Just to talk about something completely different, I've just been watching Buffy, and I was really scared - I can't believe I let my kids watch it!

The University sports hall at Manchester (when I was there a long time ago) used to be the Barracks of the old Manchester Regiment. I spent quite a lot of time there and got to know the Managers quite well. When they knew I was joining up, one of them showed me round the old section of the building, where the old offices used to be. In the glass pannelling of the doors was inscribed "Adjutant's Office", "Commanding Officer" etc. This chap told me this particular corridor was haunted. They had had a locked office trashed (two floors up, no other entrance, Police could find no evidence of a break in), the caretaker's dog refused point blank to go into the corridor and a student, with an interest in the paranormal confirmed that there was, indeed, a very malevolent sprit present. This chap (in his slow Yorkshire drawl, with his lovely blue eyes.....unfortunately I never got to know him that well..!) told me he thought it was a load of codswallop. However, eventually he was the only one that would lock up at night, and one night was doing so, when walking out of the corridor became aware of a pair of boots walking behind him. He ignored the noise, but as he reached for the door to go out, a hand grabbed his shoulder from behind...................he turned round, and there was no one there...........

Another time, I will tell you of the WW2 German subaltern who paid me several visits in a certain Regt in Germany (where else!) and some more stories I've collected on my travels...........

We had one at our old drill hall, sensed or half seen by many people.

Some time ago, we were at Arlon, anyone who's trained in the area will know it well. I believe it's where the Americans finally stopped the German advance in 45 , the famous Battle of the Bulge.There is still evidence of hasty fortifications, and in one or 2 places, remains of AFV's.

One of our Sergeants, a normally steady and reliable sort, will swear blind, under oath, that he saw a column of GI's go through his OP at 2.00 in the morning. He wasn't the only one........

When I was a newly posted subby to a certain Regt in Germany, I was in a mixed Mess with 7 other subbys, some of whom I had known for a while. My room was next door to an old LE Major, who was something of a father figure to me.

At the end of my first week, I had a few bevvies in the Kellar bar with the others, but exhausted, retired to bed around midnight.

As I was falling asleep, someone opened my door, walked over to my bed and stood there. Keeping my eyes half closed and hoping he would go away, I thought it was one of my mates wanting me to go back to the party. I remember thinking, "why is N*** in a blue uniform?"

The next morning (with everyone clutching their heads and hangovers) I casually asked which joker had tried to get me back to the party. All denied it, and on impulse I asked if the Mess was haunted. One of them said yes, by a young German Panzer subaltern.

Each night, just before I fell asleep, the door opened and a tall, well built young man in a blue uniform walked up to my bed, stood there beathing quietly, and then left. I was a strong, fit and very warry YO but it got to the point where I couldn't fall asleep until this person had paid his visit. I eventually confided in my neighbour, who cheerfully told me that his old friend the NAAFI manager who'd had the rooms before him and had died of a heart attack in bed, often paid him a visit. He also knew of my visitor - he said "he just wants to know who you are - he will go soon". After a couple of weeks the visits stopped.

A few months later *I happened to be the first down in the Kellar bar and found the elderly Scottish lady who manned the bar sat in the Skittle Alley. When I asked her why, she said that she had run the bar for years, but had grown so frightened by the footsteps that walked in front of her bar, and the red lights that danced across the room, that she would wait in the Alley until one of us came down.

The Transit Accommodation in the same Regt was also supposed to be haunted and the soldiers hated having to use it.

Next ghost story coming soon!!

Many years ago, when I was an Air Cadet with me whole Crab Air future mapped out, I did annual Camp at Gutersloh. Our block, the "Hermann Goering" was haunted, and it wasn't just airmen looking to get a rise out of spaceys that told us that.

Years later, when i was actually working for a Software company in Gutersloh, the story came up again. Even the local Germans knew all about it.

Scariest?

Being a staff cadet at West Malling, and finding a senior RAF officer asleep in his car on the airfield. He'd come in the previous night, and was woken up at 3 in the morning, by someone who looked in, said "Oh sorry old boy" and walked out again. The Wingco didn't think about it for all of 30 seconds, till it slowly dawned on him, that the figure was wearing a yellow mae west and sheepskin flying boots.

Same thing happened to an Instructor at Kenley, before the last Hangar burnt down.

Myself and Rob M *(Now a senior Officer crabside) scared ourselves sh*tless in the old Officers mess one night, by seeing one of the doors shut of it's own accord.

On waking up this morning, I checked my wallet........it was empty! * * *There was £80 in there when I went out last night! * I also felt a bit sick and there was kebab thrown all round the lounge and I had chilli sauce down my front. * *I think that *there may be a poltergeist in my house! *

No no Ma_S, that was just that big gorilla you keep taking to bed when you've had a few too many....

which reminds me of an advert I used to drive past every morning to work, made me laugh every time I saw it (I think it was for Carling or something)...

cartoon of a chap, sat on the edge of his trashed bed, looking really terrible and clutching his head in his hands.......empty cans and bottles strewn around his bomb site of a room, fag ends, clothes etc.......saying "God, I must have had too much to drink last night, I'm sorry but I can't even remember your name.........." *to the dachsund stood on her hindlegs on a stool, fag in mouth, floppy ears tied back with a ribbon, doing the washing up......


ANYWAY! Enough frivolity! Back to the spooky stories.....

Whit aboot the story of the auld Polish fighter pilot that wiz bombed oot his billet in 1944 wi' the Germans, and wanders aboot every night in..... "insert base name here".

Made up pish as far as ah know. Ahv heard it in at least three different bases ;)

Whit aboot the story of the auld Polish fighter pilot that wiz bombed oot his billet in 1944 wi' the Germans, and wanders aboot every night in..... "insert base name here".

Made up pish as far as ah know. Ahv heard it in at least three different bases ;)

Prodigal..........I think I've found your German Officer!

Damn! He's been a busy boy!!

Arschfikker!