Ghost Story

[Michael]

Today a number of my cousins were over at my place, and one of them told me a story I hadn't heard before.

His mother (my aunt) was born in 1915 in Welland. *She was baptized France, and her godfather was her cousin Antonin Gauthier. *He couldn't be there since he was in the French Army at the time. *But he sent her a stuffed toy animal.

One night three years later, three-year-old France woke up screaming. *She had had a nightmare about Antonin' s toy animal. *The date was September 16, 1918.

And if you don't know the significancee of that date, look at the bottom of this post.

Mort pour la France 16[sup]eme[/sup] september, 1918

Hi Michael

I've heard of similar stories.
In 1945 an Australian who was held prisoner by the Japanese in Borneo was executed.
The same day and the same hour back in Australia his wife witnessed his photo in their bedroom falling off the shelf and smashing.

Very eerie.

[Amy]

Michael:

That IS eerie. Thanks for the story.

Amy

[DerDrache]

That's creepy . . . makes me want to go write a ghost story. Of course, since the truth is stranger than fiction, none of my stories could ever rival that- because that was true. Thanks for the story.

-Der Drache von der Himmeln

[Regulus]

Reminds me of the story of Lord Carnarvon and his dog.

: ??? :

Regulus

[Michael]

Regulus,

Antonin's aunt was my grandmother. She married a Darte. When we traced the family back, although the Dartes were in France for nearly 200 years, we come from Namur - which is why my mother and aunt could never find them in France.

Maybe I should put up the flag as well.

[Regulus]

Michael,

I always claim that the world's a big village ! This confirms it once more !
In fact my roots are from the south of France, but part of the family lives already in Belgium since the early 1700's.
So I should probably put up the French flag as well !

VBR from Regulus

[StephenLawson]

To begin with "...Grenville Manton in his article 'Spooky Stories' introduces us to an unusual ghost... not an eighteenth century highwayman.. or the like, but a 'real' one seen between August - December 1916. *It was said to be a British aviation Ghost in flying gear, maturnity jacket and etc. Believed by the commanding officer (who saw him as well as others) to be the likeness of one Lt. Desmond L. Arthur, who was killed at Montrose 27 May 1913 when the wing of his BE 2 (#205) collapsed at about 2500 ft. altitude. *An Accident Investigation Commitee of 1913, from the Royal Aero Club decided that it was criminally negligent repair work that had caused the accident. *

Three years later in May 1916 another Commitee investigating all accidents at Montrose reported erroneously that *Lt. D. L Arthur (in May 1913) had not been killed by bad repairs but had carelessly fallen out of his BE 2 #205. * The wraith was reported to either be calmly walking the cinder pathways or in the living quarters demanding a rehearing to clear his name. *But always suddenly dissappearing as fast as he had appeared.

Before Christmas of 1916 the commitee published its final report correcting its previous attempt. It vindicated Lt. D.L. Arthur from any carelessness.

The Ghost was seen one last time on Christmas Eve at the Old Mess blg. Sitting infront of a blazing fireplace wearing his flying kit and a grey helmet on his head (previously described as a knit helmet.) *He was seen to throw some papers on the fire and then he was gone. *One of the officers ran to the blaze and with a poker pulled the burning paper from the fire. *It was the original copy of the Investigation Commitee's findings of May 1916. *Only the date and heading were left unscorched. *Everything after Lt. D.L. Arthur's name was incinerated. *An inquiry by the Commanding officer found that the original documents from the May 1916 hearing were 'lost' and not foud in the files keep by the RFC Accident Investigation Commitee. * *

Humbly Submitted STL, 2002.
See:
'The Montrose Ghost', Flight International dated *21 December 1972.
Historyn of British Aviaton by *Dallas Brett, date unknown.
Montrose Ghost , Popular Flying , April 1934.
Cross & Cockade USA Vol. 16 #1 Pp.10-19, Spring 1975.
Cross & Cockade Int. Vol. 25 #4,Pp. 195 - 207, Winter 1994.

Another good ghost story can be found in Will Bird's classic
'Ghosts have warm hands'

Bird's brother had been posted missing believed killed early in the war,(from a german mine explosion) yet he appeared on two occasions to Will, the first time bringing him out of the dugout before a shell penetrated and killed all those inside.

While researching Aussie's in the RNAS I stumbled upon the story of Air Mechanic Fred Jackson RAF (ex RNAS), who died when he walked into a propeller at HMS Daedalus in 1919.

When a squadron photo was taken 3 days later, Freddy decided to show up. You be the judge. The photo appeared in Air Marshall Sir Victor Goddard's book, "Flight Towards Reality"

Andrew