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Potters Bar Zeppelin Ghost

 

In Hertfordshire, England, in a small village of Potters Bar, during the first world war on October the 1st 1916, a zeppelin (a German airship) was shot down by an english pilot called lieutenant Tempest. With a crew of around twenty also included a notorious German pilot called Kapitan Hendrich Mathy who held the record for most bombings raids on Britain.

When the Zeppelin came crashing down, the main wreckage fell on an oak tree in the fields of Oakmere Farm. Surprisingly the tree survived and one half of the tree would still grow leaves every year and memorials were held at the tree for the downed pilots of the zeppelin.

As time went on houses were built on the field but the tree remained and a house was built next to it and that's where my story comes in.

This story was told to me by my Grandma so I have no direct experience with the story, so I might be a bit vague in places.

My Nan would of been fairly young at this time and I think it happened around about before the second world war, but anyway she and her family moved into this house next to the tree on Tempsest drive.

Her room upstairs was next to the tree and the trees branches would brush up against her window, nothing a great deal happened in the room (that she spoke of anyway) but everyone in the house experienced strange things like noises outside their rooms at night and strange voices, lights going on and off for no reason, things going missing then suddenly re-appearing out of no where.

Then one night I can't remember who it was, I think it was my Nan's Auntie, stayed round and stayed on the sofa downstairs. That morning my Nan's Father came down to find my Nan's Auntie black and blue all over her body (as my nan would describe it) as if she had been beaten up but she had no recollection of anything happening but didn't feel too well.

The only other real incident I can remember my Nan telling me about was one night when everyone was asleep, her Father heard noises downstairs so went to investigate, only to find the room dark and empty but on the table a lamp was on and under the lamp was a deck of playing cards all laid out in a form of some game of something as if wanting him to play.

I find the last incident strange seeing how the other incident was rather violent this one seems almost friendly, so whether there was more than one ghost and some were nicer than others I don't know.

That is all I know or can remember of this story, I only wish I had asked more but sadly my Nan died some years ago so I guess I will never know the full story but thought I would share with what I did know.

Thanks for reading

Lee

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The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, leeebling, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

ChrisB (6 stories) (1515 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-31)
Wow this sure was an interesting story. I realy enjoyed reading it. Although the war took away many lives I allwasy love reading stories about them. Thanks fro sharring. I hope to hear from you soon and take care
Kecoughtan (1 stories) (211 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-30)
Just as soon as my schedule calms a bit and I have an opportunity to rediscuss one particular incident with my brother, I'll write it up and submit it. Thanks for being patient, rhodes! 😁
rhodes68 (14 stories) (1596 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-30)
Kecoughtan, I'll be looking forward to your submissions! I have been expecting them for some time since I "caught" you talking about them in a post.

We'll be here...
Take care.
Kecoughtan (1 stories) (211 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-29)
Rhodes68, thanks for the details on Lt. Tempest's harrowing flight--he certainly earned his drinks that night. I have been very busy this fall and haven't contributed as much here as I would like, but your evocative account, leebling's story, and the demise of the legendary Capt. Mathy were an irresistable draw, and soon I was off into cyper-inquiry. I am pleased you enjoyed the links. Hopefully, by the holidays the pace of my schedule will slacken a bit and I can be here more often and also write up several of my other expereinces which are more enigmatic than my encounter with the nameless lady in white at the hotel bar. I could really use your insight and the perspectives of others here to better understand what happened.
Kecoughtan (1 stories) (211 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-29)
In retrospect, I realize that my posting about the tree being chopped down may have implied that I doubted your story, leeebling. That's not the case. Although the tree seems to have been cut down, I think it is important to remember that this was a catastrophic event--and its physical and emotional scar on the community and landscape--was not localized. Thanks for sharing, leeebling!
leeebling (2 stories) (3 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-29)
Hi everyone thanks for your comments, I did read on one of those websites before about the tree being cut down in the front garden of number 9 Tempest drive around 1938 and I did say she lived there around about before the second world war.
I just remeber her saying the branches would brush up against the window of one of the rooms and like I said I don't know all the ins and outs of the story.
I did miss a bit out of the story that I had forgot about that my mum reminded me the other day. It was my nans brother woke up once in the night to the feeling of hands round his throat choking him an not being able to move but could not see anyone I have read similar incidents on here think its called sleep paralysis.
More comments welcome thanks.
rhodes68 (14 stories) (1596 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-29)
I've checked the sites Kecoughtan suggested and he's accurate about the cutting down of that tree leebling. Is ir possible the tree you're referring to is another one that used to be in that same field? That doesn't mean that only the particular tree is haunted-the fields or land have seen much as well.
rhodes68 (14 stories) (1596 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-29)
Kecoughtan, I was expecting you to join in. Thanks for the additional information-I can never have enough.
Kecoughtan (1 stories) (211 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-29)
According to several websites the original Zeppelin Oak was cut down ca. 1938. The property owner commented on how difficult a task it was because of metal embedded in the tree. Evidently, the remnants of another oak tree stands near that spot. Do you know which one of these trees the house was constructed next to?

I have attached two websites that contain photographs and additional information. What a horrific event! Thanks for sharing.

Http://www.fylde.demon.co.uk/pottersbar.htm

Http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pbhistory.co.uk/war/images/crowd.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pbhistory.co.uk/war/zeppelin90.html&h=151&w=210&sz=9&hl=en&start=14&um=1&usg=__PONGtHbVRXDZ2Tn9o8Rhm4piKgM=&tbnid=ZTsn78TtgZMGqM:&tbnh=76&tbnw=106&prev=/images%3Fq%3DPotters%2BBar%2Boak%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG
rhodes68 (14 stories) (1596 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-29)
The Lt. Wulstan Tempest of the 39 Home Defence Squadron?! Wow! This pilot's story has always fascinated me:dining with his fiancee in Epping when he was summoned to action, rushed to North Weald by motorcycle, took off, shot down Zeppelin L.31, had his fuel pump broken and had to manually pump fuel to keep his aircraft up while flying with his other hand, crash-landed back to the airfield with only a minor cut on his head and finally drove back to Epping to finish his meal...!

These were the times of true heroes, of real battles!

I cannot begin to imagine the chaos those fields "witnessed" leeebling so your story comes as no surprise!
Dan (1 stories) (51 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-28)
Hey there Lee, great story I live near Hertfordshire myself and have heard a story simular to this about downed Zeplins so I believe that this has happened. The energy in the house could have been coming from the tree if that is where the Zeplin crashed and as the house is near the tree. I cannot explain the black and blue incident but when the cards appeared under the lamp on the table to me it sounded an intelligent haunting. I agree with what Tonith said that what your Gran and other family members had experienced maybe residual energy left from the crash.
Thanks for sharing a great story.
Tonith (1136 posts)
 
15 years ago (2008-10-27)
Great story and believable. The tree could have held impressions of that fateful crash and what your gram and family members experienced may have been the residual energy left from that event. How someone could wake up black and blue without remembering what happened is very strange. The cards appearing on the table wouldn't be residual haunting but an intelligent one. Indeed there could have been more than one spirit and I don't know if the two incidences could be related to the same ghost. Yes, we should listen to our elders they certainly have a lot of life experience. I remember all the stories my gram told me and she was gone until I was 14 so I understand what you mean about really listening and asking questions.

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