Shepton Mallet prison 'ghost' video brings out eerie military stories - but divides critics
Spooky stories of ghostly goings on in barracks and other locations with an armed forces connection are coming to light across social media after a seemingly eerie encounter at a former military prison at Shepton Mallet.
Many Forces Radio listeners reacted to a piece about a spine-tingling encounter at HMP Shepton Mallet – where military prisoners once faced firing squads and hanging executions.
Forces Radio broadcaster Richard Hutchinson, during a visit to the prison, described how he experienced one of those moments when it feels like someone is standing behind you, only to turn around to find he was alone in an otherwise empty corridor - outside jail cells known as the 'condemned man’s cell' and the 'execution room'.
While Richard did not go as far as to say his encounter was with an actual ghost – more a fleeting, very brief chill-down-the-spine moment – it was later when he showed a video to his colleagues that prompted speculation as some in the team wondered if they could see a very subtle disturbance in the light – like a shadow cast across the wall in the corridor.
The video was shot at the time Richard had experienced the eerie feeling in Shepton Mallet prison’s corridor.
Thousands of people have since watched the footage with many divided between those who are confident there is 'nothing to see' and others for whom Richard's experience sparked their own memories of eerie encounters or stories they had picked up from other locations with a military connection.
Now Forces Radio is keen to hear about other ghostly tales, spooky encounters or just folklore from the world of the armed forces, whether it is your own personal spine-chilling experience of spookiness at a military base, a barracks or other military location.
Edward Blithe Richards, posting on Facebook, told Forces Radio about eerie stories from British Army bases and barracks including chilling tales of ex-paratroopers from the Second World War and other tales including soldiers reporting to "hear screaming down the corridors in Harrogate."
Edward says he does not believe much of the stories but said the video from Shepton Mallet did "look kind of eerie though."
Anne Gallagher, also posting on Facebook, told of a ghostly encounter with an airman in an American air force museum, saying that one moment he was there, the next he had gone.
Listen: Richard Hutchinson speaks with Joel Campbell in a series about HMP Shepton Mallet.
Daniel Upson, in another Facebook comment, said he remembers his father telling him about "strange goings on" at HMS Raleigh at Torpoint in Cornwall, the Royal Navy training base near Plymouth.
He told a spooky tale about a vanishing yacht that disappeared during a search and rescue operation.
Jason Burgess said: "Couldn't see anything on the video but I have seen a figure in an American GI's uniform standing next to me in the old condemned cells."
Others reacting to the post, however, were far more cynical about the Shepton Mallet video, such as Dave Taaffe, who simply said: "Nothing to see. Could simply be damp."
David Hulme, posting on Facebook, brought an altogether more scientific argument to the debate, saying: "Break the second rule of thermodynamics," adding his own take on the tones on the wall, saying: "Anyway, that’s two-tone paint with scuff marks."
Andrew Robert Calvert added to the discussion, saying on Facebook that "my camera does that as it constantly tries to focus to get the best possible high-quality pictures when I'm filming or taking pictures so I wouldn’t say it's a ghost, more of the camera adjusting focus or trying to activate anti-shake features."
What are your stories of ghostly encounters or other eerie tales with military connections? Email [email protected] with your spooky stories.
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