The Croydon Airport Poltergeist

In 1946, Croydon Airport, London’s first international airport, experienced poltergeist activity in one of its buildings. The disturbances affected airport operations and were witnessed by multiple staff members before mysteriously ceasing.

The Airport

Croydon Airport opened in 1920 and was London’s main airport until Heathrow opened in 1946. The Art Deco terminal building processed thousands of passengers. After the airport closed in 1959, the building was preserved as a historic landmark.

The Activity

In early 1946, staff in one of the administrative buildings reported objects moving on their own. Papers flew from desks. Typewriters typed by themselves. Filing cabinets opened and their contents scattered. The activity occurred regardless of who was present.

The Escalation

As weeks passed, the phenomena intensified. Heavy furniture moved. Doors slammed. Staff heard footsteps and voices in empty rooms. Some reported seeing a figure in pilot’s uniform who vanished when approached.

The Investigation

Airport management brought in investigators, but no explanation was found. Security was increased, but the activity continued. Some staff refused to work in the affected building.

The Wartime Connection

Some investigators noted that numerous pilots and aircraft had been lost during the war years. The airport had been a hub of wartime aviation activity. The poltergeist may have been connected to wartime trauma or death.

The Resolution

The activity ceased in late 1946, around the time the airport’s primary role passed to Heathrow. Whether this timing was coincidental or related remains unknown. The building was subsequently used without further incidents.

Assessment

The Croydon Airport poltergeist represents an institutional haunting connected to a period of intense activity and stress. The wartime losses and post-war changes may have created conditions for supernatural phenomena.