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| | | Ghost Stations: An Interview with Bruce Barrymore Halpenny |
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Bruce Barrymore Halpenny is a well respected British military historian. He is also the author of a series of very informative and highly entertaining books called the Ghost Station Series. These books highlight the chilling mysteries and ghostly occurences that surround wartime airfields in the United Kingdom.
Join us today for an interview with author Bruce Barrymore Halpenny as he recounts the early inspiration for the series and ponders upon the reason why these locations hold so much ghostly energy.
Would you tell us a bit about your writing background and experience in the realm of the supernatural?
How I got into writing in the first place I explain fully in my book stated at Q7 so will only briefly do so here. I will just say that I was the first and only one to fully examine; record and fully research airfield supernatural activity and so understandably became the acknowledged expert in this field. I still get a great many letters and e-mails – all most welcome I might add – from people from around the world interested in this amazing and yet so misunderstood, fascinating subject.
Science I still maintain, do not have the tools or the people with the right ‘open-minded’ approach to understand sensibly or fully research this subject. Lord Balfour wanted me to do it. I do quote him in my books, one being in Ghost Stations™ The Story.
When I started my research into airfield histories I quickly found that virtually no records were kept and some that were available were so sparse that they were next to useless. Much of this did not surprise me as I had encountered this during my Service in the RAF, for my orders were to destroy all records on bases that we were closing. The only course available to me was to do the research myself and though this cost a vast amount of time, energy and money, which has never been recouped to this day, it did allow me to know the airfields inside out.
My research connected with my knowledge from my Military Service, has given me an unrivalled knowledge of the airfields and the men and women who served on them. As I amassed such knowledge and information, I also acquired airfield supernatural stories and began to research these, in order to find the answer to the reason.
My special knowledge and know-how to open all doors is made abundantly clear in the Lightning XS894 Mystery in the New Edition – (October 2008) of my Ghost Stations™ Mysteries, when Pat Otter of the Grimsby Evening Telegraph and his top aviation friend from Northcliffe Newspapers – all stated in my book on pages 47 & 48 – had all doors slammed in their faces when they started to ask questions. Only I can open the doors, as my Readers are fully aware.
What inspired the excellent Ghost Stations series of books?
The ghost/supernatural and unexplained events came about with my research for the airfields for articles I did in the Sixties and Seventies and later in my books in the Action Stations Series that I did. These being AS2 Military Airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands, AS4 Military Airfields of Yorkshire and AS8 Military Airfields of Greater London. This was the true start for the Ghost/Supernatural stories; and I had a vast number of stories … literally hundreds. So I took them all very seriously and from my vast research we got Ghost Stations™. I thought that was that; but the public thought otherwise and I soon received hundreds of letters asking when was the next Ghost Stations™ book out. So I had boxes of information that I put to good use, for so many people got so much pleasure from my true ghost/mystery stories; and … out came GS2 …then GS3, then GS4, GS5, GS6, GS7, and last but not least …Ghost Stations™ 8.
My unique experiences in the military aside, I found the more I researched into the airfield histories and the more I interviewed RAF and Army and Navy personnel – Men and Women - both serving and retired, the more I encountered ghost stories and stories of supernatural events that could not be fully explained. I do explain this in my book due out in June 2009 that covers my Special Military Service. I am now working also on that book and it does bring back many happy memories.
What was the most frightening story told to you for the series? Or at least one of the most frightening stories?
There are several; and everybody loves a Ghost story. They are all frightening at first; but not frightening once you know the reason. The Metheringham Lass™ is the most chilling experience for those that encounter it. That story is in Ghost Stations™ 1 and also in Ghost Stations™ Lincolnshire. Another is The Cottesmore Ghost in Ghost Stations™ 3.
What was one of the most touching stories told to you?
All my stories are touching in one way or another because one can tell that they are true ghost, mystery stories. Being all my life with dogs; and that includes also when in the Military I had the most feared dog of the Military; that being Air Dog Blaze. So I love the two about the dogs; Ming The Faithful in Ghost Stations™ 1 and Bobby’s Vigil also in Ghost Stations™ 1, but one, which I called The Canteen Ghost in Ghost Stations™ 1, was very moving, for Mollie Tilley was in tears telling me. She was so sincere and very genuine.
The list is endless, but another to touch a soft spot is The Last Goodbye in Ghost Stations™ 1. Mrs Meeson a lovely Lady that brings a tear or two to your eye. I like and had great pleasure to research the Message From The Air in Ghost Stations™ 1.
One must not forget, The American Phantoms at RAF Kimbolton in Ghost Stations™ 1. A big, big cover-up with that story. And talking of cover-ups and Yanks must just mention: Lightning XS894 Mystery. I was first with that and also with The Harrier Jet Mystery, both these stories are in the new Ghost Stations™ Mysteries.
What is it about airfields that draws so much ghostly energy?
That is easy to explain. The airfield held so many people, at any given time on average just over 5,000 in such a small place for such a short period of time in terms of history, and yet many of these aircrew had violent deaths having been only a short while ago, safe and sound among friends, then suddenly over enemy territory fighting for their lives. This mode of war was unique for the Royal Air Force who, unlike soldiers or sailors, who are given a little time to acclimatise themselves to this new situation of kill or be killed; whereas, one minute the bomber crews are safe in the Mess at an airfield in Lincolnshire or Yorkshire and in under the hour entering hostile territory on the way to bomb Berlin. It is – unless you were there – impossible for one to comprehend the fear and the tension.
The mind and body does not get a chance to adjust; and, I speak from experience from just my special duties in the military, for you have to adjust or call it a day. For aircrew it was impossible to adjust due to the fact that on entering the aircraft, you have given up your freedom and now in the hands of not only your crew; but also the aircraft. You now depend on so many other factors to stay alive and get back safely. Lady Luck sure had to be onboard with you.
In the First World War it was Tommy; in the Second World War it was the aircrews that were the cannon fodder. That is the reason why ghost stories abound in and around the old wartime airfields; and why so many Earth bound Spirits are on the old wartime airfields. The human soul has not come to terms with this rapid change, the lies and deceit.
Have you ever witnessed a ghost yourself or have had any encounters with the supernatural?
That is hard to say, for we may all have seen a ghost and yet not realised it. But in the sense of seeing a ghost and knowing that what I am seeing is a ghost, then the answer is no. As for encounters with the supernatural, then yes on several occasions, the ones I recall well, were when I was in the Royal Air Force Military Police (RAFPD) Special Duties – Nuclear and Chemical Weapons.
I have also witnessed a UFO whilst at my home in Abruzzo, Italy. My place at that time was on the mountain with a wonderful view over the Adriatic Sea. At 0200 hours one early January morning I was out looking at the stars when suddenly I noticed a bluish glow on a silver cigar shaped object moving from Pescara along the coast just above the sea, in the direction of Foggia (the heel of Italy). The speed puts it firmly as a UFO for its speed was staggering and I can fully judge an aircraft and its speed, but this was exceptional. Natural phenomena? I do not think so.
Yes many cases can be explained and yes there are hoaxes, some are deliberately orchestrated by governments to discredit the UFO research community, but there are cases and experiences that just cannot be explained away. Yes, there are UFOs as I have proved with my story: LIGHTNING XS894 MYSTERY and pilot Captain Schafner.
It is very hard to say about seeing ghosts, visions, etc, but a classic example is in the story The Four White Parachutes in Ghost Stations™ 3, here Geoffrey Hall saw clearly Four White Parachutes in the sky, but Bert Hawes did not and yet it was to have a meaning.
Would you tell us about any upcoming books?
There are several I am working on, one being: Top Secret - RAF Barnham and I. This is about my military career and the Atomic Storage base RAF Barnham, which to this day is still shrouded in mystery and Ministry of Defence false information. I am writing the book to set the record straight, but I also list several supernatural events that took place whilst I was there and whilst on other Special Duties.
There will be more Ghost Stations™ to follow ….. my readers will see to that.
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Purchase the Ghost Stations books from East Anglia Books: For further information visit their site at www.eastangliabooks.com, or e-mail address sales@eastangliabooks.com | |
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