The Phantom Hun

By Crusader1307

 A tale from World War I, it involves a cursed German Soldier and his actions that resulted in his Spirit being Earthbound. As the story goes, in 1914 - near Bethune, France - a small Village was occupied by Imperial German Troops. A small Farmhouse was selected as a reserve Ammunition storage point. A small detail of soldiers were assigned to guard the location, under command of a Sergeant Major. The NCO was a cruel man, for he ordered the death of the Farms only inhabitants, a Woman and Child. The reason is unknown, but a local Priest pleaded with The Sergeant Major to spare them both. Angered that his "Authority" was challenged, he took the Priest in custody as well. He ordered all three shot. Just before he died, the Priest said to him, "Your bones shall be cursed upon your death, never to find peace for this horrible act". The three were shot and killed. Several weeks later, an Allied artillery strike hit the Farmhouse. The Sergeant Major was killed and buried near where he fell.

Fast forward to 1916. The same (now ruined) Farmhouse was still being used as a Ammo Dump, this time for British Soldiers. On night, on guard, the Soldiers clearly see the form of an enemy German Soldier to their front, near the foundation ruins of the Farmhouse. It was said "he" was covered in mud, the Moonlight shined off the Spike of his Picklehaube Helmet. "He" appeared to be "digging" in the mud. As the Guards quickly approached and ordered the German Soldier to surrender, the form turned around. Horrified, the British Soldiers saw that the "soldier", was a mud stained skeleton (that promptly vanished!). Years later, the old Farmhouse was being razed. Workers found the bones of a WW I German soldier, complete with helmet. The bones were reburied in a local cemetery. For many years thereafter, some say the Ghostly German was still seen in the cemetery, now wandering for all eternity!