Bizarre Supernatural World War II Story
Written by Angela Gooch on Saturday, March 29th, 2008 in Supernatural, War and Military.
A ‘must read’ supernatural story from World War II - the strangest thing of all is that I’ve done some research on the bizzarre manifestations and parts of the accounts seem to check out! Read on…The following article was printed in the Skegness News, in June 1941. Please read it carefully then read my findings at the end. (I have censored a name and parts of the article as it contains racial remarks which some people may find offensive. They have no bearing on the story.)
Spirit of Dead Royal Oak Sailor
SAID TO HAVE VISITED SKEGNESS FAMILY SEANCE
MOTHER’S CONFIDENT ACCOUNT
CARESSED BROTHER, SISTER, AND GRANDMOTHERA recent issue of “The Two Worlds,” an old-established Spiritualist weekly periodical, publishes a mother’s graphic account of the visit of the spirit of her dead son—who went down with the ill-fated “Royal Oak”—to a seance held at the Skegness Spiritualist Church.
Communication was declared to have been established through a Red Indian spirit guide. The sailor boy’s family were all present at the seance, and the mother details how he in turn caressed his brothers, aunt, grandmother, and herself last of all.
The contribution is over the signature of (Mrs.) S. Burrows, and reads as follows :—
Medium, Mrs. Northage, of Bulwell, recently paid a couple of visits to Skegness. My youngest son and I had attended a sitting with her in February last and were so satisfied that I arranged for all my family to attend a seance at the Skegness Church with the same medium on April 3rd. I can never forget it !
RED INDIAN GUIDE
After a brief opening, Mrs Northage passed into a trance, and her guide “*****” welcomed us all and jokingly spoke of the [censored].
In a few minutes a mass of ectoplasm emerged from the curtain of the cabinet. ***** pulled the curtain aside and, by the light of a luminous plaque, we saw it emerging from the medium in a stream and flowing into the circle.
Then from the cabinet came the Red Indian guide of Mr Jackaman, in full headdress. We saw his profile and features clearly. (At the previous seance in February he asked us to examine his muscles, like huge balls in his arms). Mr and Mrs J’s. little son Gerald next spoke through the trumpet and talked to his parents, his grandmother and myself - but chiefly to his mother. He did not like her A.T.S. uniform but said that she wouldn’t wear it long.
SAILOR SON BROUGHT
Flowers which I had brought and put in a vase were distributed to each sitter and perfumes were produced which were quite different from that borne by the flowers. ***** then asked Mr. J. if he could feel the weight of the ectoplasm on his knees. He had noticed it, but the questions called the attention of the rest of us. It flowed from under the curtain over Mr J’s. knees and out into the room, where it formed a white mass about a foot high and some three feet in circumference.
It seemed alive and self-luminous, from an inner light, like phosphorus. It bubbled like living water rising from a spring. None of us had, seen anything like it. My two sons, each with seven years’ service in the Royal Navy, and my A.T.S. daughter were deeply impressed.
Slowly the stuff was drawn back into the cabinet, and immediately out stepped the form of a Nun, “Sister Julia.” This spirit I have known for some years; she had appeared when I sat with Mrs. Duncan last year, and the two forms were identical. She said she had brought my sailor son, who went down in the “Royal Oak,” and begged me not to grieve for him.
MATERIALISATION
Now my hopes were realised! First came another bubbling mass of ectoplasm in the centre of the circle on the floor. Then a hand formed in the mass. I knew my son’s hand, but we only said “Come on boy ! You’re doing fine!”
Like a flash my boy stood before us, smiling and full of life.
***** urged him to show all he could and his response was immediate. Saying “Jack! Jack!”
He ran to his brother, took him by the hands and shook them, and for several minutes they engaged in conversation. (These two boys were inseparable when on earth and always spent their leave together).
The hand grip was so strong that Jack’s hand was sore for some hours.
Next he went to his sister, ran his hand through her hair, just as he used to do, teasingly pulled her tie from her uniform coat, shook her hand and kissed her.
Then across to his grandmother. “Granny! good old gran,” he said. He put both arms around her, rubbed her face with his hand and stroked her hair.
Next across to his father. “‘Hello, Dad; you’re not frightened of me?” (His father showed signs of emotion).
Next he spoke to his brothers, Jim and Leonard, and to his mother-in-law, expressing his disappointment that his bride was not present. (She’s in the A.T.S, but is detained in hospital).
“Kath is a little better today,” he said. “I’m looking after her and spend the most of my time with her—she’ll soon be right.”
He next went to his Aunt Ciss and, patting her back, told her that he was present with her when she gathered daffodils recently in Gloucestershire on his birthday. (Quite right).
ARMS AROUND MOTHER
To me—his mother—he came at last. I can’t remember what he said but his arms were around. me and I had “my boy” again.
He spoke to his brother, Jack, assuring him of his interest in his work. Then he stood in the middle of the circle and melted slowly away. He did not go to the cabinet, but dissolved before our eyes.
***** next said he had brought a sailor, named Maurice, who knew Jack Burrows. Jack knew only one lad by this name, Maurice Slade, who went down in the “‘Royal Oak.” They had been shipmates in the Mediterranean four years ago. This young man was apparently quite ignorant of the possibility of communication, but, after some coaxing, raised the trumpeted called “Jack” Jack!” My son said Hello Maurice, how are you.” He replied “I’m not dead am Jack? Tell me
I’m not dead Jack! He seemed quite alarmed. We reassured him, and ***** told us we had helped to liberate a spirit who was earthbound and who would now be able to progress. He thanked us for our handling of the case. ***** spoke of the great benefit my own boy had received by being taught in his boyhood of the nature of spirit life; it had enabled him to assist many of his pals.
MANIFESTATION OF DAUGHTER
The next to appear was my still-born daughter—now about 10 years old. She first spoke to me at a seance with Loulza Bolt, when she was about 18 months old. She has grown into a beautiful girl. She came and kissed me, saying ‘Mother! my little mother!” My heart was overjoyed!
She went to all her brothers and sisters and talked with each. Her brothers were astonished at her beauty, and jokingly remarked to Iris, “You don’t hold the first place now—she’s lovely!”, whilst her voice reminded them of the silver bells they had heard in the East.
She did not like her A.T.S. uniform, “as it meant war and hate, whilst only love is good.”
Then, crossing to her Grandmother, she said ” My lovely Granny, I’m waiting for you. I’ll show you all the lovely flowers and gardens when you come. There’s a beautiful home waiting for you Going across to Jack, she said “My Big Brother! I’m helping to look after you and I come to you on the big ship.” She kissed him, pulled his hair and stayed talking quite 15 minutes.
The texture of her robes was remarkable; they felt like satin or ring velvet.
OTHER APPEARANCES
The next visitor was my paternal grandmother, Granny Brett, who died before I was born and now proved her identity to me. Mr Jackaman’s grandfather and Mr. Jack Greaves husband of the President of the Church, came and spoke to us and was followed by the grandfather of my daughter-in-law.
A female French spirit manifested and thanked my son Jack for his kindness to her brother—a French sailor whom she named—a casual incident almost forgotten.
Ernest Marklew, late M.P., came next and urged Mr Jackaman to continue his work for Spiritualism. He said that he had died a disappointed man, for he had not accomplished all he desired. Much of his conversation was highly evidential concerning his Parliamentary life. He told of having apologised to Mr Chamberlain since the latter’s arrival in spirit. He spoke of his early life and struggles, and urged my boys to heed the lessons and evidences they were getting that night.
This is a very incomplete record of a family seance, but I pledge my honour to its truth. May it encourage others and bring hope and courage to the bereaved. It illustrates the results which can be obtained in a family circle when all the sitters are harmoniously related. My sons and daughter were deeply impressed and for a long time their thoughts will be directed to the sacredness and continuity of life. They know their brother and sister still live.
signed - S. BURROWS.
end of transcript
My Findings:
The article refers to a young boy named Gerald Jackaman. Though I couldn’t find a Gerald Jackaman, I found the only Gerald Jackman to have died as a young boy in 1894, aged six years. Gerard said that he didn’t like his mother’s ATS uniform, so it’s unlikely that the Gerald below was the manifestation.
I searched a list of men lost on the HMS Royal Oak when it was sunk 14th October, 1939, and sure enough, a R.W. Burrows is included. But searching the name on the Commonwealth War Graves list, we find that the mother’s name not not begin with ‘S’ (as signed in the article).
A further search of the CWG website yields a Cyril Burrows, mother, Sarah Eliza and father, Horace Leonard. The dead son’s wife is named as Kathleen. The family is living locally in Wainfleet St Mary. This certainly seems to fit in with the descriptions in the news article. To verify it further, the marriage of Horace and Sarah Kidd can be found here and son Leonard’s birth can be found here.
This is definately the correct line of research.
‘Sister Julia’, the nun manifestation, said she’d “bought my sailor son, who went down in the “Royal Oak”; but let’s look again at the entry in the CWG register:
Name: BURROWS, CYRIL C. G.
Initials: C C G
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Wireman
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M. Trawler Abronia.
Age: 25
Date of Death: 07/09/1940
Service No: P/MX63876
Additional information: Son of Horace Leonard and Sarah Eliza Burrows, of Wainfleet St. Mary, Lincolnshire; husband of Kathleen Burrows.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave (West Ham).
Cemetery: EAST LONDON CEMETERY, PLAISTOW
It seems the dead son DIDN’T go down with the HMS Royal Oak - it looks like he was killed on the H.M. Trawler Abronia!
Now let’s examine the manifestation of ‘Maurice’. A sailor called Slade DID go down with HMS Royal Oak, but his name was Stephen.
However, a Maurice Slade was killed on the H.M.S. Daring, a few days before it sank in February, 1940.
Is it possible that in the confusion of the war, distorted information regarding those lost in conflict reached the family?
Shouldn’t ‘Sister Julia’ have known for sure which ship the sailor was on when it sank, being ‘on the other side’? Or did the medium do some mis-guided research before the seance sitting and now been exposed as a fraud?
Mediums enjoyed a flourishing trade during the war with bereaved families consulting the in the hope of some comfort. But little did they know that seventy years later, the information they gave about lost military personnel could be checked with ease.
Now it’s over to YOU! What do YOU make of this seance?
However, over the past two months readers have certainly noticed something. They have gone very cold and come up in gooseflesh. One said “I am cold to the marrow -something went right through me.”
