The RAF Museum - Cosford The Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford in Shropshire houses many historic aircraft, civilian, military, passenger and cargo dating from the early days of aviation to the present. There are displays of missiles, airforce uniforms and a section devoted to the history of British Airways. Visitors are allowed to climb into some of the aircraft on display. One of the aircraft exhibited is a World War Two Lincoln bomber No RF398, it is alleged that this aircraft and hanger is haunted. Built in 1945, RF398 never saw wartime service being part of the Bomber Command Bombing School, in 1963 it was based at RAF Henlow eventually transferring to RAF Cosford in 1968. Badly in need of repair and restoration to its former glory, it was moved into the museum in 1977. During the restoration period quite a number of unusual things occurred, for example many of the materials needed to return the aeroplane to its original state seemed to turn up mysteriously, many of the parts were very rare and unusual. Another example was that a rare and unobtainable type of wire needed for rewiring through the wings strangely turned up in the corner of the hanger. The estimated time to rewire the wings was weeks; it was completed in 48hrs. Every rusty screw that had not been touched for about 30 years came out easily. Volunteers from the RAF and ex-servicemen working in their spare time carried out the repairs. The ghost of an airman haunts the museum, dressed in a battle-dress jacket and white polo-neck jersey, it has been seen in the aeroplane and around the museum. The apparition was first seen in 1979. The identity of the ghost is thought to be that of an airman killed in a Whitley bomber that crashed in 1943 and which used the same type of engines as the Lincoln bomber. One of the engines of the Whitley was dug up about 23 years ago and brought to Cosford where it was kept in the hanger for a couple of years. When this engine was moved, the haunting and strange events started. An engineer working on the plane slipped and fell backwards 15 feet onto the concrete floor yet he was unhurt, just about when he was to make contact with the floor it seemed that a cushion of air stopped him, gently lowering him to the ground. Another volunteer hit his head on the sharp edge of a propeller; there was no mark what so ever on him. When other aircraft in the hanger was covered in dust, the shell of RF398 always appeared to be polished. On a cold day when icicles was hanging from the roof, the planes interior was so warm it was possible to work without a coat on. One evening a member of staff was locking up the hanger for the night when he saw someone move in the plane, switching on all the lights he searched the aeroplane thoroughly but found nothing, he was about to turn the lights back off when a 'misty shape' appeared. Another chap, who was working within the fuselage on his own, heard the rear door open and footsteps coming toward him. When a hand was placed on his shoulder, he thought it was one of his colleagues and he asked him to pass him a tool which was then placed in his hand, turning to thank the chap he found no-one there. Those who have seen the ghost say that he usually appears either in the rear gun turret or in the navigator's seat, which is in the cockpit. It is firmly believed that the ghost of the airman is devoted to the aircraft and protective to those who work on it. During the course of the restoration a number of photographs were taken, on some of the negatives there is a face or outline of someone who was not there when the photographs were taken. Read the eye witness account of one of the RAF engineers involved, click here
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