Dambusters Ghost Dog
Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 10:30 am
A team of paranormal investigators have claimed they have made contact with the "spirit" of the dog owned by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, the heroic pilot who led the Dambusters raids during the Second World War.
Wing Commander Gibson led the Dambusters raid in 1943 from his base at RAF Scampton, near Lincoln, just hours after his black labrador, called Nigger, was run over and killed.
Before taking off for the Ruhr Dams, Wing Commander Gibson left instructions for his faithful companion to be buried outside his office
But a legend sprung up around Nigger after there were several reported sightings of a black dog seen around the base following his death.
His office has been empty for more than half a century and is now part of the RAF Scampton Historical Museum, near Lincoln, Lincs.
Now paranormal investigators, given special permission to stake out the operational RAF base, have claimed that the spectre of the dog's spirit may have tried to speak to them as they have picked up activity on their electronic detection equipment.
Filmed by the BBC, the team embarked on three all-night stakeouts at the base, now home to the Red Arrows.
It came Paul Drake, the lead investigator, was inspired by a 1987 photograph showing a mystery black dog at the opening of a Damsbusters memorial in the nearby village of Woodhall Spa.
"I saw a picture that had the dog in it, which the photographer said was not there when it was taken, and that has stayed in the back of my mind for a few years," said Mr Drake, 49, a computer engineer and founder of Paranormal Lincs.
"After I saw the picture I got in contact with RAF Scampton to see if we could do an investigation. I never dreamed they would say 'yes' as it is still an operational base and everything has to go through the base commander.
"But they have been absolutely brilliant and have welcomed us with open arms."
The name of Gibson's black labrador was used as a code word whenever one of Germany's Ruhr Dams was breached during the "bouncing bomb" mission in May 1943, and was immortalised in the 1955 film starring Richard Todd.
Among the specialist kit used by the paranormal team were infra-red lights, proximity sensors and video cameras.
Mr Drake added: "We have been up there on three different occasions, each time something different has happened. Something is definitely going on as there has been no power to the office for years.
"The equipment we use to measure the electromagnetic field in a building is very sensitive, and every time we have been inside Guy Gibson's office there has been a reaction.
"When we have asked the question 'are you there?,' the metre has always gone up."
Fellow paranormal investigator, Michelle Clements, added: "We are looking for the spirit of Guy Gibson, but there have been a lot of things reported about his dog."
Before his death Nigger was always at the side of Gibson, who would take him for long walks around the airfield.
The raid on the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe Dams was launched on 16 May 1943. Only hours before the raid Gibson was informed that Nigger had been run over by a car outside the camp and he was killed instantaneously.
The Möhne and Eder Dams were breached, but it was a very costly operation with loss of nine aircraft and fifty-three men.
Gibson returned and was subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross but was later killed on a raid against Germany in September 1944, when his Mosquito plane crashed in Holland.
The first sighting of a dog matching Nigger's description was in February 1952 when a mess waiter working at RAF Scampton reported seeing a "phantom" black dog on the base.
Jim Shortland, a historian who specialises in the Dambuster raids, said he was sceptical about the paranormal but welcomed the investigation.
"What they expect to find I don't know," Mr Shortland said.
"But I think anything that helps to keep the memory alive of the things those lads did in the Second World War is a good thing."
Mr Shortland said the exact location of the dog's grave was unknown, but it was thought to be near Guy Gibson's former office next to the 617 Squadron hanger.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... rbase.html
Wing Commander Gibson led the Dambusters raid in 1943 from his base at RAF Scampton, near Lincoln, just hours after his black labrador, called Nigger, was run over and killed.
Before taking off for the Ruhr Dams, Wing Commander Gibson left instructions for his faithful companion to be buried outside his office
But a legend sprung up around Nigger after there were several reported sightings of a black dog seen around the base following his death.
His office has been empty for more than half a century and is now part of the RAF Scampton Historical Museum, near Lincoln, Lincs.
Now paranormal investigators, given special permission to stake out the operational RAF base, have claimed that the spectre of the dog's spirit may have tried to speak to them as they have picked up activity on their electronic detection equipment.
Filmed by the BBC, the team embarked on three all-night stakeouts at the base, now home to the Red Arrows.
It came Paul Drake, the lead investigator, was inspired by a 1987 photograph showing a mystery black dog at the opening of a Damsbusters memorial in the nearby village of Woodhall Spa.
"I saw a picture that had the dog in it, which the photographer said was not there when it was taken, and that has stayed in the back of my mind for a few years," said Mr Drake, 49, a computer engineer and founder of Paranormal Lincs.
"After I saw the picture I got in contact with RAF Scampton to see if we could do an investigation. I never dreamed they would say 'yes' as it is still an operational base and everything has to go through the base commander.
"But they have been absolutely brilliant and have welcomed us with open arms."
The name of Gibson's black labrador was used as a code word whenever one of Germany's Ruhr Dams was breached during the "bouncing bomb" mission in May 1943, and was immortalised in the 1955 film starring Richard Todd.
Among the specialist kit used by the paranormal team were infra-red lights, proximity sensors and video cameras.
Mr Drake added: "We have been up there on three different occasions, each time something different has happened. Something is definitely going on as there has been no power to the office for years.
"The equipment we use to measure the electromagnetic field in a building is very sensitive, and every time we have been inside Guy Gibson's office there has been a reaction.
"When we have asked the question 'are you there?,' the metre has always gone up."
Fellow paranormal investigator, Michelle Clements, added: "We are looking for the spirit of Guy Gibson, but there have been a lot of things reported about his dog."
Before his death Nigger was always at the side of Gibson, who would take him for long walks around the airfield.
The raid on the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe Dams was launched on 16 May 1943. Only hours before the raid Gibson was informed that Nigger had been run over by a car outside the camp and he was killed instantaneously.
The Möhne and Eder Dams were breached, but it was a very costly operation with loss of nine aircraft and fifty-three men.
Gibson returned and was subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross but was later killed on a raid against Germany in September 1944, when his Mosquito plane crashed in Holland.
The first sighting of a dog matching Nigger's description was in February 1952 when a mess waiter working at RAF Scampton reported seeing a "phantom" black dog on the base.
Jim Shortland, a historian who specialises in the Dambuster raids, said he was sceptical about the paranormal but welcomed the investigation.
"What they expect to find I don't know," Mr Shortland said.
"But I think anything that helps to keep the memory alive of the things those lads did in the Second World War is a good thing."
Mr Shortland said the exact location of the dog's grave was unknown, but it was thought to be near Guy Gibson's former office next to the 617 Squadron hanger.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... rbase.html