Ghost stories.......

[Guest Fred Karno's Army]

Just before I post a couple of my own 'strange' happenings,has anyone else (First hand) had any strange unexplained  experiences around military items / places .........?....?......?............?...................?........................?.

[Davejb]

Yes, at Folkstone when in the ACF as an Adult SGT., and on Salisbury Plain when I was a cadet Cpl

[Manu Della Valle]

I think I have,yes,and I'm eager to hear about your stories because I believe in "certain things"!

[Davejb]

Come on Fred, post away, we,ll show you ours if you show us yours

[Guest Fred Karno's Army]

Several years ago i invited a paranormal group to my place of work,as we had some strange goings on etc.Part was obviously for publicity for the business ,and part was just to try and get a radical explanation of what was happening,mainly around me,footsteps,my name called on several occasions heard by numerous staff (one staff member left as it scared her so much),my office door would open and close on its own,and several shadow figures being seen.I was very much the sceptic.

Now, i had never met this group before,and certainly none of them new me.Or any background info about me,my hobbies ,interests etc.
The night started quite slowly and i remained very sceptical on the happenings.Yes,noises,tappings rappings strange lights etc.

After a couple of hours and a short break,i again plunged us all into darkness and sat by a table where the group was using a glass that was "allegedly" bieng pushed by an unseen force in various directions to answer questions.Suddenly the meduim said to me that Harry was here and to join the table .
I sat down and placed my finger on the glass as i had been told and suddenly the damn thing shot straight into my lap .Now as this was progressing i took my finger from the glass to see if subconciously i was moving it,but no.I cannot explain even now why it moved as it did,and even seemed to jump on the table a couple of times?.
Now the interesting bit.....
She again told me "Harry" and the boys are here?.I obviously asked who and she replied "Your crew !".
She then allegedly was in contact with Harry for several minutes,and i was asked why i had only been home to Yorkshire once this year?.
And that Harry was the pilot and i had been a navigator on what she discribed as a large four engined bomber.That the crash had been quick and death instant as we had been on a training flight in bad weather and had problems with as she put it the R/T.
She then went on to ask various questions and told me to speak as they were "taking energy from me?". (I must admit i did feel a bit daft !).
This went on for several minutes and the glass flew from the table when the medium said that the crash had happened partly due to my error .

After several more conversations with 'Harry' she said they are around me and the reason why I had been brought back to that particular building.(Which  further research days later I found out it was a radio training school for the RAF during the war,as this wasn't my home town) After hearing this and getting well and truly gobsmacked I had her end the session that I had been involved in.

The long and the short of this is that we do visit York at least three times a year as we visit a cottage in Helmsley.But I had only been once this year due to work,baby was on the way etc.My wife is the only one that knows the following (The secrets out now ),but from bieng very young i have had a pull to York (We even got married there !).And when i hear a merlin i become very tearful.I also get very emotional when we are driving up there,and have very severe anxiety attacks (ended up in Harrogate hosp last Nov !),The same happens when we visit Elvington,and i drag her round the old bases of Pocklington and Wombleton which I have always been somehow drawn too.I get a feeling of going home?.Since bieng a child i have only been interested in bombers,mainly the Halifax.Never jets,never fighters just bombers ?.
The medium was fascinated by this as she said she had never had this happen before when i told her later.So was it total chance ?,but how would she know some of these terms ? and good guess work.Or is their something rooted in this ?.

The year after this we invited the 'Most Haunted' lot and they did a Halloween special from there,and that I can honestly tell that was babble  .

 

Edited June 24, 2016 by Fred Karno's Army

[HetzersGonnaHetz]

Jeez mate, im turning around all of a sudden and shaking 

[Guest Fred Karno's Army]

In the late 1990s i was researching the loss of a wellington bomber around the area of Middleton on the Wolds in Yorkshire and we stayed at a farmhouse in the village of Lund.The farmer in whos B&B we were staying when he knew of my interest asked if i had seen the RAF radar building just outside the village on a small hill.Apparently it had been something to do with Oboe or the such.
I had noticed this driving into the village and as it seemed to be well away from prying eyes and was only 100yrds from the edge of the road i decided an investigation was due.
As we pulled up the wife said she would wait in the car,so i grabbed the camera and made off into the field.
From leaving the car i was aware of a feeling of being watched.It made me quite uneasy,but i continued up the track.Several meters from a blast wall which covered the entrance to the building i went icy cold.This was a mild clear February afternoon.
I had an absolute sense of forboding,so much so that i stood for several minutes not looking around the blast wall into the structure.But listening as i was sure there was someone inside.
At the side of the structure was an old MT building which had long since collapsed.
After still feeling uneasy i plucked up the courage to round the corner,just to peek inside the building.Inside it was quite light and i could see the remains of a telephone exchange on the wall.But overall still had a terrible feeling of bieng watched.
As this was so bad i decided to raise the camera i had and take four quick internal shots.More just pointing and shooting than anything else.
As i took the last photo i remember feeling a blast of cold air physically push me aside from the entrance,so much that my wife saw me stumble backwards from the road.I can only discribe it as someone pushing past me.
Needless to say i high tailed it back to the car,and didnt look back,i know its sounds crazy but i was totally terrified by this time.

On returning home i had the photographs developed.Out of three films and a total of over 100 photographs the ones taken in the building had no images on them whatsoever. I often wonder what excatly that building had been used for all those years ago. Whatever it was i am sure it still didnt want to give up its secret

[Davejb]

That feeling of being home happens to me every time I go to Duxford, I cant explain it, but the sound of a Spitfires Merlin makes me shiver and very emotional, and if theres one around on the ground i,m impelled to touch the wings and run my hand along the fuselage. I also have some very vivid dreams of flying ever since a young age , yet have only once flown a plane as a birthday experience, I could,nt afford to learn properly, but the guy that took me up said I should as he thought I was a natural flyer and was,nt afraid of the aircraft as most are and over compensate on manouveres 

 

[HetzersGonnaHetz]

If Im ever up in your area Paul, show me where, and I'll go up, I'll bring a few bayonets as whoever or whatever is up there, won't like it up em! 

On a serious note, I love these stories and look forward to more from you and the other guys, but I'm scared shitless! 

But as I said, if you give me the postcode or whatever, I'll go one day, not on me own!

[HetzersGonnaHetz]

@Davejb let's hear em!

[Davejb]

Let me go pick the wife up and I ,ll tell you what happened to a few of us at Folkstone, be back shortly

 

[HetzersGonnaHetz]

Will do! Quick question for when ya get back, were you a copper in London? If so, were you around during the Iranian Embassy Siege?

[Davejb]

Quick answer, no, Hertfordshire Copper, but was around when it happened, but I was called in as part of a tactical patrol group on the Broadwater Farm riots when PC Blakelock was murdered, The Met actually had asked for assistance from Tactical Groups from three Forces, Hertfordshire, Essex, Thames Valley. Anyway onto this weird incident in Folkstone. As an Adult Sgt in the ACF, before any Cadets go out on night time ops, you have to Recce the areas that they will be patrolling, Myself, my unit commander, two other Sgts, a Major in charge of all the Cadets, and a Lieutenant had to survey this hill at night. Now if you ever drive down to Folkstone on the way to the tunnel you will see this massive steep hill from the motorway if you look to the left, Its a real bitch of a steep climb and at night its murder, so you have to pick the safest route to the top and where the cadets can safely set up an OP and wait for a night attack.It was about 12 or 1 am on a nice summers night and we started to make our way to the top, half way up we sat down to have a smoke and a rest before going all the way up. One of the guys said, "whats all those lights at the top" well we looked and sure enough there were about a dozen very dim different coloured lights. We thought that another unit was doing the same thing we were, so did,nt pay too much attention. We started to make our way and then these lights started to come down towards us, so again we thought whoever it was was coming down, but then the lights separated and started to spread out all over the hillside above us at a very fast rate, too fast for anyone to run that distance, especially in the pitch black and on the steepness of the hill, they then came together just as fast. By now it had us a bit spooked, but we carried on. As we came very close to these lights we realised they were almost circular and were about 50yrds away when all of a sudden they went, There was nothing there, and then they all appeared again but right at the top, and at that time there were some very large bushes that ringed the top of the hill, and these lights were right at the top of these bushes, you could see them pretty clearly as their light was shining directly on the tops of the bushes and they were about 10 feet high. Because we were so close we ran right to the top and as we got there the lights went out. We had torches so we shone them into the branches and there was nothing there. We looked all around the top and around the sides of the hill but could,nt see anything. Once we had recced the area we made our way back to camp, and saw a local chap who was in charge of the Naffi . we told him and the first thing he said  was "Oh you,ve seen the ghost lights, your lucky, not many have" He could,nt tell us anymore but said it sometimes happens on a warm night. We never knew what they were, but it was a bit spooky to say the least

[Davejb]

Quick answer, no, Hertfordshire Copper, but was around when it happened, but I was called in as part of a tactical patrol group on the Broadwater Farm riots when PC Blakelock was murdered, The Met actually had asked for assistance from Tactical Groups from three Forces, Hertfordshire, Essex, Thames Valley. Anyway onto this weird incident in Folkstone. As an Adult Sgt in the ACF, before any Cadets go out on night time ops, you have to Recce the areas that they will be patrolling, Myself, my unit commander, two other Sgts, a Major in charge of all the Cadets, and a Lieutenant had to survey this hill at night. Now if you ever drive down to Folkstone on the way to the tunnel you will see this massive steep hill from the motorway if you look to the left, Its a real bitch of a steep climb and at night its murder, so you have to pick the safest route to the top and where the cadets can safely set up an OP and wait for a night attack.It was about 12 or 1 am on a nice summers night and we started to make our way to the top, half way up we sat down to have a smoke and a rest before going all the way up. One of the guys said, "whats all those lights at the top" well we looked and sure enough there were about a dozen very dim different coloured lights. We thought that another unit was doing the same thing we were, so did,nt pay too much attention. We started to make our way and then these lights started to come down towards us, so again we thought whoever it was was coming down, but then the lights separated and started to spread out all over the hillside above us at a very fast rate, too fast for anyone to run that distance, especially in the pitch black and on the steepness of the hill, they then came together just as fast. By now it had us a bit spooked, but we carried on. As we came very close to these lights we realised they were almost circular and were about 50yrds away when all of a sudden they went, There was nothing there, and then they all appeared again but right at the top, and at that time there were some very large bushes that ringed the top of the hill, and these lights were right at the top of these bushes, you could see them pretty clearly as their light was shining directly on the tops of the bushes and they were about 10 feet high. Because we were so close we ran right to the top and as we got there the lights went out. We had torches so we shone them into the branches and there was nothing there. We looked all around the top and around the sides of the hill but could,nt see anything. Once we had recced the area we made our way back to camp, and saw a local chap who was in charge of the Naffi . we told him and the first thing he said  was "Oh you,ve seen the ghost lights, your lucky, not many have" He could,nt tell us anymore but said it sometimes happens on a warm night. We never knew what they were, but it was a bit spooky to say the least

[Guest Fred Karno's Army]

On entering Iraq in 2003 after the invasion I was tasked with establishing one of the very first coalition camps at Babylon,yes the one of hanging gardens fame .Now back in the early days of the invasion the before the insurgency etc of the later months we very rarely had incoming into the camp.The main threat bieng ied or vbied (that soon changed lol).

Anyway I was site logistics manager and oversaw everything from foodstuffs to life support for the 3,000 various nations personnel bieng responcible for convoys,storage and dispersal of 80% of stuff on site.I had a meeting with a few of the senior commanders (Polish at the time) and we decided to use some of the old grain and cool storage tunnels that had been built under the remains of the ruins.With only one entrance in and out we agreed to use it as a munitions store,constant humidity single access etc it fitted the bill.

 Over a period of two weeks of initially moving large amounts of ordnance into there rumours were going around that strange 'happenings' we're going on inside the tunnels.From guards hearing indiscernible chatter,to lights and movement bieng heard.

  Several QRF teams were called at varying hours of the night as guards had witnessed figures etc moving in the tunnels and as you can understand they soon got pissed off at this.Now we believed that in all certainty it was possible that some of the locals had tunnelled into the vast cave system and were looting what they could.So it was decided to rig motion sensors and a few other non explosive 'surprises' up at strategic points in the tunnels to catch the Ali babas.

  The first night the sensors went off several times and QRF teams went in and nothing.By this time the Polish were getting jittery and the rumour mill was rife,you know how it is lol.

  So as I was good friends the the US 12 man EOD team we had on camp over a few beers and a BBQ I persuaded these guys to do a vigil in there and hunt down once and for all the nightly intruders,as of this time now the polish guards were refusing to even enter the storage area.So a few nights later after dusk the guys rigged up with NVGs and the relevant tools of the trade carried out the task.

i didn't bother staying up (usually we had a 18-22hr day) so wasn't informed until I hooked up with them later the following day what had gone on.

On entering the tunnel they had all had the sense of bieng followed and observed,at the main junction where the tunnels split around 250yrds in the guy on point witnessed in his own words two figures cross left to right at which he shouted the relevant commands to stop.

He and two more members then charged the section he had seen them go down and nothing,it then dawned on him he said that although these figures were only 20/25yards in front of him he heard no movement from them,and at the same time the three man team all witnessed a bright blinding light flash which rendered the NVGs useless for several minutes,he said it could only have been possibly not even a one second flash.Fearing an explosion bieng surrounded by the stores down there they decided and now using weapons flashlights to make for the other members of the them and the entrance.

When they reached the junction they all became aware of what he described as a smell of jobby,death and  gasoline all rolled into one,two of the guys actually vomitting caused by this sudden smell.And from the opposite direction from the tunnel they hadn't gone down they witnessed several red pin prick lights moving at speed left to right with a sudden rush of air coming up the tunnel and forcing the smell to get stronger.

  Now these guys bugged out of there and only told myself,the camp commander and two or three others at a meeting held the day after.Now bare in mind most of these EOD guys were SEAL or RANGER qualified and didn't seemed scared of anything,in fact embracing jobby storms it was strange to say the least that something had spooked them.

But I remember the team leaders parting words from the O group ' Whatever it was I can guarantee you our weapons wouldn't have touched it !'.

  Two days later we emptied the underground stores and back filled the entrance,sighting the stores at the other side of the camp,we never did find out what exactly was and probably still is down those tunnels.

 

[Davejb]

Sod that for a game of soldiers, I would have bugged out long before that, and I dont scare easily, I might get spooked ,but thats it, I tend to think there are other things that can,t be explained on this Earth, and until they are , they deserve to be cautiously respected. The other incident that I was involved in was on Salisbury Plain. It was a big exercise involving several different Cadet companies, from the South East, and we were acting as Enemy forces against a number of TA units. There were vehicle movements, night firing , and patrolling and a capture scenario, basically it was our job to infiltrate, capture and if possible take out the enemy command post which was a 3 tonner radio base and two or three high ranking officers guarded by a section of TA troops, I was a cadet Corporal and had my own section and we had an Adult supervisory along, Well the night was a long one and tiring, we had all been issued with SLRs with BFAs and enough rounds to play about with, so we had a lot of fun playing soldiers. During the night we were managing to get closer to the command post than anyone else, and we managed to creep up close just before first light. It was then that one of the cadets heard someone very close to us and warned me, We remained still and a figure literally walked right by us smoking a pipe of all things and obviously didnt see us as we were well hidden, We could make out that this person was in military uniform so naturally thought he could be one of the senior officers. Anyway we managed to capture the 3 tonner and held all the troops at gunpoint along with these senior officers, much to their annoyance and I daresay a bit of embarrassment . We were all pleased as punch and getting big headed about it. Our supervisory had counted the TA troops and said there was still one missing , the other officer who was smoking the pipe. The TA Major said he did,nt have anyone else on his staff and that they were all there and none of them smoked a pipe, We thought it was a trick so we looked around where we had seen this other person, Could,nt find him anywhere, but we could still smell pipe smoke. This Major was adamant there was no-one else, so we end exed and made our way back with all the people we captured and were having a laugh and joke with them in a few 3 tonners. We all had a debrief ,saying what a good exercise it was and good practise for us as Cadets and the TA. Our supervisory happened to mention that there was one we did,nt capture, a pipe smoker. One of the very senior Officers, a Colonel in the regulars beckoned him over and spoke with him quietly. We thought nothing of it, we were too excited and still boasting. On the way home in the trucks our supervisory came up sat next to me and said, "That guy we saw smoking the pipe," I nodded " That was a guy who was supposedly killed on the training area 30 yrs ago" I sat there thinking he was joking but he was serious,I said what about the smell of the smoke plus everyone saw him. He just nodded, That did shake me up as a 16 yrs old. I had to ask all the cadets who were with us if they definately saw the guy, they all said yes, so I had to admit that is was quite possibly a Ghost. Every time I smell pipe tobacco  it reminds me of that time. Now if thats not strange I dont know what is!!!!

[HetzersGonnaHetz]

Personally I've never had an experience of ghostliness, especially military, but I am in the Mercian Cadets, and I remember when we went to an old Cold War Nucleur Bunker! Some of it still used by regular army, and I had a feeling that I was being watched there when we went out on night patrol, miles and miles of no one, didn't like that but that's the most I've ever had haha ?

These stories are great, but chilling to the bone and scare me shitless. Keep em coming!