goes that, back in the days of the Meteor, a young pilot was practicing single-engine approaches. He got too low and slow and tried to bring the other engine up for a two-engine go-around. With the slow spool-up time, and one engine on full power, he ended up inserting the aircraft into the Officer's Mess, which is now the hotel.

It scared our cabin crew enough that they would usually ask to room together. The suggestion that they each shared a room with a member of the flight-deck was treated with the contempt it probably deserved! :)

[FantomZorbin]

Talkdownman

When I was at RAF Lindholme the ghost was always known as 'Lindholme Willie' - the superannuated RAFP dog* wouldn't go near the offices of one of the hangars.

* The dog failed the RAFP training and was kept as a pet but still managed to catch one or two miscreants.

[chevvron]

On my first visit to Lindholme as a Air Training Corps cadet in in 1964, we were told Lindholme Willy actually survived the crash on Hatfield Moor and managed to make it back to the station, dying on the steps of the Sergeant's Mess.
In 1973, I was a NATS ATCO Cadet posted to Northern Radar, a Type 82 equipped JATCRU at Lindholme and lived in the Officer's Mess for about 8 months. One night, I was wandering from the TV room in the general direction of the bar when on passing the open door of the snooker room, I heard the 'click' of snooker balls. As the SDO often used to inhabit the snooker room on his own (in an attempt not to spend all evening in the bar), I poked my head round the door ready to offer him some competiton. To my surprise, although one or two balls were still moving on the table, the room was empty, no open window or hiding places!!

[Sir George Cayley]

The old control tower at Speke is now part of an hotel. Talk was of the lift setting off up to the VCR without anyone inside - something that was mechanically impossible.:confused:

The old 523 hangars at Ringway were haunted too. The ghost of a wartime airman was seen more times and by unconnected people who didn't know the story, to make it worthy of credence.

Sir George uuhhharrghh Cayley

[Hyperborean]

Speke was haunted by Captain Black, actually Cambell-Black. I can also think of hauntings told to me at Ternhill, Wick, Sumburgh and I expect we all know of the Montrose Ghost.

[spekesoftly]

Talk was of the lift setting off up to the VCR without anyone inside - It was a regular occurrence in the small hours of most mornings .......... :uhoh:

However, no mystery and no apparitions - just a selection of the day's national newspapers, courtesy of the loaders! ;)

[chevvron]

I'm told a ghostly airman (in WW 2 flying kit) has been seen in one of the 'C' type hangars at Little Rissington.

[Gainesy]

There are a couple of wrecked aircraft on the SE approach to Lindholme, which is a large peat bog, they regularly used to "surface" in dry summers when I and my mates would go play in them.

One was definately a Wellington, absolutely no doubt, the other from memory, was probably a Hampden but it was badly broken up compared with the Wimpy.

I once (aged about 10) took home a handful of live .303 from the Wimpy's rear turret feed and got a clip round the ear for my trouble. Tch, Grown Ups.

There was also said to be a ghostly SATCO at Honington who'd turn up on nights at least twice a year.:uhoh:

Never believed it meself.

[virgo]

Good one, Mr. Grubby..............I'll store that one for future use !

[Fareastdriver]

There was also said to be a ghostly SATCO at Honington who'd turn up on nights at least twice a year.


I remember him. Tight as a tick. You only saw him at Summer Balls and the Christmas Draw when drinks were free. His missus was a right misery too.

[Double Zero]

Capetonian,

Having been a volunteer at Tangmere most of last year I can confirm the place is, well, haunted, well known among the staff.

There is a certain very definite ' cold spot ' ( won't say where, visitors can find it ) - a keen chap once questioned me about it, and I directed him on a route long past such spot; at exactly the right place, he stopped and said " here, isn't it ? "!

One evening a colleague and I were closing down the place - various switches to turn off. I went to turn off some breakers towards the end of a hangar, then saw someone ( due to a Hunter wing only saw dark trousers ) walking to the spot and thought my chum was doing it - said chum then turned up behind me...I walked around the wing to end of hangar, partly to find what I'd see, partly to check we weren't going to lock someone in overnight; no-one there, and no door or anywhere to go.

NB The hangars are not the originals, but obviously cover various wartime active parts of the 'field.

One person had a chap walk straight past him in a corridor, didn't recognise him, turned round and no-one there. The ' apparition ' was described as looking like a technician -the area was the old radio workshops - as I'm sure you know, the 'field got a lot of attention from the Luftwaffe with heavy casualties, including a whole bunch of WAAFS.

There are other persistent reports of an RAF officer seen at the site of the old main gate - which is not a gate used now, and not marked.

Though I was often in the hangars etc alone, I never found any threatening feeling, maybe just a still sadness; though being surrounded by so much history, and indeed dormant aircraft, engenders such feelings anyway I suppose.

I have heard from several sources Brooklands has a persistent and possibly rather more aggressive / troubled ' visitor'.

Not aviation but on the same theme, Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset has had some really dramatic such stuff, I understand years ago the BBC placed microphones & recorders overnight, and the resulting radio programme played clear sounds of metal hatches clanking, moaning and distressed talk in German.

Not a wind-up as far as I know, and while I'm no 'paranormal investigator' such things seem to happen where sudden violent deaths have occurred, which is perhaps why aviation is full of such stories.

[Capetonian]

Double Zero

Thank you for this sensitively written and informative posting. I remember going to Tangmere as a young boy with my Dad, and feeling something out of the ordinary.

Thank you also for your PM and for your confidence, which will not be betrayed. Best wishes.

[ian16th]

When I was at Lindholme 1954-56, the story was of ‘Billy Lindholme’ collapsing on the steps of the Sgt’s Mess and his dying words were ‘Are my crew back yet?’

Anyone on night shift, in the small hours working on an a/c was liable to be tapped on the shoulder and asked 'Are my crew back yet?'

The Sgt’s Mess was right at the edge of the camp, and facing out towards the aforementioned marsh/bog.

Lindholme was also the worst fog affected airfield I was ever at. In the winter the surrounding marshes seemed to cause lots of low-lying fog. So a genuine 'Hammer Horror' atmosphere was often available. This helped the telling of ghostly tales to young impresionable lads :}

We had Lincolns and Varsities; it wasn’t unusual to enter the rear of a Lincoln, not being able to see 10 yards, clambering up to the pilots seat and being able to see for miles. The nose of the a/c being above the fog.

[chevvron]

The PMC at Lindholme told me this one.
One foggy night, flying had finished and the airman in the runway caravan was waiting to be collected. Unbeknown to him, an F100 had got into difficulties in the area and the pilot ejected and happened to land on Lindholme airfield.
The airman in the caravan suddenly heard a knock on the door, but hadn't seen or heard a vehicle drive up. Looking out of a window, all he could see was a billowing mass so thinking Lindholme Willy had come for him, he burst out of the door and legged it across the airfield. The F100 pilot had gathered up his parachute and carried it with him you see!

[kirsty louisa]

you've mentioned a few ghosts at tangmere, but i'm looking for information on one in particular, a ww2 pilot in full gear? (not too sure as all my drawings got lost in a move) haunting the old buildings near the airlfield- 1 middleton square. Anyone know anything about that? Seeing as the guy was in my bedroom when i was a child, i'd like to know who he was in life.

[Sir George Cayley]

As someone far more famous once said "I don't believe in ghosts but that does not stop me being afraid of them"

Sir George Cayley

[ShyTorque]

When I was based at RAF Scampton, in 1989, one of the Red Arrows' pilots had a terrible scare. They made him Station Duty Officer...

But that wasn't it. He was locking up the Officers' Mess late at night and saw an apparition in WW2 flying kit standing by the fireplace in the ante-room. It disappeared as he watched it. Also, the Mess staff didn't like going down to the bar cellar alone. I spoke to the mess manager about this and he told me that a number of them had complained about an unseen unpleasantness in the narrow corridor leading to it, many of them had been poked in the ribs, or pushed about.

I know another pilot who is certain that he saw the apparition of an airman wearing obsolete military flying kit in the toilets in the hotel at Middleton St George. He said it was very real, and he spoke to it. However, when he turned around the figure had simply disappeared inside the room.

[newfieboy]

Late 80's my younger brother had a friend who was at the time in the Air Cadets.I remember said friend telling me that on a cadet camp trip to Manby, he couldn't sleep one night. On his late night walk round the old officers mess he was aproached by a figure walking toward and past him dressed in 40's style flying gear. He said he spoke to this person who ignored him and just walked on by. When he turned around to look, the figure had disapeared. I have no reason to doubt him, and it certainly scared him sh##les. Wierd.:eek: