In 1941 construction work started on an airfield just west of the village of Ossington in Nottinghamshire. The site had been selected as a bomber station and, a standard bomber airfield with three concrete runways was constructed but, soon after opening in January 1942 it was transferred to Flying Training Command.

The North Wood in the north and the High Wood in the south were turned into natural cover for the living site and other support buildings. During the construction of the airfield, Ossington Hall, once the home of the Cartwright family, was commandeered by the Royal Air Force and used as a unarmed combat school for aircrew.

The men were billeted in the Hall and, part of the accommodation was in the old servants quarters, on the top floor, at the rear of the building with two men in each of the tiny rooms. At the end of the corridor was a former bedroom which, had been turned into a washroom.

On 8 November, 1941, Sergeant Walter Billingham, No 744841 was posted to Ossington Hall and, he soon became aware of a strange atmosphere which, seemed to pervade throughout the Hall. "It seemed as if our presence was in some way resented," said Sergeant Billingham. Was it a warning…?

Sergeant Billingham shared a room which, was a most unusual shape, with Sergeant Astley. On their third night at the Hall, Sergeant Billingham was abruptly awakened by shouts from the wash-room which was next door. He sprang out of bed, grabbed a torch for there was no electric light and, went to investigate. "I shone the light around the wash-room and was stunned to see Astley crouching on the floor as if in a state of shock," said Billingham. "He was unable to move.. as I stared at him I could feel the hair stand on the back of my neck. There was an 'Evil' presence in the room."

At that moment several of the other men entered the wash-room.. but all were bent double… as if held down by some unseen force… "It was very eerie," said Sergeant Billingham. "As I watched, one-by-one they ran into the wall and flaked out in a heap on the floor."

Sergeant Billingham stood rooted to the floor…unable to move…held by an unseen force…his torch played ghostly light on a heap of bodies and, he had been helpless to help them.

The following day an investigation was started to try and solve the mystery. Medical Officers tested the water supply and the previous days food. But, all was found to be in order and, after three days of intense investigation…no explanation was found. Sergeant Billingham wondered why he had been spared and could only think it was because he was unarmed.. all the other men had entered the wash-room armed… bent double like Evil Monsters from another world…

Within two weeks of the ghostly incident, Sergeant Walter Billingham was posted away from Ossington Hall… there had been a change of plans…Raf Ossington had a sudden change of roles, from Bomber Command to Flying Training Command. Had the change come about because of the Unseen Servant…? Many thought that was the reason. It had been very unnerving and fear was in the eyes of everyone.. so a change of role for the airfield which, was built on land which once belonged to the Hall. In May 1943 the airfield was returned to Bomber Command. It closed in 1946 and today almost all the airfield buildings have disappeared… Ossington Hall was demolished in the mid-1960's… only the presence of an 'Unseen Servant' remains where the Hall once stood.