Page 18 • The HERALD • 8th December 2022 v PROUD TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1994 v SOLENT SKIP HIRE LTD FOR ALL YOUR COMMERCIAL AND DOMESTIC WASTE MINI ~ MIDI ~ MAXI SKIPS ALSO CUBIC YARD BAGS OWN BAG COLLECTION AVAILABLE 023 8066 0123 01590 619700 • 01962 588288 Email: office@solentskiphire.co.uk • Interior and exterior painting and decorating • Gutter cleaning and repairs • Plumbing and tiling • Carpentry • Wooden flooring installation • Sheds and fences • Fully insured Professional • Honest • Reliable WILLIS DECORATING & JOINERY SERVICES Est Since 1986 Interior & Exterior Painting & Decorating Wallpaper Hanging Hand-painted Kitchens & Spray Finishes Wardrobes, Bookcases, Radiator Covers Call David on 023 8084 9800 or 07946 048261 E: david.willis24@btinternet.com TRU-FLOW PLUMBING SERVICES For all your Domestic Plumbing, Tiling, Painting and Decorating Requirements • Fully Insured • Discounts for Senior Citizens Please Contact Andy Tel: 023 8087 0145 • Mobile: 07962 590089 Send your local news to The Editor, The Herald, 2 High Street, Hythe SO45 6AH The Christmas Ghost Said to Haunt Marchwood by Marc Heighway (mheighway@hotmail.com) With Christmas approaching I wanted to share with you the spooky tale of a ghost soldier. It was rst told in the local press around a hundred years ago, but over time has been forgotten. If you’re opened-minded and brave enough, it’s the story of a phantom soldier said to haunt Marchwood. I hope you enjoy it because who doesn’t love a ghost story at Christmas? e tale begins in 1812 when the Royal Naval Armaments Depot opened in Marchwood. During the 19th century, gunpowder was stored in three “magazine” buildings. Each magazine was constructed with thick brick walls, designed to keep thousands of barrels of gunpowder safe. One Boxing Day in the late 1800s, an o cer in charge of the guards there returned to his quarters a er a party. He sat down and smoked his last pipe of the day before going to bed. He quickly fell asleep, only to be rudely awakened by the sound of his pipe dropping to the oor. He then heard a ri e shot followed by a blood curdling scream. Rushing in the direction of the scream, he found a sentry guard lying on the ground as if dead. It appeared the guard’s ri e had gone o . However, upon examination, the o cer failed to nd a mark of any kind on the man. When the guard came to, he was unable to give an account of what had happened. Something had But things were about to take another strange turn. Over the coming weeks, odd things were seen at the sentry post. A newly installed guard swore he’d seen a man walk towards a wall, then disappear through it. e o cer in charge wanted to see for himself, so one night he stood guard at the post and waited. All was quiet so he started to relax, believing it was all nonsense. But the tranquil sound of water lapping at Marchwood shore was suddenly broken by the crack of two gunshots. e o cer ran towards the sound of gun re and arrived at another nearby guard post. e sentry he met claimed to have seen a Highland soldier walking towards him from the hard. e sentry said he’d challenged the mysterious soldier three times, but the stranger continued advancing. e sentry red, but still the Highlander walked on. He then lunged at the intruder with his bayonet, but met no resistance, as his blade went straight though the body. A military inquiry is said to have been held a er this extraordinary event. e conclusion was it could not be rationally explained. However, the talk of the barracks that faced onto Marchwood’s Magazine Lane, was that it could only have been a ghost. Gossip soon spread that a Highland soldier had been on duty at the magazine some years before. As punishment for ill-discipline, his Christmas leave was cancelled. is was said to have stressed him enough to vacate his sentry box one night. e following day he was found drowned in the water. You might ask why a Highland soldier would have been at Marchwood in the rst place. I’ve found records to show that in 1873 a detachment from the 79th Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, an infantry regiment of the British Army, had been sent to Marchwood magazines for duty. An anecdote from the late 1800s adds more intrigue to the story. It recalled how each time an admiralty stock taker visited Marchwood depot he’d ask, “where is the ghost?”. e reply of “not seen” would be entered into the appropriate column. It’s a rather fun tale, and most of you reading this story will think “what a load of old cobblers” or “there’s no such thing as ghosts”. I tend to think along the same lines. To help rationalise the story, I decided to search archives for news of drownings in Marchwood during this period. is could explain the tale of a ghost soldier. I managed to nd a few drowning reports connected to the Marchwood magazines. But there was one that “turned his brain”. is expression translates in modern terminology as “gone insane”. He was sent to hospital where the o cer would later visit him. The o cer was shocked to see the guard’s hair had turned completely white. The unfortunate man was discharged soon a erwards. He’d become a “hopeless lunatic”. There were several theories as to what had sent him mad. Some said a rumour of Irish nationalists attempting to sabotage the magazines had put him on edge. Others said that fantastic shapes of vapours rising from the Marchwood marshlands were to blame. Continued on page 19
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