The Montrose Ghost

I found this in the Dundee Courier from 1st Jan 1921... it seems to explain where the story originated "The Aeroplane" Magazine I guess the DEcember edition... (another one for Christmas?)

Thanks for this. The article in "The Aeroplane" can be found here:
https://archive.org/stream/aeroplane1919...0/mode/2up
https://archive.org/stream/aeroplane1919...2/mode/2up
https://archive.org/stream/aeroplane1919...6/mode/2up

I think clearly Masefield used the "Aeroplane" article by C. G. G. (C. G. Grey according to the blog post by Keith Coleman) in writing his own article, as the comparison below shows.

C. G. G., The Aeroplane, p. 967:
Desmond Arthur was rather by way of being a friend of mine. He was a little black-haired, gray-eyed Celt from the County Clare, a thorough sportsman, but, like all his type, given to extremes of elation and depression, and in the latter state he often gave one the impression of being what the Scots call "fey". Also, like all his type, he had a keen sense of his personal honour.
... the Montrose Ghost will be recognised as a most reasonable and rational being.

Masefield, p. 901:
Desmond Arthur was a singularly attractive character - a dark-haired, grey-eyed little Celt from County Limerick; kind and thoughtful, but what would now be known as a manic depressive. He was given to extremes of elation and depression, but he was a fine pilot.
* * *
The fire flickered. A wave of sympathy for the reasonable and rational Ghost of Montrose seemed to go round the group. We felt that we understood his keen sense of personal honour and his concern about the aspersions cast by non-flyers on his flying competence.

The second (printed one week after and so almost certainly written and sent before the first had been published) explained that there had been a saying at Montrose that a ghost would protect the pilots there until another war broke out. There were no fatalities there, but some "miraculous" near misses.

https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/...00200.html

An interesting story. The "protection" must have lasted from the time the air base reopened, 1st Jan '36, until the 1st Sept '39. Not sure how many casualties a flying school could expect in that time span, but the letter states that fatalities were "not unusual".

Isn't it interesting that this letter reports a tradition of protection by a ghostly instructor who "would always be in the empty rear seat" - just like Masefield's ghostly flying companion?

I think clearly Masefield used the "Aeroplane" article by C. G. G. (C. G. Grey according to the blog post by Keith Coleman) in writing his own article ...

And can it be a coincidence that Masefield's obituary in the Daily Telegraph says "In 1939 he was contributing freelance reports of Royal Aeronautical Society lectures to The Aeroplane, whose editor CG Grey appointed him technical editor."?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituar...field.html