Famous Royal Air Force Ghost Photo That Has Not Been Debunked
This is the group portrait of a Royal Air Force squadron from 1919 that shows the face of a mechanic who died two days prior. This ghost photo still hasn’t been debunked by anyone to this day.
Can you see the ghost in this photo?
Tucked away in the annals of World War I history, a 1919 photograph of a Royal Air Force squadron at HMS Daedalus training facility in Hampshire, England, holds a chilling secret that’s captivated paranormal fans for decades.
Dubbed the “Goddard Squadron Photo,” this haunting image, revealed in 1975 by retired RAF officer Sir Victor Goddard, shows an unexpected face peering from behind an airman, identified by the squadron as Freddy Jackson, a mechanic killed two days earlier in a horrific propeller accident.
For anyone hooked on the mysteries of the afterlife, this photo is a frozen moment where death and life seem to blur, pulling you into a tale that demands you ponder what lingers beyond the grave.
Freddy Jackson, an air mechanic, met a gruesome end when he stumbled into a spinning airplane propeller at the airfield, his funeral held the same day the squadron lined up for their group portrait.
When the photo, shot by Alexander Bassano’s esteemed studio, was posted on the squadron’s bulletin board, members spotted a capless, faintly smiling face in the top row, fourth from the left, swearing it was Jackson.
Paranormal investigator Harry Price, after examining the image, found no signs of tampering, bolstering claims that Jackson’s spirit, perhaps unaware of his death, photobombed the shot.
Skeptics argue it’s a double exposure or an unlisted airman, pointing to the face’s alignment with the man in front, though no other hatless figure disrupts the RAF’s tidy ranks.
The photo’s mystique deepened when Goddard, a decorated officer with a later passion for the paranormal, published it in his 1975 book Flight Towards Reality, decades after the event.
A 2015 investigation by Blake Smith uncovered a George Frederick Jackson who died in April 1918 in a Sheffield hospital, far from HMS Daedalus, casting doubt on the timeline.
Yet the squadron’s insistence on recognizing Freddy’s face keeps the ghost story alive. The image’s stark clarity, paired with its grim backstory, makes it a cornerstone of paranormal lore, endlessly debated on Reddit and beyond.
Was Jackson’s spirit caught on camera, refusing to leave his squadron behind, or is this a trick of light and memory?
The photo’s power lies in its ambiguity, challenging viewers to pick a side. Whether you see a ghost or a glitch, the face of Freddy Jackson dares you to question what’s possible, making this 1919 snapshot a haunting puzzle that refuses to fade.
