The Gnome Aviator Of Hertford

 The Gnome Aviator Of Hertford

By Cole Herrold

Encounters with the Fae are often unique compared to other Fortean phenomena. These entities are beings that come in all shapes and sizes, but the most common varieties are often humanoid in appearance. These entities often appear as creatures seemingly from another time as they'll wear clothing from the renaissance or of druid fashion; however, there are reports of these entities often wearing clothing that one would associate with modern times. Clothing is not the only feature from the modern time that is reported in exceptionally rare cases; there are encounters with seemingly gnome-like beings that often are reported in vehicles.

One such case occurred in 1929 in Herford, England, and revolved around an 8-year-old brother and a 5-year-old sister who while playing out in their garden. At that time in their lives, their home was separated by a lane from their neighbor's house, which eventually would be expanded into a road when they became adults. Behind their home and their neighbor's house was a large open field and an orchard that was filled with trees that the children would occasionally venture off into to play. On this particular day, however, they were sticking to the garden, but as they were in the middle of some child-like whimsy, they began to hear the whirring sound coming from the area of the orchard. As they looked out beyond the fence and into the area of the orchard, they noticed that the sound was coming from an incredibly small biplane which the sister would later compare to a quiet version of a trainer plane. The children were shocked as the plane, which they could tell was a kind of biplane with a wingspan of only 12-15 inches in total, and they noticed that seated in the cockpit was an overly tiny pilot in a leather helmet who was size appropriate for the vehicle yet further description as to how the figure looked is unreported and whether this entity resembled a diminutive Eddie from Iron Maiden’s “Aces High” is unknown. The craft zoomed down over the children's heads before ultimately landing on the ground, where it nearly hit the family's trashcan. The pilot waited there for some time, seemingly trying to get his tiny craft a flight again and managing to do so, began waving to the young children before once more zooming off into the sky, leaving the children behind in complete shock. The two siblings realizing the ridicule an encounter like this could bring even at that age, kept quiet about their encounter with the gnome-like being until they became adults and found out about other similar encounters with the wee folk.

This exceptionally bizarre albeit brief encounter is particularly puzzling. It at first seems to smack of a similar and much more famous encounter that occurred in Wollaton Park, as both cases describe technologically inclined creatures. However, the lack of a description, as well as the overall size of the figure, reported in this encounter makes it difficult to clearly connect the two as the same kind of fae or entity even though such technological use is commonly associated with gnome-like entities. The mimicry of tech is something that researchers like Marjorie Johnson of the Fairy Investigation Society often link to gnomes, and the fact that gnomes are believed to be shapeshifters are possibilities that one could argue makes this encounter a variety of this, but there is another flying entity that bears a strong resemblance to this being, but it does not come from the halls of faerie land but from the world of Ufology.

On November 1^st, 1954, in Cennina, Arezzo, Italy, there was an encounter involving three-foot-tall entities that were perfectly human in shape but with the faces of cleanly shaven elderly men. The entities had protruding white teeth, and they wore overalls, doublets, and cloaks that were grey in color, but the most interesting feature to this case in regard to the Hertford encounter and that is that the entities wore leather helmets. The entities stole flowers and stockings and placed them in their UFO, which was like two silver cones placed together about 6ft high and 3 ft wide. The entities spoke a language that the witness felt was similar to Chinese.  The entities also proceeded in using a tube-like device which they pointed at her as if to take the witness's picture. This case is interesting as it does share a lot of similarities to fae encounters; the overall description of the creatures as seemingly old yet child-sized and jovial, as well as the leather helmet and the bizarre outfit, is something that is reported with gnome encounters, but the leather helmets are extremely interesting when comparing these encounters.

While there have been sightings of similar extraterrestrials from time to time, they are not common, and I must say if they are connected to the Gnome Aviator, there are some clear and significant differences. First, I must say is that the size of the Cennina Extraterrestrials were much taller than the Hertford entity as the Gnome Aviator was probably in the area of millimeters to only a couple of inches in height. This is a glaring difference, and unless the gnome was some fetal, infant, or Juvenile variation of the extraterrestrial, it's unlikely that they are related. Also, the same goes for the craft; both kinds of entities are reported flying; the double coned UFO of the Cennina ETs is much bigger and of a much different shape than the biplane with a 12-15 inch wingspan.  Now there have been some scant reports of UFOs seemingly changing shape, and this includes changing into the form of airplanes on occasion, but such sightings are incredibly rare, and at least at the current time from the research I've read, there's never been a report of a craft like the Cennina Extraterrestrials doing such an action, so the direct connection to this encounter is unlikely.

In this case, there's not much one can go on in terms of alternative explanations skeptically thinking I thought perhaps it could be some vintage toy, but upon doing research, all "flying" toys during that time were made of paper and did not have the mechanical engine sounds as reported in this case. It's definitely safe to say that this entity is not a ghost even though reports of spectral planes are surprisingly common, and if this was a case of a ghost, that means that there's more to what ghosts can seemingly do than we currently know about. The interdimensional angle is always there as perhaps this entity is from the universe where individuals were only several inches tall, but in their world, everything is proportional. I almost think of The Twilight Zone episode "The Invaders" when thinking of this case. The Ultraterrestrial theory does not seem to work here as it is often more popularly depicted as since there's no terrifying guise to feed off fear or some cosmic pranking it would seem since the kids did not report their encounter as adults and there was no rush to the scene by investigators or nothing like that. The only way that theory I feel would work would be if the Ultraterrestrials if they are a true phenomenon, need to feed on various emotions. In many encounters with gnomes, the witnesses almost unanimously feel a strong sense of joy or euphoria right before their encounter with these creatures; perhaps these entities can exacerbate our emotional spectrum and feed on it accordingly, be it by transforming into a terrifying creature or by somehow humanely generating it by some unknown methodology. However, all this is mere speculation and incredibly difficult to test.

I cannot rightfully say what occurred in Hertford in 1929, and while I want this to be a diminutive Eddie from Iron Maiden or some interdimensional Red Baron, the faerie angle seems to be the strongest. As stated previously, there have been similar reports akin to this entity, but none exactly match. I am at a loss as to why this entity has such technology and/or why it appears the way it does, but that is apparently the nature of this phenomenon. The more one researches and delves into these files, the more questions one has about the nature of the creatures and beings seen and why they do the things they do. It, at times, is completely infuriating, especially in exceptionally old and brief cases as this one since a follow-up is practically impossible. I am, however, completely encapsulated by these cases, and so I continue to look to the sky in hopes of just a quick glimpse of seeing a tiny airplane fly by.

Quick Facts:

Species/Potential Species: Faerie

Location: Hertford, England

Sighted: 1929

Works Cited:

Fairies: Real Life Encounters with the Little People By Janet Bord

The Field Guide to Extraterrestrials By Patrick Huyghe

Humanoid Encounters: The Others Amongst Us- 1900-1929 By Albert S. Rosales

Humanoid Encounters: The Others Amongst Us- 1950-1954 By Albert S. Rosales

Modern Mysteries of Britain By Janet and Colin Bord