Trainee Pilot

Location: Montrose - Former RAF Montrose
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century, and 2010
Further Comments: This World War I trainee died while out on his first solo flight - his ghost appeared in the base commander's room three times, before the room was locked up and no longer used. He was also seen flying around in his biplane, up until the end of the Second World War. A phantom Second World War RAF Officer was seen around the base during the latter years of the conflict. It was thought that he was killed when a mechanic with a grudge tampered with his aircraft's engine. In 2010 it was reported that an old radio set at the heritage centre continued to pick up Second World War transmissions, including Churchill speeches.

Silhouette

Location: Newton - RAF Newton (no longer operational) and roads in the area (including Fosse Way)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A phantom airman walks around these roads, vanishing if a car slows down close to him.

Fordson Tractor

Location: Normanton - RAF Bottesford (aka RAF Normanton) - no longer operational
Type: Environmental Manifestation
Date / Time: 04 October 2009
Further Comments: A visitor to the site heard what he first thought was an old Fordson tractor ticking over, though the sound later changed to an aircraft carrying out pre flight checks.

Tobacco

Location: North Berwick - East Fortune Airfield (museum)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2000s
Further Comments: The smell of tobacco is said to fill the air in the top hanger, even though no smokers are present. Mild poltergeist activity is reported, and occasionally a phantom man is seen wearing dark coveralls.

Roar of Engines

Location: North Pickenham - World War Two Airfield, Hanger
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1959
Further Comments: The sound of old aircraft engines warming up has been reported coming from a hanger on this site, even though the building in question is empty.

WAAF member

Location: North Weald - Airbase
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1950s
Further Comments: Killed in a bombing raid, this member of the Woman's Auxiliary Air Force was heard walking around the area where the bomb hit for a dozen years after her death. Another ghost was blamed for removing the handset off the telephones on the base - a heavily wounded airman died during the war as he picked up the receiver of a phone, and it was thought he continued to try to make the call for many years later. Finally, the base is also thought to be haunted by a man who was pinned to a tree after being caught in an explosion.

S for Sugar

Location: NW4 - Hendon Air Museum
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Late twentieth century
Further Comments: The Lancaster Bomber 'S for Sugar', which is kept on site here, still retains its crew from World War Two in spirit form. A gunner has been observed sitting in one of the turrets, while the sounds of people working on the aircraft have been recorded late at night.

WWII Officer

Location: Ouston - RAF Ouston
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The Newcastle Journal reported that lights would turn themselves on and off in the sickbay, and an internal door which was kept locked would be open by morning. Personnel near the sickbay would hear footsteps and other strange noises at night, even though the area was secure. Some blamed the ghost of an officer killed on site during World War Two.

German Pilot

Location: Outer London: Addington - General area
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Dying after his aircraft crashed nearby, this World War 2 pilot is still occasionally seen walking around this former village.

Digger Harry

Location: Outer London: Addington - Wooded area near Courtwood Lane
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1932
Further Comments: Harry was so upset when his wife died that he buried her close to his cottage without telling anyone. The authorities, believing Harry had killed her, locked him up for several months before releasing him because of his age. During his incarceration, Harry forgot where his wife was buried, and spent the remainder of his days trying to find her. His tragic phantom was said to continue to roam the area carrying a shovel.

Airmen

Location: Outer London: Bexley - A2 London-bound between Heath turn-off and Black Prince turn-off
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1980s, and 2008
Further Comments: Several witnesses were said to have seen a couple of airmen standing on the hard shoulder of the A2. One wore a leather flying helmet while the other appeared to have a medal or piece of metal near his throat. A local tale says that a Heinkel bomber crashed nearby, killing the crew who could not bail out in time, and it has been speculated that the figures belong to this aircraft.

Heavy Breathing

Location: Outer London: Heathrow Airport - General area
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1980s
Further Comments: This ghost was heard several times, breathing heavily around female members of staff, but never being seen. A second entity wears a bowler hat, and has been known to ask about the whereabouts of his briefcase - both case and man were in an aircraft that crashed in the late 1940s, killing all on board. A phantom Dick Turpin rides a brown horse across the runways, while finally cleaning staff during the 1970s reported a presence which held them down, applying pressure around their throats.

Lost Pilot

Location: Outer London: Northolt - RAF Northolt
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Seen walking along the east / west runway of this former fighter base, the ghostly figure wears a pilot's uniform dating back to the Second World War.

Wet Footprints and Droning

Location: Parham - Disused Airfield, and Control Tower
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Late twentieth century
Further Comments: Locals have reportedly heard the droning of phantom aircraft over the disused airfields, while the control tower has reappearing 'wet footprints', which begin and end in inexplicable places…

Burning Spitfire

Location: Pocklington - Airfield
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A phantom burning spitfire was claimed to haunt this airfield. Another ghost reputedly at home here is a pilot who frequents the control tower, although his history is unknown.

Black Cat

Location: Poynton Green - Field in the village
Type: Other
Date / Time: 22 October, every ten years (next in 2021) (reoccurring)
Further Comments: Two Czech pilots died here on 22 October 1941, crashing in the field as they ran out of fuel. A local farmer rushed to the field in an attempt to save them, but was beaten back by the flames. He did, however, see a black cat emerge from the burning wreckage. The creature made its home with a local old woman, and when she died, the cat vanished, but appears once every ten years at the crash site.

MP

Location: Raydon - Second World War Airfield
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Seen by huts near the former Officer's Mess, a ghostly Military Policeman is said to walk around the area. There are also reports of phantom aircraft, including a P-47 and a B-17.

Crashing Planes & WWII pilots

Location: Ridgewell - Ridgewell World War Two Airfield
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Now little more than a collection of old huts, the area is haunted by the sounds of crashing WWII aeroplanes, shouting airmen, and other noises.

German Pilot

Location: Ripe - Ripe Lane, heading towards village
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1987
Further Comments: This pilot is said to have died during the Second World War when his aircraft crashed near the village. He now makes the occasional appearance in the field where he died. He was last seen by a woman driving towards the village.

Lancaster Bomber

Location: Rishworth - Saddleworth Moor, along M62
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 15 August 1995, approx 14:30h
Further Comments: A father and daughter driving eastbound spotted a Lancaster bomber flying nearby, smoke coming from a left right hand engine. They passed under Scammonden Bridge, and after coming out were no longer able to see the aircraft.

Disappearing L'il Butch

Location: Rougham - Old USAAF base
Type: Post-Mortem Manifestation
Date / Time: 1945
Further Comments: Towards the end of World War 2, L'il Butch was shot down during a bombing run on Germany, but briefly reappeared at the air base a few months later, as if it had just landed. Little exists of the airfield now - an industrial site now stands on the area, and fields cut off access to the runways.

Pilots in Hanger

Location: Rufforth - Rufforth Airfield
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: A disastrous bomber landing resulted in almost a dozen deaths, a wrecked farmhouse, and three more bombers ruined as they sat on the ground - the crew of the aircraft responsible have been observed in a hanger on the site.

Sitting Airman

Location: Sawbridgeworth - Former RAF Sawbridgeworth
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Late twentieth century
Further Comments: This lonely airman sits by the side of the road, patiently waiting for a lift which has never yet arrived.

Lt Peter Salter

Location: Scampton - Old RAF Base
Type: Post-Mortem Manifestation
Date / Time: 7 December 1916
Further Comments: During World War One a pilot reported greeting Lieutenant Salter as he walked into the officer's mess, and the Lieutenant responded in kind; unbeknown to the witness, Salter had just died in an air crash many miles away.

Pilot in Lifejacket

Location: Scampton - Old RAF Base
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Late twentieth century
Further Comments: This pilot, thought to date from the Second World War, has been seen in the control tower at the air force base. He may have been the source of the disembodied voice which said 'hello!' to a man walking through an empty hanger. Chatting has been heard in the crew room, though when investigated it has been found devoid of life. Guy Gibson's dog is also reported to haunt the base, killed on the road outside in 1943.