Who Put Bella In The Wych Elm?

What is the story of Bella in the wych elm

Ominous missives and false leads – Despite the strange circumstances surrounding Bella’s death, the case soon faded from the minds of Hagley’s residents preoccupied with World War II. But someone was determined not to let her memory rest. Six months after the woman’s body was found, a missive asking who put ‘Bella” in the wych elm appeared on an abandoned building near Hagley Hall. The village where the body was discovered is 20 kilometres from Birmingham. ( Wikimedia Commons: GentryGraves via Creative Commons 4.0 ) The ominous chalky letters provided authorities with their first potential clue on the woman’s identity. Her name was Bella.

Rumours swirled over whether the scrawled letters may have been written by the murderer or an ex-lover. But, like so much else with the investigation, the name soon proved a dead end and the case went cold. Ten years passed before a local journalist, Wilfred Byford-Jones, using the nom-de-plume of Quaestor, wrote a series of sensationalist articles about the tragedy in the wood.

The renewed publicity appeared to have paid off when a new lead came forward. A woman who called herself Anna sent the local paper, Wolverhampton Express and Star, a letter suggesting “the one person who could give the answer is now beyond the jurisdiction of earthly courts”. Scanned copies of the letters sent by Anna. ( Supplied: West Mercia Police/Worcestershire Archives ) Byford-Jones claimed he was sworn to secrecy about the meeting that took place between himself, the police and Anna. But five years later, he wrote an account of what happened one rainy night at the Dick Whittington Inn in Kinver.

The article mentioned trapeze artists, spies, munitions and aircraft factorie s and a desperate chase for Anna among of sea of girls in the inn — but it’s not clear how much of the account was true. Authorities did, however, take a statement from an Una Hainsworth, who offered up some striking similarities to the journalist’s story.

Hainsworth told police she was the Anna mentioned in the newspapers and recalled her husband, Jack Mossop, coming home “white and agitated” one night “in either March or April 1941”. He told her he had been at the Lyttleton Arms with a ‘Van Ralt’ and a ‘Dutch piece’ — presumably Bella — who passed out in the car on their way home.

Who put Bella in the Wych elm cause of death?

BELLA THE SPY? – _ During World War II, several German spies were captured in the UK. As a result, in 1953, the case of Bella and the wych elm attracted a new line of inquiry: war espionage. The Wolverhampton Express and Star received a letter from somebody who identified herself only as “Anna of Claverley.” She claimed to have information on the identity of “Bella” and was interviewed by journalist Wilfred Byford-Jones.

According to “Anna,” “Bella” was a member of a spy ring seeking information about the location of local munitions factories that could then be targeted by the Luftwaffe. “Anna” was later identified as Una Mossop, and she alleged that her RAF pilot husband, Jack Mossop, had witnessed “Bella”‘s death. She said that Mossop told her that he had become involved in a spy ring along with a “Dutchman called Van Ralt.” One evening, Van Ralt— accompanied by a woman Mossop believed to be “Bella”—had picked up Mossop in his car.

Shortly after, Van Ralt strangled the woman, allegedly because of her spy associations. Another version of this story claims that Jack Mossop and Van Ralt had been drinking with “Bella” in a local pub when she became drunk and passed out. The two men then placed the woman in the tree to teach her a lesson.

When she awoke, she was unable to climb out and perished. However, this theory doesn’t explain the discovery of the taffeta stuffed inside her mouth. Whichever version was reported to the newspaper has become obscured by time, but what is known is that Jack Mossop died in St. George’s Hospital, Stafford, before “Bella”‘s body was discovered.

Allegedly, recurring nightmares of “Bella”‘s skull stuffed inside the tree ultimately led to his mental breakdown. Van Ralt was never found, and investigators considered Mossop’s testimony to be nothing more than hearsay from an estranged wife, told 12 years after the discovery of “Bella.” In later years, declassified MI5 files gave some weight to the spy theory.

The files revealed information concerning a German spy named Josef Jakobs, who was captured after breaking his ankle while parachuting into Cambridgeshire in 1941. After Jakobs’ arrest, a creased photograph of the glamorous German actress and cabaret singer, Clara Bauerle, was found in his pocket. Jakobs told his interrogators that Bauerle was his lover and that the Third Reich had recruited her as a spy.

According to Jakobs, Bauerle had parachuted into the West Midlands in 1941 and disappeared. Could Bauerle have been the woman Una Mossop had mentioned? Josef Jakobs was never able to shed any more light into Bauerle’s fate as he was executed by firing squad in August 1941.

Who killed Bella in the witch elm?

They threw her inside the trunk of wych elm on their way back home to teach her a lesson for being immoral. Another version of Anna’s story states that Van Ralt killed Bella after discovering that Bella was a German spy.

Who was the body in the tree?

Image caption, The body of the woman was discovered in Hagley Woods, Worcestershire, by four boys in 1943 “Who put Bella down the Wych Elm – Hagley Wood?” It was 1943, the middle of World War Two and four boys were looking for bird eggs when, in woods in Hagley, Worcestershire, they saw a bird fly in and out of a tree.

Intrigued, they investigated and found the skeletal remains of a woman. Eighty years on, this unsolved murder has fascinated people across the world and is the subject of a new BBC Sounds series – The Body in the Tree. The woman’s identity remains unknown – all we know is how, when and where her body was found.

Warning – this article contains distressing content Image caption, Within a year of the woman’s body being found, graffiti began to appear across the West Midlands which police investigated The discovery on 18 April 1943 came when those boys wandered into Hagley Woods and, as one of them, Bob Farmer, told the BBC 20 years ago, they found her body.

“Just the head was on the surface and a bone protruding from the earth and I think you could see a shoe or a pair of shoes all scattered about with the rotting fabric of what was left of her dress,” he said. A forensic scientist, Prof James Webster, carried out a post-mortem examination and, while he could not be 100% sure how she died, he was sure she had not got into the tree by choice.

The verdict of an inquest into the death was “murder by person or persons unknown” and police investigated but after months of work their inquiries petered out. Then in March 1944, graffiti began to appear across the West Midlands and began in Birmingham with the words “Hagley Wood Bella” and “Who put Bella down the Wych Elm – Hagley Wood” on two streets.

Image source, Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service Image caption, The boys discovered the woman’s remains inside a hollow tree while they were looking for bird eggs Speculation grew and people swapped stories which led to newspaper articles running claims she was a witch or the victim of an occult ceremony or a spy, parachuted from Nazi Germany.

Books have been written, plays, poems and even an opera about this woman’s story. But despite further police investigations she remained an enigma – we do not know her name, where she was from or who killed her. We also do not know where her remains are.

• I have tracked them to a police training centre in Birmingham where they were displayed until the late 1960s or early 1970s but the force has no further record of them.
• A key aim of this BBC Sounds series is to try and find them as they could help towards identifying this woman – if you can help you can email us via: [email protected] Image caption, Forensic psychiatrist Dr John Sandford said forensic science at the time of the woman’s death was “in a much more primitive state” compared to today We have also examined the case through modern eyes and used science not available in 1943 including hearing from forensic psychiatrist Dr John Sandford.

Eighty years ago, he said forensic science was “in a much more primitive state, there’s lots of things we can do these days which weren’t open to them”. You will also hear from Prof Maggie Andrews, an expert in cultural history at the University of Worcester.

• Constraining them in a tree has a horrible spooky and unpleasant feel to it and that adds to people’s fascination with it.
• There’s a sense of the very disposability of women,” she told me for the BBC Sounds series.
• Image source, University of Worcester Image caption, Prof Maggie Andrews said the body being placed in a tree was one reason people have remained fascinated with the death We go over the original police files, examine the various theories around this woman’s death in Hagley Woods and tell you how you could help towards a solution.

Can we finally solve the mystery of the body in the tree, and give the victim a name? Listen to all eight episodes of The Body in the Tree on BBC Sounds and contact us via the email: [email protected]

Why did Bella get pregnant

Twilight fan reveals how Edward impregnated Bella despite being a vampire

• THE ASIAN AGE
• Published : Nov 29, 2018, 4:09 pm IST
• Updated : Nov 29, 2018, 4:09 pm IST

The venom, Stephenie writes, is what helps Edward impregnate Bella in the fictional book. Ten years since Breaking Dawn was first released, fans are still talking about one potential plot hole from the book and movie.

1. A Twilight fan has finally revealed how Edward Cullen was able to impregnate Bella despite being a vampire ‘made of stone’.
2. Ten years since Breaking Dawn was first released, fans are still talking about one potential plot hole from the book and movie.
3. It was during the third instalment, vampire Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson) is able to impregnate Bella Swan (played by Kristen Stewart) despite having no blood running through his veins and being ‘made of stone’.
4. Fans have spoken over the years saying that Edward’s lack of blood flow should make him unable to impregnate Bella despite it happening during the last installment of the series.

In the world of Twilight, vampire women are unable to get pregnant because their body can not change to hold a fetus. But men are apparently able to get human women pregnant. However, one Twilight superfan, Jenna Guillaume, who writes for Buzzfeed, decided break down how the pregnancy happened in the first place.

Taking to Buzzfeed, she wrote, ‘You see, Stephenie Meyer got the question, “How did Edward get a boner and impregnate Bella?” so much when Breaking Dawn was released, she included the answer to it on her website.” Stephenie first explained how vampire biology worked so people could understand the inner-working of their make-believe bodies.

Stephenie wrote that vampires are physically similar enough to their human origins to pass as humans under some and that their skin serves the same general purpose of protecting the body. However, the cells that make up their skin are not but hard and reflective like crystal.

1. The explanation then goes on to inform readers that between the cells is a liquid moving throughout the body similar to how blood moves through humans.
2. But this liquid comes in the form of venom.
3. The venom, Stephenie writes, is what helps Edward impregnate Bella in the fictional book.
4. According to Stephenie, the normal reactions of arousal are still present in vampires, made possible by venom-related fluids that cause tissues to react similarly as they do to an influx of blood.

: Twilight fan reveals how Edward impregnated Bella despite being a vampire

Why does Jacob love Bella?

Jacob Was Attracted To Bella Because Of Her Baby – From the moment Jacob saw Bella in the first Twilight film, it was clear he was attracted to her. He continued to have feelings for Bella up until she had her baby, Renesmee. He imprinted on her immediately. Since Jacob was into Bella before she was even pregnant, it could have been an attraction to her genetics and the child she would eventually create.

Is the wych elm still there?

Elm, wych (Ulmus glabra) Decimated by Dutch elm disease, the sweeping and majestic wych elm is a much rarer sight these days. Its loss goes hand-in-hand with the decline of the elusive white-letter hairstreak butterfly, whose caterpillars rely on elm leaves.

Where was the body in the tree found

BBC investigator asks museums for help tracing remains of murder victim A BBC Sounds podcast series is appealing to museums in the UK to help trace the remains of a 1943 murder victim. The Body In The Tree series is investigating the unsolved murder of a woman whose remains were found in a hollow tree in Hagley, Worcestershire, on 14 April 1943.

The woman has never been identified, and her killer or killers have not been caught. The case was closed in 2014 after a review by West Mercia Police and the case file is now a public archive. The BBC investigation has found that the woman’s skeletal remains and some items of clothing and a pair of shoes were retained by Professor James Webster, a home office pathologist from Birmingham.

His collection was once housed at the Tally Ho police training centre in Birmingham where it was used to train recruits. It was colloquially known as the ‘Black Museum’. “We’re hoping to be able to trace the woman’s remains and, using 2023 science, test them to see if we can find her country and place of origin and maybe, find some of her relatives,” said Nicola Goodwin, the writer and presenter of The Body In The Tree.

“We’d love to be able to give her a name, her name, and give her the dignity of being laid to rest.” “We know that the remains were then moved, or discarded, in the late 1960s or early 1970s,” said Goodwin. “After that there is no trace of where they were transferred to or, unfortunately, if they were disposed of.

We are hoping that the skeleton may still be in storage in the UK.” Goodwin is appealing to any museums to see if they have any human remains in their collection linked to the following:

Dr James WebsterWest Midlands PoliceWest Mercia PoliceWorcestershire PoliceHagley, WorcestershireUnknown female, remains found in 1943Estimated date of death 1940 to 1942

Anybody who has information can contact Goodwin on 07711 348849 or by email at, : BBC investigator asks museums for help tracing remains of murder victim

Who killed Emma’s mom in the woman?

‘Woman in the House Across the Street’ Ending Explained — Who Killed Lisa

• Your friends: keep telling you to watch,
• You: can’t pivot away from Below Deck at the moment, sorry.
• Your friends: discuss who killed Lisa to the point that you’re getting FOMO.
• You: hit Google for spoilers.
• Which brings us here, to the big twist at the end of the show where we find out who killed Lisa—aka the woman in the house across the street from the girl in the window (aka Anna, played by Kristen Bell). Finding out the identity of Lisa’s killer is Anna’s main focus throughout TWATSFTGITW (< so sorry about that), and possible suspects include:

1. Lisa’s boyfriend Neil, who moves in across the street and is at home when Anna sees someone slit Lisa’s throat through the window. Note: Neil’s wife mysteriously died just a few months earlier, so he seems like a likely candidate.
2. Lisa’s “business associate” Rex, who ran cons with her pre-murder. Anna is suspicious of him for only a few episodes before they have super-hot sex and his name is cleared.
3. Anna herself, mostly due to the whole unreliable narrator trope—plus the fact that one of her painting tools is the murder weapon.
4. Buell, the omnipresent handyman who Anna’s ex Douglas hired years ago to fix a mailbox and is still fixing said mailbox—not to mention secretly living in her attic.

But the killer’s real identity? That’d be Emma, Neil’s daughter who turns out to be a casual murderer. COLLEEN E. HAYES/NETFLIX // Netflix On top of killing Lisa (and framing Anna for it), Emma killed her own mother and kills poor Neil during the final episode. She also tries to kill Anna and our dude Buell. Sowhy does Emma kill Lisa, you ask? Because Lisa didn’t buy any of Emma’s cookies, duh. COLLEEN E. HAYES/NETFLIX // Netflix Fans of this genre won’t be too surprised by this delightfully absurd twist, but Kristen was shocked, telling, “I could never in my wildest dreams—and I spent a lot of years playing a detective on television—have guessed that this is how they would’ve ended it, but it feels perfect.

• I think the most shocking thing was how violent the ending is, from my perspective.” Also, please note: Having a cute small child be the murderer is hardly the wildest plot twist in this show.
• The wildest would probably be the revelation that Anna’s daughter Elizabeth was killed and eaten by a cannibalistic serial killer named Massacre Mike.

Of course, finding out who killed Lisa is only one half of The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window ‘s ending, We’re also treated to a lengthy epilogue of sorts, which introduces a brand-new mystery. Anna—recently reunited with her ex-husband—goes on a solo trip and sits next to an ultra-fashionable woman on the plane (hi, Glenn Close). Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm, She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade. : ‘Woman in the House Across the Street’ Ending Explained — Who Killed Lisa

What is the witch elm about?

Book overview Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who’s dodged a scrape at work and is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn that will change his life—he surprises two burglars who beat him and leave him for dead.

Who put Bella in a tree?

3. Bella was a Spy – This theory is a bit messy and a lot of points end up contradicting each other, so bear with me. In 1953 journalist Wilfred Byford-Jones re-visited the still unsolved murder while writing under the pen name ‘Quaestor’ for the Express and Star newspaper.

Byford-Jones received numerous letters in response to his article including one from a woman who went by ‘Anna of Claverley’. Her letter began with an ominous message: Finish your articles re the Wych elm crime by all means. They are interesting to your readers, but you will never solve the mystery. The one person who could give the answer is now beyond the jurisdiction of the earthly courts.

Letter from Anna of Claverley to Wilfred Byford-Jones (aka Quaestor), 1953 Anna then hinted that she knew the identity of Bella’s killer and that the individual died ‘insane’ in 1942. She hinted that ‘Bella’ was Dutch and illegally in England as of 1941.

1. It was clear from her letter that Anna was either privy to the unknown details of the crime or she was making things up for attention.
2. Regardless, the police persuaded her to meet with them in person along with Byford-Jones.
3. According to Anna (later identified as Una Mossop), her ex-husband (Jack Mossop) worked among a group a pro-German conspirator who had been syphoning information about munitions and aircraft factors in the West Midlands to Germany.

She claimed that ‘Bella’ was also a spy operating within the same area and that Anna’s ex-husband was present when Bella’s body was put in the wych elm. She also mentioned another Dutch citizen named Van Ralt in connection with Bella’s murder. Allegedly, Bella was murdered due to her extensive knowledge of the pro-German spy ring and her body was hidden to cover the trail of her killers.

• Another version of Anna’s story says that her husband and van Ralt were drinking in a local pub with Bella when she passed out.
• They put her unconscious body into their car and drove into Hagley Wood where the put her body in a tree to ‘teach her a lesson’.
• When she woke up she was unable to get out of the tree and died.

This version however neglects to mention the piece of taffeta that had been found in Bella’s mouth upon the discovery of her remains. A third, similar version is that Anna’s ex-husband helped hide Bella’s body after van Ralt killed her after an altercation in a local pub.

According to Anna, her ex-husband was haunted by dreams of a skull in a tree and deeply disturbed by the incident. By the time Bella’s body was located, Jack Mossop had died in St. George’s Hospital in Stafford following a mental breakdown. Anna’s claims were investigated by both MI5 and the police but no arrests or new developments arose.

It’s unclear how seriously her story was taken, especially since she didn’t come forward until 12 years after the body was (very publicly) discovered and her ex-husband had passed away.

Why did the man cut the tree

Answer. Answer: to build up their house and factories and also for timber, paper and for furniture.

Who was the woman in the wych elm

Was body in the tree missing German actress and spy lover? – Clara Bauerle

1. One name for the victim – dubbed Bella because of the graffiti – has been put forward.
2. It has been claimed that Czech-born Gestapo agent Josef Jakobs, captured by the Home Guard in 1941 after parachuting into Cambridgeshire, gave interrogators her name and picture.
3. She was the spy’s lover, Clara Bauerle, a German actress and cabaret singer.
4. Before the war, she spent two years working West Midlands music halls, and had mastered a Brummie accent.
5. Clara had been recruited by the Gestapo and, with Jakobs, was given the job of creating a spy cell over here.
6. The pair never made contact.
7. Intriguingly, no showbiz record of Clara – no films, billboards or record of engagements – exists after spring 1941.
8. She simply disappeared off the face of the earth.

Jakobs was in no position to add to his claims. He was executed by firing squad on August 15, 1941 – the last man to be put to death at the Tower of London. The sentence was preceded by an MI5 tongue-lashing for the Dad’s Army members who captured Jakobs.

Who turned the girl into a tree

Hyginus – When Apollo pursued the virgin Daphne, who in Hyginus ‘ version is a daughter of the river god Peneus, it was the earth goddess Gaia to whom she begged for protection. Gaia then received her, changing her into a laurel tree, while Apollo created a wreath with one of its branches.

Why is Rosalie so protective of Bella

Breaking Dawn – Main article: Breaking Dawn Rosalie helps Alice get Bella ready for her wedding. ” Hello? ” ” Rosalie? It’s Bella. Please. You have to help me. ” ―Bella calling Rosalie for help. In Breaking Dawn, Rosalie participates in Bella and Edward ‘s wedding at their house. She voluntarily helps fix Bella’s hair and plays Edward’s piano during the ceremony, and later sees them off at the reception. During their honeymoon on Isle Esme, Edward impregnates Bella, When Edward decides to abort the baby for her health, Bella calls Rosalie for help. Rosalie then shields her from the rest of the family. Because she cannot have children of her own, she hopes that by helping Bella, she would achieve that goal in an alternate way, something Leah Clearwater says she can relate to, because she fears she is also unable to bear children.

1. During the baby’s agonizing birth, Rosalie tries to deliver the baby, but the massive amount of blood overwhelms her and she loses control.
2. Jacob kicks her out of the room before she can attack Bella, then proceeds to help Edward delivering.
3. Once she regains enough control, she takes the baby away to give Edward free hands in the transformation of Bella into a vampire.

Rosalie joyfully cradles the newborn Renesmee Cullen in her arms just as Jacob is about to kill Renesmee, thinking of her as the monster that killed Bella. However, when their eyes meet, he imprints on the child instead. Rosalie and Nessie. After Bella’s successful transformation into a vampire, Rosalie continues to care for Renesmee like her own child, but also begins to treat Bella like part of the family due to their common ground on the child. Over the next three months, she and Alice make a baby album for Renesmee.

• When Renesmee is mistaken by Irina to be an immortal child and reports to the Volturi, Rosalie runs off with her family to gather as many friends as possible to help them witness in their favor.
• When the confrontation with the Volturi nearly turns into a fight, Rosalie shares a quick, passionate kiss with Emmett,

In Alice’s vision of the inevitable battle, Rosalie is seen fighting the Volturi guards and witnesses on her own. The situation doesn’t turn violent, however, and, once the Volturi leave, she shares a longer kiss with him. After this day, they are finally able to live their lives in peace.

Can vampires get hard

Vampires would probably have a different digestive system where the blood enters their veins and that blood creates a blood flow. Thus, erections are possible. In some popular literature, vampires need to drink blood first in order to get an erection, which supports this theory.

How long is Bella’s pregnancy

So I was watching Breaking Dawn part 1 and realized Bella’s pregnancy is 28 days long. Assuming she conceived on their first time having sex, the day after the wedding. As a teenager when I read the book, I never thought about this, I just accepted it because it’s a book and movie about vampires.

Why was Edward so obsessed with Bella?

EDWARD MAY HAVE SIMPLY WANTED WHAT HE COULDN’T HAVE – All vampires are gifted with hardened skin that shines when exposed to sunlight, enhanced speed, and superhuman strength, but some vampires also benefit from additional powers. When Edward became an immortal, his knack for reading people was amplified into an ability to actually read minds.

Who did Bella love more?

Isabella Marie Cullen ( née Swan ) is the protagonist character of the Twilight book series by Stephenie Meyer, She is initially an ordinary teenage girl, but during the series, Bella marries vampire Edward Cullen, with whom she has a human-vampire hybrid daughter, Renesmee Cullen,

• The Twilight series, consisting of the novels Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, is primarily narrated from Bella’s point of view.
• In The Twilight Saga film series, Bella is portrayed by actress Kristen Stewart,
• She is the daughter of Charlie Swan and Renée Swan-Dwyer and the daughter-in-law of Edward Masen Sr.

and Elizabeth Masen (Edward’s deceased biological parents). Bella is the step-daughter of Phil Dwyer (Renée’s second husband) and the adoptive daughter-in-law of Esme Cullen and Carlisle Cullen (Edward’s second and adoptive parents). Bella is the adoptive sister-in-law of Alice Cullen and Emmett Cullen as well as Rosalie Hale and Jasper Hale, the granddaughter of Geoffrey and Helen Swan (Charlie’s deceased parents) and Marie Higginbotham (Renée’s deceased mother).

1. In Twilight, 17-year-old Bella moves to her father’s home in Forks, Washington, meets the mysterious Cullen family, and falls in love with seemingly teenage Edward Cullen,
2. However, she soon discovers that the family is a coven of vampires,
3. Bella expresses a desire to become a vampire herself, but Edward refuses to turn her.

In the second novel, New Moon, Edward and the other Cullens leave Forks in an effort to keep now-18-year-old human Bella safe from the vampire world. Jacob Black, a member of the Quileute tribe who is also a shape-shifter taking a werewolf form, comforts the distraught and severely depressed Bella.

She comes to care deeply for Jacob, though less than she loves Edward. At the end of Eclipse, she becomes engaged to Edward Cullen, and they marry in Breaking Dawn, one month prior to her 19th birthday. On their honeymoon, she becomes pregnant, and, due to the peculiar nature of her baby, Bella nearly dies giving birth to their daughter, Renesmee,

Edward turns Bella into a vampire to save her.

Will Renesmee live forever?

Rapid growth – Alice’s vision of a grown-up Renesmee. As a child, Renesmee grows at an outstanding rate; this information caused great worry to the Cullens as they were unable to predict her future, and all of them worried how long her lifespan would be. This worry comes to an end when Nahuel, another human/vampire hybrid, explains about his and his half-sisters’ experience on the matter.