Harry Turner — 1971 Australian JIO UFO assessment (“the Turner Report”) — NAA scan

Source: Harry Turner (head of the nuclear-intelligence/scientific branch, Australian Joint Intelligence Organisation), minute paper / assessment on UFOs, 25 May 1971 (passed to JIO director R.W. Furlonger). National Archives of Australia, item B=30030606 (series A13693). URL: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=30030606&S=1 · mirror PDF: https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/ufos/australia/A13693_3092-2-000_30030606.pdf Captured: 2026-06-10. 59-page scanned PDF, re-OCR’d with Google Gemini (gemini-3-flash) 2026-06-10 page-by-page, replacing the garbled native OCR layer. Pages are presented in scan order and marked [--- scan p.N ---]; the archived file is folio-jumbled and contains more than one partial copy (folio stamps run out of sequence and at least one second copy’s pages are interleaved), so the document’s own typed page numbers (4., 5., …) and paragraph numbers do not run continuously in scan order — this reflects the source, not a transcription gap. Handwritten marginalia marked [handwritten: …]; unreadable spans [illegible]. Analysis: grusch-career-and-claims (who cited it) and government-ufo-disinformation. What this is: the declassified allied-government assessment David Grusch cited at the 9 Jun 2026 Disclosure Day press conference (“read page seven through 16… the nuclear branch chief of the Australian government discussing the US cover-up and the involvement of the CIA”). Turner argues UFOs are a genuine phenomenon, reviews US Air Force intelligence handling, and makes the cover-up-by-ridicule argument. Author identified by Grant Lavac / Bill Chalker (grant-lavac-turner-report-thread-2026-06-10). Secondary deep-dive (summarising the report and the surrounding NAA file): sentinel-news-turner-report-deep-dive-2023. The CIA held its own copy of this assessment, released 12 Jun 2026 in PURSUE Release 03 as CIA-UAP-019 (pursue-release-03-uap-records).


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SECRET J.I.B. 19 File No. 3092/2/1000 JIO [handwritten: Box 273P J.I.O. ARCHIVED FILE 3390P] SUBJECT SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE — GENERAL — UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS. [handwritten: RETAIN PERMANENTLY RDA 1040 CLASS 5.1] Referred to | Date | Folio | Init. and Date DD | 24/11 | 12A | [handwritten: initials] 24/11 AD/S | 28/7 | M7 | [handwritten: initials] 28/7 DD(C) | 27/11/70 | BND | [handwritten: initials] [illegible] DSTI | 24/1 | M9 | [handwritten: initials] 27/1 DD(C) | 2/2 | M10 | [handwritten: initials] 2/2 DSTI | 3/2 | M11 | [handwritten: initials] 3/2 Hd NWC | 3/2 | M11 | [handwritten: initials] 2/2 DSTI | 4/6 | 15A | [handwritten: initials] 14/7 Hd DSTI | 4/8 | 15A | [handwritten: initials] 18/8

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6 [handwritten: AD/S Please see 7A-B and p.1 of draft letters to Washington and London 14 March 1958 [initials] C.I.O.

7 AD/S Ref 12A. The subject is of course one for the RAAF but will you please handle it with them. 28 November 67 [initials] DD

8 NOTE OF ACTION

  1. Original of folio 12A passed to DAFI for action 30 NOV 67 [initials] A/Hd GIO

9 DSTI / Mr T. May I have your advice and comments on folio 13A please. I have received a number of papers from Mr Turner on UFO’s in the last year but I have refrained from talking with you about our interest knowing that the U.S. had taken the action referred to. Should we maintain an incipient capacity in this field? 28 Jan 70. [initials] DD(C)]

10 Ref. your M.9. I have discussed the paper (loosely enclosed) with Mr. Turner and have told him that my views on the subject of UFOs, from a scientific intelligence point of view, are as follows: (a) The present establishment of DSTI has been designed to meet the research demands arising from our studies of defence science in countries in the Far East and South East Asia, and to keep abreast of major developments in defence science

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JIB (M) FILE MINUTE SHEET (FRONT)

[handwritten: 1. S.I.O. ref enc 1A.

  1. What do you think about this? 3 Apr. 55 [initials] A/D

A/Director [initials] Ref M.1.

  1. As DAFI points out, these reports cover a number of subjects — including those in the aeronautical field — and hence would, I suggest, be an appropriate study for the S.T.I.S.C. (when formed).
  2. I doubt whether S.I. would have the time or facilities (certainly not in the early days of the branch) to devote much study to these reports, but could perhaps serve as a coordinator for any investigations required.
  3. I would suggest that DAFI be asked to hold the papers he already has & to bring the subject forward again when the STISC is formed and in operation. 3/4/57 RHMathams S.I.O

3 Note. Drawn to my attention today, that enc 1A had not yet been answered. I contacted S.I.O’s office (Mr Moore) and was advised that this matter would be submitted to STISC for consideration in the near future. I advised Mr Gilson (W 582), who was chasing an answer to enc 1A, of the present position. 1 Oct 67 [initials] [illegible]

4 Ref 3A — Will be put on agenda of Next STISC meeting [initials] Lt Col Secy 1 Nov 57

5 S.I.O. Ref 4A. For your information. Would you please put up draft letters to JIB Rep (W) and JIB Rep (L) forwarding them a copy. 4 March 1958 [initials] C.I.O.]

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JIB (M) FILE MINUTE SHEET (FRONT)

M.10 (contd)

in the Soviet bloc. There is no surplus research capacity within the establishment that could be diverted to problems such as the investigation of UFO reports.

(b) I am not convinced that there is a sufficient scientific intelligence component in the UFO problem such as to warrant any diversion of Australia’s very limited resources for scientific intelligence research.

(c) It is evident that there is still considerable controversy concerning UFOs and this will undoubtedly continue until the subject is fully examined by some competent authority. Such an examination, however, would require a considerable effort to collect information on UFO sightings, to investigate reports of such sightings and to examine all information in an objective, scientific manner. [handwritten: It is for consideration as to whether the Department of Defence could (or would) afford such an effort. 20 February 1970 RHMathams DSTI]

M.11 [handwritten: DSTI / [initials] Your M.10. I have by now read a considerable amount of material on this subject. I am sure that there is an area for investigation that should be pursued by some authority. That authority, however, would need very considerable resources indeed. I have considered carefully whether a part of the subject might be undertaken by us, but this approach does not seem practicable. I am forced, therefore, whilst agreeing that the subject should be studied somewhere, to decide that JIO cannot be that somewhere. Without considerable back-up we would be wasting our time and the RAAF have apparently cancelled out the little that they were doing. I would be obliged if you would show this minute to Mr Turner. 3 Feb 70. [initials] DD(C)]

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Form No. 81 Introduced May, 1966 I DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE FILE CLOSED Subsequent correspondence has been placed on File No: [blank box] 6216/66

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE JOINT INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION MINUTE PAPER REFERENCE: 3092/2 Subject: SCIENTIFIC AND INTELLIGENCE ASPECTS OF THE UFO PROBLEM [handwritten: DSTI, when you are ready. [initials] 14/6] DIRECTOR: [handwritten: [initials] 24/6] (Through DSTI) [handwritten: Director after you have read the attachments, I would like to discuss this matter with you, please RHM 25/5]

The two documents attached are intended to focus on aspects of the UFO problem that have tended to remain hidden. The report dealing with the US attitude has been compiled from official reports and statements made by the CIA, US Air Force, Congressional Hearings and Project Blue Book records. The second document deals with evidence for weapon systems used by UFO’s. This evidence has been culled from computerised records collected by Dr Vallee in collaboration with Dr Hynek at North-Western University and represents only a fraction of world-wide reports dealing with the same weapon systems. Australia has had its share of this kind of reporting.

  1. Intelligence aspects include assessment of real from false reporting, capabilities of propulsion methods and possible weapons used, motivation of operations (harmful or not, defensive, offensive, scientific etc.) for both short-term and long-term and whether there are more effective ways to detect these operations or defend them if necessary.

(O.H. TURNER) Hd. Nuclear Branch 27th May 1971.

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[handwritten: May ‘71] SUMMARY The early analyses of UFO reports by USAF intelligence indicated that real phenomena were being reported which had flight characteristics so far in advance of U.S. aircraft that only an extra-terrestrial origin could be envisaged. A government agency, which later events indicated to be the CIA Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI), studied the UFO reports with the intention of determining the UFO propulsion methods. At that time, OSI was responsible for intelligence on foreign research and development in nuclear and missile matters.

  1. The CIA became alarmed at the overloading of military communications during the mass sightings of 1952 and considered the possibility that the USSR may take advantage of such a situation. As a result, OSI acting through the Robertson-panel meeting of mid-January 1953, persuaded the USAF to use Project BLUE BOOK as a means of publicly “debunking” UFO’s, and at a later stage to allocate funds for the Avro advanced “saucer” aircraft and the launching of a crash programme into anti-gravity power. To initiate such programmes decades ahead of normal scientific development would indicate that the U.S. Government acknowledged the existence of advanced “aircraft” which presumably used a gravity-control method of propulsion. An additional motivation could have been the fear that the USSR would achieve this goal before the U.S.

  2. By erecting a facade of ridicule, the U.S. hoped to allay public alarm, reduce the possibility of the Soviet taking advantage of UFO mass sightings for either psychological or actual warfare purposes, and act as a cover for the real U.S. programme of developing vehicles that emulate UFO performances. The RAAF together with many other countries of the world give credence only to the USAF public facade and appear to have uncritically accepted the associated information. This information has been widely discredited by retiring U.S. service personnel formerly engaged on UFO investigations, as well as by scientists and private citizens.

  3. The conclusions of the Condon report conflict with its own contents and has been discredited by many reputable scientists including the UFO scientific consultant to the USAF. In accordance

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with the recommendations of the Condon report, Project BLUE BOOK was terminated, but presumably this would have little effect on the main programme.

  1. It would appear wrong for Australia to remain ignorant of the true situation. We lack an intelligence viewpoint that can assess the nature and possible consequences of the problem, a scientific viewpoint that could derive scientifically valid data from the reports and a public relations viewpoint that can honestly satisfy public interest. To overcome these deficiencies in the Australian investigation of UFO’s, it would seem that a strong case exists for the acceptance of the RAAF suggestion that another government department assume responsibility for the investigation and analysis of UFO reports.

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U.S. OFFICIAL ATTITUDE TO U.F.O’s

In June of 1947 the Air Technical Intelligence Centre (ATIC) near Dayton, Ohio, assumed a responsibility to investigate the initial reports of ‘flying saucers’. Within a month it was considered that the phenomena were real and probably of Soviet origin. By the end of the year, when ATIC was officially authorised to investigate under the project code name of SIGN and with a high priority, most of the investigators were focussing on an inter-planetary rather than a Soviet origin. These opinions were crystallized into a written estimate that was sent to the Pentagon in September 1948. When the interplanetary conclusions were rejected on the grounds of insufficient hard evidence, a reaction set in at ATIC against trying to unravel the UFO problem.

  1. In February 1949, ATIC personnel on Project SIGN were replaced with new personnel to form Project GRUDGE. A definite attempt was made during 1949 to use Project GRUDGE to destroy any acceptance of UFO’s. The motives for this are not clear: possibly Air Force embarrassment at being incapable of controlling the situation and/or a fear of national panic prompted USAF to try and remove the problem by denying its existence. Another possible motive may have been to provide a breathing space for another “investigative agency” to reach some conclusion; the agency had been assisting ATIC through 1948 and, contrary to official USAF policy, was maintaining a high level of interest during 1949. This governmental agency was not the FBI, and had rocket, nuclear and intelligence experts; their purpose was to study UFO reports in an effort to gather design data on interplanetary spaceships. In the light of later developments, this agency was almost certainly the CIA.

  2. Project GRUDGE failed to eliminate the UFO problem. UFO reports in 1949 actually exceeded the number in 1948, and several people who had gained access to earlier official reports were able to contradict the USAF. Journalists generally felt that GRUDGE reporting represented a cover to a more serious knowledge. Eventually, USAF intelligence decided that a fresh approach to the problem was necessary. Between September 1951 and the establishment of Project BLUE BOOK in March 1952, UFO investigation regained adequate financial and administrative support to once again analyse the collected data. Project BLUE BOOK was able to process the data from 3,200 reports into a form suitable for their consultants to be able to use IBM card-

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sorting machines.

  1. The summer of 1952 saw a more than twenty-fold rise in the normal rate of reporting and included the two extensive July sightings involving Washington D.C. This marked increase in sightings had diverse effects. A component of USAF intelligence considered that UFO’s were interplanetary spaceships which were about to make closer contact. To prepare the public for this possibility, 41 previously classified reports were released for publication between August 1952 and February 1953. These reports contradicted the earlier official USAF policy of dismissing the reports as mis-identifications etc. On the other hand, the CIA regarded the summer UFO activity as a threat to national security mainly because the resulting crowded communications and defence forces involvement lessened the level of national alertness against possible enemy attack.

  2. A scientific panel chaired by H.P. Robertson was convened by the Office of Scientific Intelligence of CIA during mid-January 1953 for the purpose of recommending future action on the UFO problem. Briefings were made both by CIA and USAF. ATIC personnel showed the then classified two movie films of UFO’s and the early results of statistical analysis of 3,200 reports. Because of the vital issues involved, the panel felt restricted to recommending that the investigation be continued, but with increased personnel and equipment. The USAF responded promptly with an instruction to comply with these recommendations.

  3. The CIA, however, in a report dated 16 February 1953 showed a preference to publicly abandon the investigation whilst intensifying the collection of data. By September 1953 the CIA position had been largely achieved with Project BLUE BOOK reduced from a staff of ten qualified personnel operating at a top secret level to a virtually inactive project involving one airman. The investigating component had been transferred to the 4602nd Air Intelligence Service Squadron which was trained in rapid intelligence procurement and reported to Air Defence Command and USAF Intelligence Washington rather than BLUE BOOK. Direct access between the 4602nd AISS and all USAF units was authorized by AFR 200-2 whereas previously this privilege had been given to BLUE BOOK. Although only the airman (first-class) remained in September 1943, BLUE BOOK was later built up to one officer, one sergeant, one secretary, and a part-time consultant

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Dr J. Allen Hynek, staying at about this level until it was closed down in December 1969. During this time BLUE BOOK served mainly as a means of supplying unclassified summaries of UFO identifications to the public, and did not form a vital link in collection or serious analysis.

  1. Control of public awareness of the UFO situation was tightened by the issuing of JANAP 146 in 1953 which prohibited service personnel from discussing UFO’s by threatening defaulters with up to 10 years gaol and up to a $10,000 fine. When service personnel resigned or retired, however, it was possible to reveal USAF attitudes or opinions even if actual data was still restricted. In this way many Intelligence Officers associated with the UFO problem, including Major D. Fournet who was BLUE BOOK Project Officer at the Pentagon until late 1952, Captain E. Ruppelt who headed Project GRUDGE and Project BLUE BOOK until September 1953 and Admiral Hillenkoetter who directed CIA from its inception until October 1950, on retiring from the services, all publicly stated that the U.S. Government knew UFO’s were extra-terrestrial but was withholding this fact from the public.

  2. When the National Investigation Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) was formed in 1956 to counter the publicly suppressed USAF investigation of UFO’s, the first Chairman was Admiral D.S. Fahrney who had directed the Navy’s guided missile programme from its inception. Apart from Admiral Hillenkoetter, Major Keyhoe and Major Fournet, other Directors have included Rear Admiral H.B. Knowles, General A. Wedemeyer and Col J.J. Bryan (who was a special assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force). To reduce the effect of these and similar defections from official policy after retirement, the revised JANAP 146E, passed in 1960, made it an offence under the Espionage Act if data on UFO’s were revealed.

  3. The change in style of USAF reporting before and after the Robertson panel meeting is clearly indicated in the Project BLUE BOOK Special Report No. 14. The body of the report prepared between March 1952 and early 1953, although biased in favour of a natural explanation for UFO’s, nevertheless showed mathematically that the evidence favoured an explanation that was scientifically unknown. This section of the 316 page report was not released to the public other than as a copy to be consulted, assuming the reader knew of

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[handwritten: 46 (circled)]

its existence. Public distribution was made, however, of a so-called “summary” which in fact did not summarise, nor scarcely allude to the 1947-52 data, but concentrated on 1953-55 reporting which was clearly designed to reduce the residual unknowns to an insignificant number, no matter how senseless the identification became.

  1. Within the body of the difficult-to-obtain report there is an interesting diagram. The product of the estimated observer reliability and the report reliability became the sighting reliability. The percentage of reports that had to be registered as “unknown” (i.e. incapable of being even approximately identified as a known object) increased as the sighting reliability improved. Conversely, the percentage listed as “insufficient information” decreased with improving reliability.

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[handwritten: (45)]

system, the odds were ten thousand trillion trillion to one against the unknowns being the same as the knowns). Since the consultants had arbitrarily called all green fireballs and short duration (i.e. less than five seconds) night-time sightings as known astronomical objects there was an undue preponderance in that category. Hence, assuming that no astronomical objects were left in the unknowns, the statistical tests were repeated with astronomical identifications removed. The odds were reduced to [handwritten: about] ten trillion trillion to one. The analysts could not find a way to reduce those odds sufficiently further to warrant additional testing, and irrationally considered the results to be “inconclusive”.

  1. While PROJECT BLUE BOOK endeavoured to reduce the official
    

number of unknowns - in 1957 they claimed only 14 out of 1,006 sightings remained unidentified - the covert programme expanded considerably. The government agency (almost certainly CIA) that had been collecting data on UFO performance and propulsion methods during 1948-52 presumably influenced U.S. governmental funding of certain advanced projects. One project was the Canadian Avro saucer. A drawing of this saucer released in October 1955, showed a typical flying disc as described in many UFO reports. The Secretary of the Air Force, D.A. Quarles, appeared moderately confident that such a vehicle would be successfully developed by the U.S.

  1. A more astounding decision on the part of the U.S. Government
    

was to allocate considerable funds to investigate gravity and a means of controlling gravity. Despite the fact that science had not attained a level of competence to deal with either gravity or anti-gravity problems and the only theory that might be applicable was Einstein’s Unified Field Theory which was still incomplete at the time of his death, the U.S. chose to support six universities and government agencies in an all-out drive to conquer the problem. It is significant that at this time the current theories on UFO propulsion were a mixture of gravity control and electro-magnetic propulsion.

  1. During 1955, because insufficient staff could be recruited
    

for the project, recourse was made to an urgent appeal for theoretical physicists and mathematicians from AERE Harwell, U.K. The six Gravity Research Centres being established were at the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, N.J.), Princeton University, University

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  1. [handwritten: LLL]

of Indiana, Purdue University Research Foundation, University of North Carolina and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology through the (Roger Babson) Gravity Research Institute (New Boston N.H.). The latter institute is a non-profit organization founded in 1949 with George M. Rideout as President. It was believed that to make a gravity motor, a gravity differential was required which necessitated the discovery of an insulator, deflector or absorber of gravity. By 1955, 485 essays had been written on this subject and awards totalling $10,800 made for original contributions.

  1. The scientists involved included Teller from University of California, Oppenheimer and F.J. Dyson of the Institute of Advanced Studies, J.A. Wheeler and Richard Arnowitt of Princeton, Vaclay Hlavaty of University of Indiana (who had worked with Einstein in Prague) and Stanley Deser. The objective was to control gravity. During 1955 the following firms entered into gravity and/or electromagnetic programmes: Glenn L. Martin Aviation Co. (specifically Dr B. Heim from Goettingen University and Dr P. Jordan from Hamburg University), Convair of San Diego, Bell Aircraft of Buffalo, Sikorsky Division, Lear Inc. of Santa Monica, Clarke Electronics of Palm Springs, California, and Sperry Gyroscope Division of Great Neck, Long Island, N.Y.

  2. Such an intensive onslaught on the gravity enigma was entirely irrational from the standpoint of conventional science, and can only be rationalized within the context of a firm belief that UFO’s were real and that the intelligences behind them knew how to control gravity. The drive to harness this power before the USSR could do so would be a strong incentive for the U.S. Government to fully support an anti-gravity programme. By 1966, 46 separate projects of this nature were being financially supported, 33 of which were under the supervision of the U.S. Air Force. Although details of most of these projects have been kept classified it would appear that generally they have not been successful. Work on gravitational waves by J. Weber and his associates under USAF Cambridge Research Laboratory jurisdiction has been reported fairly extensively since 1966.

  3. During August of 1965 Project BLUE BOOK received 262 reports which was about six times the average number for a month and was twice any previous month since November 1957. On

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28 September 1965 Maj. Gen. LeBailly, Director of Information, formally requested the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board to review Project BLUE BOOK. The review suggested that the limited Project BLUE BOOK staff and the official investigating officers did not possess the technical competence to properly identify the phenomena and that university teams should be appointed to investigate selected sightings. This conclusion was supported by the House Armed Services Committee which met on April 5th 1966 in the shadow of a public furore consequent to the USAF identifying the well-publicised Michigan sightings as being swamp gas. The Colarado University was selected for the task and Dr Edward U. Condon appointed to lead the project with an initial allocation of $313,000 later raised to $525,000.

  1. The Colorado project became discredited when Dr Condon stated publicly on 25th January 1967 that “my attitude right now is that there’s nothing to it, but I’m not supposed to reach a conclusion for another year”. The revealing of a memorandum outlining a method to trick the public, combined with a general dissatisfaction at Condon’s biassed attitude, led to the dismissal and resignation of most of the staff after most of the investigations had been made but not completely written up. The final report of 965 pages lacked coherence. Condon’s conclusions were at variance with individual staff conclusions, although only Condon’s conclusions were publicised. As a result of the Condon report, USAF closed down Project BLUE BOOK shortly before the American Association for the Advancement of Science held a special meeting to counter-act the effect of the Condon report. The Chairman of the Special Committee, Dr Thornton Page, was one of the signatories to the Robertson report.

  2. Dr J. Allen Hynek, scientific consultant to Project Blue Book 1948-69, began his association with a conviction that all sightings could be conventionally explained. Even though doubts grew in his mind, he found himself obliged to support official USAF public policy. Since 1966, however, he has become more outspoken against the USAF attitude and has assisted to convene both congressional hearings and scientific symposia on the subject. Although initially supporting the Condon Committee he became disillusioned and critical of it with the passage of time. It is quite clear that Dr Hynek along with many other reputable scientists do not accept the USAF explanation of misidentification, hysteria or hoax.

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RAAF ATTITUDE TO UFO’s

The Directorate of Air Force Intelligence is the component of the RAAF that is responsible for the analysis of all official reporting of Unidentified Flying Objects. At no stage has there been more than one part-time officer allocated to this task. Initial investigation of reports is often undertaken by a part-time investigator from near-by air bases. The RAAF admits that its interests lie solely in the area of air defence and it lacks both interest and competence to consider the scientific aspects. A 1957 request for the Scientific Intelligence section of JIB to accept UFO responsibility was rejected by JIB. In 1968, the Department of Air stated that it intended “to take up further the question of Commonwealth departments, e.g. Defence, Supply, Education and Science, Prime Minister’s Department etc. to see whether some other Commonwealth Agency is better placed to assume responsibility for Unidentified Flying Objects. At the same time we would maintain our interest in the matter and work with any other Commonwealth agency who is considered to be more appropriate as a co-ordinating agency for the Commonwealth as a whole”. There does not appear to have been any fulfillment of this intention to seek Commonwealth assistance.

  1. In support of the RAAF’s admission of scientific disinterest, an identification list of all sightings made between 1960 and 1965 contains 15 identifications of Venus, not one of which is valid. In every case Venus was in a totally different part of the sky or not even above the horizon. Out of 37 meteor identifications, only 9 could possibly be meteors and even several of those cases would be doubtful. This off-hand unscientific attitude to identification did not escape the notice of the press or various scientists.

  2. In general, the RAAF attitude has been guided by the USAF public releases which were aimed at allaying public interest by denying the reality of UFO’s. Consequently, most of the Australian reports were given identifications without a great concern for rational correlation. Most investigators and collectors regarded their UFO tasks as an intrusion into their more legitimate tasks. As a result, there has been a negligible scientific analysis of the data and most opinions expressed by DAFI have been largely a reflection of the USAF public attitude. With the present reduced staff of DAFI

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it is unlikely that UFO reports will receive any treatment beyond filing.

  1. If Australia is to follow the U.S. lead, [handwritten: then] instead of following the public USAF attitude, it would be preferable to follow the USAF/CIA role of concentrating on gaining a knowledge of the power sources involved. However, it may be preferable to act independently of the U.S. and initiate a programme that is scientifically sound and intellectually honest towards unravelling the UFO mystery. In such a venture, it may be worthwhile working somewhat closer to the public than is usual in the U.S. and U.K.

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[handwritten: 40] APPENDIX “A”

CHRONOLOGY OF U.S. INVESTIGATION INTO U.F.O. PHENOMENA

Date Event

24.6.47 Arnold sighting of nine “saucers” creates public interest+.

6.47 Investigations initiated by Air Technical Intelligence Centre (ATIC) of Air Material Command (AMC, Army Air Forces) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. Initially Soviet advanced aircraft were suspected.

26.7.47 National Security Act creates both the USAF and CIA.

23.9.47 Lt Gen. Twining (AMC) requested the Commander Army Air Forces to issue an authority, priority and code name for the investigation of “flying discs”. Preliminary conclusions by AMC were that the phenomena were “real and not visionary or fictitious”, that the objects were mostly disc-shaped about the size of man-made aircraft and were intelligently controlled. Any U.S. attempt to design aircraft of similar performance would be costly, time-consuming and detrimental to other projects. Investigations by AMC would continue pending further advice.

30.12.47 Authority given to AMC to investigate the phenomena on a priority 2A basis under the code-name Project Sign. Minimum classification was Restricted, reports were to be made quarterly and data exchanged with interested parties.

15.1.48 USAF officially a separate service.

22.1.48 Project Sign starts officially.

24.7.48 Near-collision between DC3 and UFO prompt ATIC to write an Estimate of the Situation.

9.48 The Top Secret Estimate was forwarded to the Pentagon. The conclusion that UFO’s were of interplanetary origin was not acceptable to the Air Force Chief of Staff (General Vandenberg) who insisted on demonstrable proof not circumstantial evidence. ATIC was unable to provide UFO hardware or detailed photographs.

13.12.48 Dr J.E. Lipp of the Rand Corporation replied to the Director or Research and Development, USAF, that if the flying objects were inter-planetary they would most likely originate from Mars although intelligent life as we know it would “be more occupied with survival than we are on Earth”. Our present technology cannot conceive as to how an inter-stellar race could reach Earth, even though it is conceded that there is a high probability that intelligent life does exist within say 16 light-years from Earth.

1.49 USAF orders Project Sign to become Project Grudge which should terminate before the end of 1949.

2.49 Final report of Project Sign (TR-2274-IA of the Technical Intelligence Division AMC) recommended that only a minimum effort be devoted to recording, analyzing and evaluating reports, but on the other hand where factual

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[handwritten: 39]

           evidence such as photographs, radar, physical evidence
           and data on size and shape is involved, every effort
           should be made to collect this evidence.  Radio alerts to
           other military units should be made.

11.2.49 Project Sign officially becomes Project Grudge. According to Ruppelt, Sign personnel either volunteered to leave or were compelled to leave, after which they were replaced by personnel willing to ridicule the concept of UFO’s. During 1949, Grudge personnel did not follow up reports.

8.49 Secret Technical Report No. 102 AC 49/15-100 “Unidentified Flying Objects - Project Grudge” of about 600 pages issued, with the conclusion that all reports were the result of misidentifications, mass hysteria and hoaxes even though they admit to 23% of the reports as being “unknown”. The report was declassified 1 August 1952.

27.12.49 Department of Defense news release stated that the Air Force’s flying saucer project had been terminated.

3.50 Publication of a report, previously cleared by the U.S. Army, describing the tracking of a UFO by an official team led by Commander McLaughlin at the White Sands (missile) proving ground. From the tracking data, it was concluded that the UFO required an extraterrestrial origin.

14.9.51 On learning that ATIC was not investigating UFO reports, the USAF Director of Intelligence (General Cabell) ordered Project Grudge to be revitalized. This was acted upon at once.

27.10.51 Project Grudge now headed by Capt. Ruppelt.

3.52 Project Grudge renamed Project Blue Book. By this stage the staff had built up to 10, all with Top Secret clearances and a highly qualified research group of consultants provided expertise. As part of Project Stork, this research group (RAND is a possibility) started to transcribe data onto IBM cards for future analysis.

29.4.52 Air Force Letter 200-5 ordered all USAF units to wire UFO reports direct to ATIC with a copy to the Pentagon. Project Blue Book was permitted to contact any USAF unit directly, allowing rapid investigation.

June-Aug.52 During 1948-51 the average monthly number of reports was 15 but during June, July and August of 1952, the average was 337 including 536 during July. The UFO’s were not only seen in greater numbers, but there was a greater number of reliable witnesses. Several sensitive Atomic Energy Commission plants and defence units were subjected to close approaches. Defence communications were being overloaded and there were fears that U.S. reaction time against enemy action was being hindered.

19/26.7.52 Two series of radar-visual sightings over Washington National airport, the Capitol and White House electrified the nation. As a result of the upsurge of interest in scientific and military circles, the interplanetary hypothesis gained ground despite official efforts to explain away the sightings.

[--- scan p.21 ---]

[handwritten: 38]

21.8.52 USAF started releasing ATIC reports to the UFO author, Major Keyhoe, for publication. This was a completely unexpected change of policy. The contents of these reports refuted the public pronouncements made by the USAF. In addition a USAF spokesman agreed that the attempt to explain the Washington sightings as due to anomalous propagation could not be upheld.

21.11.52 CIA arranged four government scientists to meet at ATIC for three days as a preliminary review panel to decide on recommendations for a higher-level panel of six scientists.

14/17.1.53 The Office of Scientific Intelligence, CIA, convened in Washington D.C., a panel of six scientists, Drs H.P. Robertson (Chairman), Luis Alvarez, Lloyd Berkner, Samuel A. Goudsmit, Thornton Page and one other. After three days of evidence, a two-page secret report that was prepared on the fourth day, concluded that there was no direct threat to national security but that there was an indirect threat to “the orderly functioning of the protective organs of the body politic”. It was recommended that national security agencies should “strip the UFO’s of the special status they have been given” and to educate the public accordingly.

16.2.53 CIA issued a larger but still secret report on the meeting, summarising the eight half-day sessions and outlining panel members’ individual viewpoints. The lack of artifacts of clear extra-terrestrial origin was a strong argument against acceptance of the extra-terrestrial hypothesis. The panel agreed with CIA concern that enemy artifacts may be misidentified by U.S. defence personnel, that emergency reporting channels be overloaded and that the public may become vulnerable to enemy psychological warfare. The public should be educated to recognise balloons, meteors etc. and a policy of “debunking” should be introduced in order to reduce public interest. This “training and debunking” programme would be required for “a minimum of one and one half to two years”. “Some expansion of the ATIC effort would certainly be required to support such a programme”. A professional staff of 12 supported by an administrative staff was suggested.

.53 Section III, Title 18 of the Joint Army, Navy and Air Force Publication (JANAP 146) legislated that service personnel talking about UFO sightings were liable to 1-10 years gaol and/or a fine of up to $10,000.

26.8.53 Air Force Regulation (AFR 200-2) removes investigation authority from Project Blue Book in favour of the Air Defence Command’s 4602 Air Intelligence Service Squadron, a unit dispersed over area commands, and trained both for rapid access to remote areas and to interrogate enemy personnel. The Air Force requires immediate reporting to evaluate the threat, and detailed reporting to assist technical analysis. All written reports are to be sent to USAF Intelligence in Washington, mainland reports first going to Air Defense Command for distribution to “interested investigative agencies”. Electrical reports are addressed to both these headquarters and to ATIC. The public is to be informed of the results of individual cases only when “the object is positively identified as a familiar object”.

[--- scan p.22 ---]

  1. [handwritten: 37]

Headquarters USAF will release summaries of evaluated data to the public.

9.53 When the head of Project Blue Book departed, the staff was reduced to just one airman (first-class). All instrumentation plans had been negated except for diffraction cameras which had been shown to be useless.

1.12.53 The distribution of 275 diffraction-grating cameras (200 to U.S. bases and 75 to overseas bases) was completed.

17.2.54 Airline pilots at a meeting at the Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood were coerced by military intelligence using JANAP 146 to agree to not informing the public of their sightings, and confine their reporting to official channels.

15.5.54 USAF Chief of Staff, General Nathan Twining, stated “The best brains in the Air Force are working on this problem of Unidentified Flying Objects, trying to solve this riddle”. General Twining, was not referring to Project Blue Book.

10.6.54 Deputy Commander of Intelligence at ATIC, Colonel O’Mara, stated that more than a thousand people were working on the problem.

2.2.55 William P. Lear, Chairman of Lear Inc., Santa Monica stated that because of flying saucers, serious efforts were being made in the U.S. to prove the existence of anti-gravitational forces.

23.8.55 Revealed that the U.S. Government had taken over the Canadian Avro ‘flying saucer’ project. This was a circular aerofoil powered by jets and designed to take-off and land vertically, hover, travel at 1500 mph and change direction rapidly. The design specifications for performance and shape were clearly directly related to UFO reporting. The project was started in 1951-52 and in 1954 after $400,000 had been spent, the Canadian Government withdrew its financial backing. When the U.S. assumed control over the project it imposed a high level of security, preventing even Canadian officials from inspecting the premises. At the press release meeting on 25 October 1955 for the Special Report No. 14, photographs of a drawing of the proposed version showed a typical flying disc.

25.10.55 Release of Project Blue Book Special Report No. 14 dated 5 May 1955. The report was originally compiled by Project Blue Book research consultants who analysed 3,200 reports out of 4,000 received by the end of 1952. These results were used to brief the Robertson panel in Jan. 1953. To this basic 316 page report, a 3 page so-called “summary” has been added dealing mainly with the 1953-55 period and dismissing UFO’s as mainly misidentifications. The more uncomfortable conclusions of the main report were concealed. Only 100 copies of the main report were distributed on a restricted non-public basis (the only Australian copy was destroyed by the RAAF in 1959) whereas copies of the misleading “summary” were freely available to press and public.

[--- scan p.23 ---]

  1. [handwritten: 36]

9.4.58 First sanitized version of Robertson (short) report released.

24.12.59 Inspector-General of Air Force circulates classified “UFO’s Serious Business” in an effort to stimulate and improve the reporting of UFO’s. Investigating officers are to be equipped with geiger counters as well as a camera, binoculars and sampling containers.

.60 JANAP 146E invokes espionage laws to prevent the revealing of UFO data.

28.9.65 Following the August peak of UFO activity, the USAF Office of Information requests a review of Project Blue Book.

3.2.66 USAF Scientific Advisory Board Ad Hoc Committee reviewed Project Blue Book. Although the Committee considered most unidentifieds were due to inadequate analysis, they also accused Blue Book of identifying objects “when the evidence collected was too meagre or too indefinite”. It was recommended that University contracts be made and that more scientifically trained investigators be used.

5.4.66 U.S. Congress House Committee on Armed Services recommends that Project Blue Book reports be investigated by University contract.

6.6.66 Dr Mc Donald reads Robertson (complete) report which had been declassified under 12 year rule.

20.6.66 Robertson report reclassified. Second sanitized version issued.

19.9.66 AFR 80-17 replaces AFR 200-2 and transfers responsibility from Intelligence to Research and Development. Para 12(b) states “Air Force echelons receiving suspected or actual UFO material will safeguard it to prevent any defacing or alterations which might reduce its value for intelligence examination and analysis”.

6.10.66 Contract signed with Colorado University.

29.7.68 U.S. Congress House Committee on Science and Astronautics held a one-day symposium on UFO’s at which many prominent scientists testified in favour of UFO’s being real and requiring international investigation.

8.1.69 Condon report published. Condon’s conclusions were not supported by the staff conclusions.

.69 J. Allen Hynek’s contract as Scientific Consultant on UFO’s to the USAF Project Blue Book was not renewed (after 21 years)

17.12.69 Project Blue Book closed down.

26/31.12.69 The American Association for the Advancement of Science met at Boston to discuss UFO’s. One outcome was a resolution appealing for Blue Book data to be released.

[--- scan p.24 ---]

APPENDIX “B” [handwritten: 35]

CHRONOLOGY OF RAAF INVOLVEMENT WITH UFO’s

Date Event

17.1.51 First pro-forma for UFO sightings issued.

18.5.53 Lt Col George A. Uhrich, USAF Assistant Air Attache of the U.S. Embassy approached D/DAFI with a request for UFO reports to be sent to the U.S.

20.7.53 Lt Col Uhrich stated that the U.S. is very interested in UFO reports from all over the world - (despite the official U.S. viewpoint that UFO’s are the result of misidentifications, hysteria or hoaxes). Sighting details were requested to be signalled with photos, drawings etc. to follow by mail. As a result, the RAAF produced a new pro-forma.

20.11.53 In a reply to a question in the House of Representatives, the Minister for Air stated that “the RAAF makes detailed investigations of every such report it received”.

15.3.55 Deputy Chief of Air Staff would not permit the appointment of a full-time investigator of UFO sightings.

2.11.55 Minute from A/DAFI to D. Ops stating that the RAAF was not undertaking detailed investigations as had been indicated by the Minister in November 1953, and that some form of investigation should be made.

4.11.55 On receiving Special Project Report No. 14 and its Summary from the U.S., A/DAFI stated that “the general tone is that the USAF consider ‘Flying Saucers’ do not exist”. The Special Report was later destroyed.

1.4.57 DAFI formally requested JIB to accept the UFO commitment as the newly formed Scientific Intelligence section would be more capable “than anyone in this Directorate”.

4.66 RAAF publish a list of identifications of all UFO sightings from 1960 to 1965.

3.6.68 Letter from A Sec A to Minister for Air stated that the primary interest in UFO’s was with Air Defence and the RAAF has not been concerned with the scientific nature of such sightings.

15.1.70 In view of the termination of Project BLUE BOOK, DAFI considered that the RAAF might reduce their effort.

[--- scan p.25 ---]

[handwritten: Jan 1970] [handwritten: (34)]

INTRODUCTION

The following data have been extracted from a list of 1000 reports of landings or near landings compiled by Jacques Vallée, a physicist engaged in computer research and working with Professor Hynek, the USAF consultant on UFO’s, at North Western University, Illinois.

The information suggests the existence of three “weapon systems” -

(1) a device to interfere with electrical circuits (2) a device to induce paralysis (3) a heat ray.

There is circumstantial evidence that these weapons are at times used deliberately, although mostly in a defensive role. A number of reports allege that a lone car at night has been followed, and after being stopped by a beam, some kind of interaction has developed between the car occupants and landed craft occupants.

Information is included which deals with residual effects on the environment of the landed craft. It is these residual effects which offer the greatest potential reward to scientific investigation at this stage.

STALLED ENGINES

Case No. Description

102 After engine stall, strong light visible in woods with either-sulphur smell. Body pricklings when approaching light, had to stop, lost balance several times, saw 10’ humanoid at 10 yards. Later sphere of light rose, pendulum swing, luminous trail.

132 Car could not be started until a 45’ diam. disc with dome and rotating lights had left the ground. Large, brown circular spot left on grass.

207 Red and blue cigar directed an intense blue light at truckdriver. Engine and headlights died.

232 Engine and headlights of milk-truck died. Driver sees a light above him. After light crossed road, headlights came on and truck could be re-started.

234 Electric shock as car headlights died. Thick cylindrical craft 50 yards away. 3 dwarfs. Both witnesses paralysed until craft left.

257 Red fireball flew low over car as engine and headlights died.

[--- scan p.26 ---]

  • 2 - [handwritten: (33)]

Case No. Description

259 “Upside-down plate” seen at same time as motorcycle stalled.

260 Object flew over car as headlights died.

273 Truck engine slowed down and driver felt paralysed, brown object 33’ long, 8’ high in field near road.

274 One of four objects about 1000’ up, fell in dead-leaf motion 300’ away, witness feels electric shock as engine and car lights die. Car stopped as object touched ground. Paralysed. Dwarf. Headlights came on by themselves and then craft took off.

294 Road ahead blocked by an inverted cone [handwritten arrow pointing to a small drawing of an inverted cone]. Engine died. Paralysed.

299 Large ball of fire flew near car, violent air displacement, battery dead, headlights burnt out.

300 Man and child felt painful pricklings like electric shocks increasing as car went on. Suddenly engine died and lights went off. Blinding strong red light from object hovering above road. All normal when it went.

306 Egg shaped object took off from side of road as motor scooter engine died.

312 Orange craft, 20’ diam. flew over as tractor engine died, lights out, battery dead.

314 Two witnesses feel electric shock as bright object flies over low: engine and lights go off.

317 Motor cycle failed near elongated object in pasture.

323 Lights of a tractor go out as 20’ oval object leaves the ground. Emitted light bright as welder’s torch, sound of swarm of bees.

333 Blue disc came close to motorcycle, and electrical system failed. Witness felt pricklings in his hands despite gloves, and was unable to move or speak for few minutes. When blue light turned off, able to start again.

341 Italy. Beam of red light swept countryside for about an hour, illuminated two tractors, petrol one stalled, diesel continued.

393 As motorcycle suddenly failed, rider sees 65’ disc descend with sound of air escaping from a valve. A lift descended from base almost to ground containing man who invited rider inside.

399 50’ diam. black bell chased by civilian in car. Engine stalled when 10’ away. Underneath looked like disc with fins. Sounded like helicopter. Car battery completely dead.

[--- scan p.27 ---]

  • 3 - [handwritten: (32)]

Case No. Description [handwritten: 20’ above] 410 Bright object that lit countryside came to ground as truck stalled. 500’ diam. and 130’ deep with dome with long aerial and red light on top. 7 small beings looked down.

413 Indiana. Silver dish hovered over tractor; engine died when dish rose.

414 Villas-Boas. Petrol tractor engine died just after craft had landed.

417 Oval object 16’ long 10’ high, army green with lettering on it, blocking road, flashed a beam of light at car and exerted strong enough pressure to stop it 5 yards from craft. Witness escapes from heat wave in car as it catches fire and is destroyed. Diesel sound as it goes.

418 Flash of light from a 40’ “submarine” coincided with failure of car headlights. [handwritten: egg-shaped] 419 Many reports of 200’ object with bright light, interfering with car ignitions and creating a wave of heat. [handwritten: the engine,] 425 When egg-shape with humming sound lit car, clock and a wristwatch stopped.

427 Egg-shape in a blue haze on beach; four car engines stalled. Two men left egg, asked questions, returned, took off and cars could be started again.

439 Car engine died as car approached a hovering 50’ long object. Started again when object left.

448 Bright light like mercury lamp appeared ahead: as crash seemed imminent, car slowed down by itself and stopped. Above was a 50’ disc emitting a current of hot air and a high-pitched sound. As object rose, car started by itself.

454 Large shape with luminous pole by roadside: car stalled, lights off. Two figures disappeared, then object took off spinning. Car could then be started. Snow at site was melted.

495 Bright flying object passed low over car, engine stalled. UFO landed in dense wood out of sight.

524 The Barney & Betty Hills affair.

538 Engine failed when approaching 130’ long 50’ high cylinder which had landed on the road. 2 men.

539 Motorcycle engine failed when tall being appeared.

571 Car stopped when 20 yards from object, at same time being blinded by a light as bright as a welder’s torch.

607 Car could not be started while structureless ball of fire (30” diam) was within 2 or 3 yards of car.

[--- scan p.28 ---]

  • 4 - [handwritten: (31)]

Case No. Description

633 Cadillac engine failed, then saw a “mushroom or electric bulb” 80’ tall, 25’ wide, 4’ above ground. Noise like a vacuum cleaner, metallic grey, red-orange light one side, blue on other.

673 Headlights of truck blinked and failed. Then 16’ d., 5’ h orange object landed 100’ down the road. Car coming from opposite direction had to leave the road to avoid object

681 Humming noise heard, then 10’ high object with changing coloured lights landed ahead of car blocking the road as car engine stalled. Object as wide as road. Three human occupants seen inside.

712 Engine, lights and radio suddenly cut-out before witness saw 30’ tall, 10’ diameter “rocket” sitting on fins on the road ahead. Three odd creatures after inspecting witness returned under rocket and disappeared into the intense light; object rose straight up 400 yards with high-pitched hum; car now normal automatically (including engine starting by itself).

720 15 year old driving West saw an object 30 yds ahead, 6’ above road. Engine died, object glowed red, witness lost consciousness On awakening, truck was in ditch facing East.

721 25’ diam. craft, supporting a cone with a flashing green light, hovered just above the road. Engine could be restarted when object left. Sulphur or rotten egg smell.

738 Two women see object approaching, engine and lights fail, object flies over car and hovers 400 yds away. After 10 minutes, car could be started. Object glowed with intense red light.

739 Man driving 60 mph meets 23’ long dark grey oval body with ~ 30 lights around periphery and 3’ above road on a hill-top. Object leaves as car engine and lights die. The light bulbs had to be replaced.

746 Engine died as green object wider than road came at high speed with shriek and heat wave.

812 Truck engine stalled. Intense light seen to right as witness got out to inspect. The light came closer and landed on the road on a tripod. It was now seen to be 80’ in diameter and 30’ high. Something like an elevator came down with a man in blue coveralls.

832 Car stalled, lights went out. 30’ diameter object hovering low over car, sound of electric motor emitting sparks and a smell of sulphur and camphorated oil. When object took off, car rocked and pulled. Perspiration and skin peeling occurred after 12 hours.

848 Vehicles stalled in vicinity of brilliant, transparent mushroom-shaped object having occupants with cat-like faces. Quadrangular protuberance underneath.

891 Electrical system (engine, lights, radio) broke down. Dull object seen 300’ away. Rest of journey in a trance.

[--- scan p.29 ---]

  • 5 - [handwritten: (30)]

Case No. Description

893 Car failed, looked up light beam from 30’ diameter mushroom. No recall of stopping or starting.

896 Lights and radio blacked out, but not diesel engine, as 10’ long egg seen 50’ away. Jaguar from opp. direction also stopped. Green light from object, Whitish dome underneath. Hovered 2 mins. then left.


54 cases

NOTES ON IGNITION FAILURE

  1. Diesel versus petrol engine

    (a) Case 341 Beam of red light illuminated two tractors; the petrol one stalled, and the diesel tractor continued.

    (b) Case 896 Diesel truck. Lights, radio fail, but not the engine.

    These cases indicate that petrol engine failure may be due to the loss of ignition spark.

  2. Associated beams seen

    (a) Case 207 Intense blue light directed at driver

    (b) ” 232 Light coming from above truck (may or may not be associated)

    (c) ” 300 Blinded by a strong red light, turning orange.

    (d) ” 333 Started again “as soon as the blue light was turned off.”

    (e) ” 341 Beam of red light swept countryside, illuminated two tractors, one stalled.

    (f) ” 417 Beam of light flashed at car, stalling and stopping it. Heat wave.

    (g) ” 418 Flash of light from object coincided with car ignition failure.

    (h) ” 425 Object illuminated car, engine, clock and wristwatch stopped.

    (i) ” 571 Blinded by strong light as car suddenly stopped.

    (j) ” 893 Strong light beam aimed at driver.

    These cases suggest that craft occupants deliberately set out to stop the vehicle and not merely that the vehicle enters a protective field.

[--- scan p.30 ---]

  • 6 - [handwritten: (29)]
  1. Associated electric shocks

    (a) Case 234 Shock as lights die. Craft 50 m. away. Two witnesses.

    (b) ” 274 shock as engine and lights die. Craft 100 m. away. One witness.

    (c) ” 314 Shock as engine and lights die. Craft flying low overhead. Two people.

    These three cases indicate that an electric field capable of being felt within a conductor was associated with the engine failure. Why only three cases? Were these people more susceptible? Have others failed to report this effect?

  2. Damaged electrical system

    (a) Case 299 Battery flattened, lights burnt out when ball of fire flew close enough to car to cause violent air displacement.

    (b) ” 312 Tractor battery flattened by orange craft flying over.

    (c) ” 399 Daytime chase of 50’ black bell ended with a stall 10’ off. Battery flat.

    (d) ” 739 Car at 60 mph nearly collides with object. Bulbs burnt out.

    These cases suggest that when too close an approach is made, the strength of the field can flatten the battery and burn out the bulbs if lights were in the circuit. This in turn suggests that the interfering beam or field may induce an opposing e.m.f. in the battery

  3. Operation of craft during “attack”

    (a) Cases when craft appear to ( 300, 333, 413, 414, 425, deliberately “buzz” vehicle (8) ( 448, 738, 832.

    (b) Cases when craft may have accid- ( 232, 257, 260, 299, 312, entally ‘buzzed’ (9) ( 314, 341, 495, 746.

    (c) Cases when craft landed during ( 274, 393, 410, 414, 495, 607, or after the stall (9) ( 681, 738, 812.

    (d) Cases when craft waited in a ( 399, 439, 721, 739, 891, hovering mode (7) ( 893, 896

    (e) Cases when craft waited near ( 234, 273, 306, 317, 323, the roadway (9) ( 418, 427, 454, 633.

    (f) Cases when craft waited on the ( 294, 417, 538, 571, 712, road for a victim (6) ( 720.

    (g) Cases when craft landed on ( 673, 681, 812. road in front of stalling ( vehicle (3) (

[--- scan p.31 ---]

  • 7 - [handwritten: (28)]

    The overall impression gained from these cases is that the occupants of the craft mostly cut the ignition systems deliberately and the failure is not merely a precautionary measure due to the inadvertent close approach of a vehicle to a craft while it is going about its normal business. The evidence is strong that the phenomenon is not merely a side-effect of some propulsion system, although this possibility may exist for very close approaches and high power take-off (see Case 413).

  1. Range of operation of ignition cutting device

    The evidence so far available suggests that this “weapon” is used at ranges of up to 100 metres.

  2. Significant cases

    (a) Case 418. Military and civilian witnesses reported a submarine shaped object at ground level with a figure nearby. When a car stopped in the vicinity, a flash of light from the object co-incided with the sudden failure of the headlights.

    (Comment: If report and inferences are correct, this is a clear case of occupants deliberately interfering with the [handwritten: electrical] ignition system of a vehicle by the use of a beam.)

    (b) Case 607: A “ball of fire without structure”, 2’6” diameter prevented a vehicle from starting, [crossed out: for] while it remained within 2 or 3 yds of the car for more than 5 minutes.

    (Comment: Unless this ball of fire was equipped with an ‘ignition weapon’, it would appear that in this case, ignition loss could be a side-effect of the power sustaining the ball of fire.)

    (c) Case 673. After putting out a truck’s headlights, an object dived towards the truck and stopped on the road 30 m. ahead, causing a car coming in the opposite direction to leave the road to avoid the object.

    (Comment: Was the crew of the object so intent on the truck that they failed to see the car? If so, it would suggest that ignition interference is not automatic, but requires the conscious operation of a device.)

[--- scan p.32 ---]

  • 8 - [handwritten: (27)]

RADIO/TV INTERFERENCE

Case No. Description

71 Object fell in front of car as radio “blocked”. Braked, object vanishes. US

432 Radio reception blocked while pale yellow sphere hovered over hill 4 km away. One wavelength, however, had a powerful modulated signal (not morse code) Canada

457 Radio interference associated with dome emitting a narrow light beam Austral

568 Radio was blocked by atmospherics after saucer had left. Sth Afr

605 Fiery object at low altitude apparently interfered with police radio. US

615 TV interference associated with “flying top” at tree top height. US

643 Radio interference noted in vicinity of flying object. US

647 Radio interference noted in vicinity of object hovering in field. Austral

684 Radio interference noted in vicinity of double saucer at low altitude, “beep” heard US

727 Radio interference noted in vicinity of oval with dome, 10’ from car. US

730 Radio transmitter did not work while huge dish was near (came within 80 ft once) US

741 Oval object came close to car; pulsating sound seemed to come from car radio US

763 TV reception blurred while plate-shaped object manoeuvred nearby. US

791 Radio interference in areas where object hovered (missile teams) US

793 TV set became blurred; two witnesses go out to see spinning light from object hovering nearby. US

884 Radio interference, pulsating sound, from hovering object with green glow. Canada

[--- scan p.33 ---]

  • 9 - [handwritten: (26)]

PARALYSIS/HYPNOSIS DEVICES

Case No. Description

51 US Man points a device from open windows that stunned female witnesses by “dissolving consciousness”; cloying smell.

61 Brazil Man points tube at Higgins, but no reported effect.

82 Denmark 50 m. from object, witness paralysed (also birds and cows). Four handsome men with brown skin emerge with trans-lucent helmets.

95 Italy Witness receives “a kind of electric shock as a green ray hit him”. He could only look up with difficulty.

144 France When Dewilde attempted to intercept two dwarfs, a strong orange light was emitted from object on rail tracks about 20’ away. Lorenzen’s account says light as power-ful as a Mg flare from a square opening. Dewilde lost use of speech and legs until beam was switched off.

147 France Riding a bicycle, witness felt a prickling or itching sensation over whole body like electric shocks. On alighting, prickling continued as well as a paralysis. Very small man then came and touched him on shoulder, then left in nearby craft, whereupon paralysis left.

162 France Craft 50m. away; 3 figures emerge from the light as witness felt paralysed, then lost consciousness.

165 France Witness, already under partial hypnosis, approaches man in overalls and helmet, who is holding a metal rod and has a light projector on his chest. The man had appeared suddenly at 30 ft. distance near a floating dome. Witness felt paralysed, as also 7 others. Man and soon after, the craft vanished. Paralysis leaves. Witness had insomnia, headaches, loss of appetite for about a week.

171 France Man and dog paralysed as object dives toward them and climbs again.

197 France When near object, employees felt “pricklings and a sort of paralysis”. Object flew off.

199 France Object approaching, when 150 m away, strange sensation and paralysis. Nitrobenzène smell.

201 France Soldier approaches 2’8” high torpedo, became paralysed.

208 France Witness sees 8’ diam. object and feels paralysed, also grasping for air.

221 France Riding bicycle, witness stopped as figure in diving suit with bright eyes and hairy chest aimed a double beam of light from two vertical headlights on front of suit, Paralysed.

[--- scan p.34 ---]

  • 10 - [handwritten: (25)]

Case No. Description

234 France 3 dwarfs by craft 50m away. Small, reddish point of light. Both witnesses paralysed until craft left. Ignition failure.

249 ” Witness reached 20m. from dish with 4’ being in diving suit before being paralysed. As craft took off, witness thrown to ground.

272 ” Horse lifted 10’ by 5’ diam. object and was paralysed 10 mts. Man at side of horse felt nothing.

273 ” Engine slow down and paralysis. Object in field near the road. (33’ x 8’).

274 ” Electric shock felt as car engine and lights die. Paralysis while 4’ being moved around (100m away?).

279 ” Dog partially paralysed when approached two helmeted figures near dome.

294 ” Road blocked by inverted cone; engine dies and witness is paralysed.

295 Italy 4’3” “being” by tree aimed a flashlight beam, paralysing witness. Action of clenching fist on keys freed him allowing him to attack the intruder who flew away with a soft whir on a small conical device.

297 ” While approaching strange craft as pilot in diving suit emerges, craft emitting bronze-green ray, witness was para-lysed.

333 France Blue dish came close to motocycle; prickling felt in hand, engine dies and unable to move or speak. When blue light turned off, all o.k.

337 ” Craft took off while pricklings, paralysis and car slow down occurred.

339 Italy 3 dwarfs stealing rabbits from cage. Farmer aims rifle which fails to fire and then has to be dropped.

356 Venezuela Witness came across 6 little men loading boulders into hover-ing dish - As he started to run away, one of the creatures pointed something at him which gave off a violet-coloured light and paralysed him.

358 France Approaching red oval 50m away, became unable to move for a while. When able, he ran away, returning with witnesses, to see craft take off.

378 US Bell-shape came close to patrol car; men inside felt arms and legs go “dead” and their clothes appeared to burn them (pricklings ?).

398 Argentina Dish lands. Air Force man unable draw gun from holster. Voice in Spanish from craft.

400 Brazil Man fell paralysed. Companions see dish with dome top and bottom 50m away. Three 5’7” men gather samples.

[--- scan p.35 ---]

  • 11 - [handwritten: (24)]

Case No. Description

402 Australia Two teenagers immersed in a red light changing to green, becoming part paralysed. No fear, no object seen.

408 Fiji Figure in object hovering 20-25’ above water, aimed a beam at four people so bright that they felt weak.

424 U.S. Witness paralysed while watching elongated “balloon” come to ground level and go. Helicopter sound.

480 UK Fiery object lands 100m away. Blue haze forms. 3 figures. Witness paralysed until craft left.

558 Italy Approached object in village square, was paralysed when 10m away. Domed disc.

580 Brazil When 10’ being made a motion, 11 year old boy picked up a stone, but was unable to use it as “spaceman” looked straight into his eyes. (supposed to be one-eyed in forehead) Boys were no longer afraid. Man carried box emitting flashes.

613 US Tried to approach one foot diam. object, mild electric shock and unable to move forward.

642 Argentina Witness paralysed during landing of egg and during emergence of 3 men who spoke slowly.

650 France As Masse approached two men smaller than 4’, one of them took a small tube from its container attached to his belt and pointed it at Masse (about 10’ away) and paralysed him for twenty minutes - long after the craft had left. Followed by drowsiness for several weeks.

823 US Light seen 100 m above ground. Witnesses stop and are then paralysed, also ignition interference noted. Took 20 mts. to recover muscular coordination.

902 US Paralysed by beam from underneath 20’ long object. Revealed by hypnosis as no conscious memory remains.

905 US Cigar flew low over car - car almost stopped, brief paralysis.

912 Argentina Vivid light dazzled and paralysed witness. Strength ebbed away, fell unconscious.

916 Argentina Horse and dog (but not witness ?) paralysed for several minutes.

920 Brazil Suddenly saw cigar, figure with flashing weapon like electric drill immobilised witness.

PRICKLINGS

102 US After engine stall, approaching light in woods, pricklings throughout body, had to stop walking forward, lost balance several times as he returned to car.

120 Norway Object stopped ahead of them above ground. Witness stopped their car, felt pricklings until craft left. Paint of car turned bright green. [handwritten: for one day]

[--- scan p.36 ---]

  • 12 - [handwritten: (23)]

Case No. Description

147 France (see paralysis section). Pricklings like electric shocks preceded paralysis. Pricklings while witness was on bicycle, paralysis after alighting.

197 France (see paralysis section). Witness felt “pricklings and a sort of paralysis”.

300 France Man in car felt painful pricklings; 4 year old child started crying. Increasing pain as car went on, when engine died and lights went off.

329 France Three strange men in field. One held a box which emitted a 10’ long beam. The other two held “weapons”. One witness fled and felt pricklings on his face as he ran.

333 France (see paralysis section). Pricklings when on his motorbike. Ignition failure. Paralysis.

337 France (see paralysis section). Pricklings then paralysis. Car slowed down but did not stall.

524 US The Hill case. When the “beeping” noise filled the car, a strange tingling or prickling sensation was felt, producing a drowsiness. When the car stopped, one of the men pointed a small device like a pencil, at Mrs. Hill. Two hours and 35 miles later, further “beeping” brought back consciousness.

NOTES ON PARALYSIS AND ALLIED PHENOMENA

  1. Relation between ignition interference and paralysis/prickling etc.

    (a) Case 102 Car stalls, witness walks towards light, prickling begins.

    (b) Case 300 Pricklings begin, become more painful, car stalls.

    This reversible sequence suggests different causes. Numerous cases report loss of ignition, but no pricklings or paralysis.

    Probably, there are different causes for loss of ignition and pricklings/paralysis, although they are often coincident. Apparently the ignition interfering beam can produce an electric shock or discharge, whereas the paralysing beam is more related to producing a prickling or tingling sensation of numerous small electric shocks.

  2. Origin of prickling/paralysis

    (a) Hand-held device - variously described as a small metal tube, flashlight, or electric drill, and in one case as a 60 cm long, 10 cm diam tube. It is usually pointed at the victim and some-times a light is seen emanating from it, but often no light is reported (laser-action?). Operating distance probably upto ten metres. Victim is given a “charge” by one operation (Case 650).

[--- scan p.37 ---]

(22)

(b) Beam on craft - a beam directed from the craft seems to be effective over at least 100m. Victim is paralysed only while beam is on, and usually does not appear to receive a charge (e.g. cases 144, 333).

(c) General field ? It is possible that at a certain distance from craft an intruder would automatically receive this effect.

  1. Strength of the effect

The evidence points to the sequence of events being pricklings (tingling or itching), paralysis, loss of consciousness as the strength of the effect increases.

[--- scan p.38 ---]

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14A 3092/2 (21) INVESTIGATION OF UFO SIGHTINGS

Deputy Secretary B

Further to our discussion on the question of investigation of Australian reports on unidentified flying objects, I would summarize my attitude as follows:

(a) There appears to be sufficient evidence from RAAF and US reports of investigation of UFO sightings to indicate that some reports cannot readily be explained by natural phenomena or man-made activities. Thorough investigation of selected Australian reports of UFO sightings seems to be warranted, but the effort should be restricted to those occurrences that cannot easily be explained.

(b) The Department of Supply has personnel with an appropriate range of scientific and technical expertise and laboratory and field facilities that could suitably be employed on UFO investigations.

(c) I suggest that Department of Defence should consider passing responsibility for investigation of Australian UFO sightings from the RAAF to the Department of Supply under the following general conditions:

(i) that a limited number of selected reports, say six per year, be thoroughly investigated by Department of Supply;

(ii) that at the end of two or three years (or earlier if suggested by the investigators) the results of Supply investigations be examined by interested parties, e.g. Defence, RAAF and Supply, with a view to determining whether there is any defence interest in UFO sightings that could justify further investigation.

(d) I believe that, although Defence should have general oversight and broad direction of the UFO investigation, significant JIO resources should not be devoted to this until it can be clearly shown from the results of the investigation that a strategic intelligence interest exists. Even then, the matter would have to be related to other priorities; there are many things that it would be desirable for us to do but which cannot be tackled because of higher priorities.

[handwritten: Orig. passed to Dep. Sec. B’s office d. 28/5/71]

27th May 1971 (R.W. Furlonger) Joint Intelligence Organization Director

[--- scan p.39 ---]

13A MINUTE PAPER (Write on this side only) 554 / 1 / 30 (48) (20) C.D.O. [illegible]

SUBJECT: UFO INVESTIGATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

D/D (CIV) JIO

  1. Further to teletalk Mr McMichael/Wg Cdr T.W. Murphy on Thursday 8 Jan 70, a copy of the USAF news release on UFO Investigation is attached.

  2. In view of this conclusion and decision by the USAF, we are investigating the possibility of reducing the RAAF effort in investigating UFO reports in Australia.

[handwritten signature: Thomas W Murphy] 15 Jan 70 (T.W. MURPHY) Wg Cdr A/DAFI

[Stamp: RECEIVED 20 JAN 1970 J.I.B. (AJ)]

[Small box: Attachments Checked and Passed by [handwritten: JS] To FILE Remarks … … Library No. …]

[--- scan p.40 ---]

13B 554/1/30 (48) (19) UFO INVESTIGATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

D/D (CIV) JIO

  1. Further to teletalk Mr McMichael/Wg Cdr T.W. Murphy on Thursday 8 Jan 70, a copy of the USAF news release on UFO Investigation is attached.

  2. In view of this conclusion and decision by the USAF, we are investigating the possibility of reducing the RAAF effort in investigating UFO reports in Australia.

[handwritten signature: Thomas W Murphy] 15 Jan 70 (T.W. MURPHY) Wg Cdr A/DAFI

[--- scan p.41 ---]

13C [handwritten: A1. 4 D/DAFI (C) A1. 2] 554 / 1 / 30 (47) (18) Security Classification: [handwritten: Unclassified] Date: [handwritten: 5/10/MR] Ref:

FROM: RAAF Intelligence Representative WASHINGTON DC

TO: Directorate of Air Force Intelligence Department of Air Russell Offices CANBERRA ACT

The following Intelligence Material is forwarded herewith by Safehand Air/Sea Mail:-

[handwritten: DoD News Release - UFO]

CONTROL This document contains classified information of U S origin and is subject to the special rules which have been issued for the treatment of such documents. In particular, it must not be passed to or discussed with any agency outside the Australian Defence Services, or other nation, unless specifically cleared by the United States for release.

CLEARED FOR: … … [handwritten signature: H J Hurley] (H.J. HURLEY) Wing Commander encl: RAAF Intelligence Representative

[--- scan p.42 ---]

8A (17) NEWS RELEASE OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (PUBLIC AFFAIRS) WASHINGTON DC - 20301 PLEASE NOTE DATE

IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 17, 1969 NO. 1077-69 OXford 7-5131 (Info.) OXford 7-3189 (Copies)

AIR FORCE TO TERMINATE PROJECT “BLUE BOOK” [handwritten: Air Attache So Llee [illegible]]

Secretary of the Air Force Robert C. Seamans, Jr., announced today the termination of Project Blue Book, the Air Force program for the investigation of unidentified flying objects (UFOs).

In a memorandum to Air Force Chief of Staff General John D. Ryan, Secretary Seamans stated that “the continuation of Project Blue Book cannot be justified either on the ground of national security or in the interest of science,” and concluded that the project does not merit future expenditures of resources.

The decision to discontinue UFO investigations was based on:

  • An evaluation of a report prepared by the University of Colorado entitled, “Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects.”

  • A review of the University of Colorado’s report by the National Academy of Sciences.

  • Past UFO studies.

  • Air Force experience investigating UFO reports during the past two decades.

Under the direction of Dr. Edward U. Condon, the University of Colorado completed an 18-month contracted study of UFOs and its report was released to the public in January, 1969. The report concluded that little if anything has come from the study of UFOs in the past 21 years that has added to scientific knowledge, and that further extensive study of UFO sightings is not justified in the expectation that science will be advanced.

The University of Colorado report also states that, “It seems that only so much attention to the subject (UFOs) should be give as the Department of Defense deems to be necessary strictly from a defense point of view… It is our impression that the defense function could be performed within the framework established for intelligence and sur- veillance operations without the continuance of a special unit such as Project Blue Book, but this is a question for defense specialists rather than research scientists.”

A panel of the National Academy of Sciences made an independent assessment of the scope, methodology, and findings of the University of

MORE

[--- scan p.43 ---]

8B (16) -2-

Colorado study. The panel concurred in the University of Colorado’s recommendation that “no high priority in UFO investigations is warranted by data of the past two decades.” It concluded by stating that, “On the basis of present knowledge, the least likely explanation of UFOs is the hypothesis of extraterrestrial visitations by intelligent beings.”

Past UFO studies include one conducted by a Scientific Advisory Panel of UFOs in January, 1953 (Robertson Panel); and, a review of Project Blue Book by the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board Ad Hoc Committee, February-March, 1966 (Dr. Brian O’Brien, Chairman). These studies concluded that no evidence has been found that any of the UFO reports reflect a threat to our national security.

As a result of investigating UFO reports since 1948, the conclusions of Project Blue Book are: (1) no UFO reported, investi- gated, and evaluated by the Air Force has ever given any indication of threat to our national security; (2) there has been no evidence submitted or discovered by the Air Force that sightings categorized as “unidentified” represent technological developments or principles beyond the range of present-day scientific knowledge; and (3) there has been no evidence indicating that sightings categorized as “unidenti- fied” are extraterrestrial vehicles.

Project Blue Book records will be retired to the USAF Archives, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Requests for information will continue to be handled by the Secretary of the Air Force, Office of Information (SAFOI), Washington, D.C. 20330.

END

[--- scan p.44 ---]

THIS PAGE IS REPRODUCED FROM A BADLY FADED OR ILLEGIBLE SOURCE. SCANNING THIS ITEM AT A HIGHER RESOLUTION WILL NOT IMPROVE ITS LEGIBILITY.

12A (15) 3092/2 Rimbo, Sweden 19.11.1967

Department of National Defence Intelligence section

Sirs,

I will be most grateful if you could help me with some information concerning your attitude towards reports of unidentified aerial objects (UAO) in your country. The kind of phenomena I have in mind are those which can not readily and positively be identified as having conventional sources (e.g. common air-crafts, meteors, balloons, satellites etc.).

To make it easier for you I will number my questions so you can refer direct to the number. If you have informational sheets available it will be helpful to my documentation if you could send those along too.

1 a) Do reports of UAOs arrive to you or are they directed to some other authority (in this case, please forward the letter or state the name and address)?

b) Are there any special section within the Department of National Defence devoted to the handling of these reports?

2 Have military establishments any special orders to forward reports of UAOs to you and/or to make initial investigations?

3 Are you or some local authority (e.g. the police) making investiga- tions at the places of observation?

4 a) Have you on file any reports of UAOs?

b) In case you have, are they accessible to the public?

c) Are the results of your investigations and your evaluations available too?

5 Are you or some other authority (scientific institution - military or non military) performing any analysis on the reports filed?

6 Are you aware of some institution or organization conducting scien- tific research about UAOs, other than stated in 5?

7 Are you co-operating with other countries in this field, e.g. ex- changing reports and other information?

8 a) What are your opinion of UAOs?

b) Are your conclusion based solely on reports from your own country?

I thank you very much for your attention, and I hope you are in a position to give me the information requested.

Yours Sincerely

[handwritten signature: Hakan Malmqvist]

Hakan Malmqvist

[Stamp: RECEIVED 27 NOV 1967 J.I.B.]

470921-151 Malmqvist 5.komp (sb-komp) S.log S1, Uppsala, SWEDEN

[--- scan p.45 ---]

11A 3092/2 (14) [handwritten: CONFIDENTIAL] INWARDS TELEPRINTER

RZA120/30 CLO 006/30 R

CLO 006:/30

R 300441Z FM JIB(C) [handwritten: 10A] TO JIB(M) CONFIDENTIAL D 581 OF 30 AUG. FOR DIRECTOR FROM REP. REF YOUR 469/61 OF 7 AUGUST. DAFI HAS BEEN TOLD BY GP. CAPT. DAVIS, COMMANDING RAAF PEARCE, THAT HE DOES NOT INTEND INVESTIGATING THE UFO REPORT AS HE COULD DO NOTHING MORE THAN THE POLICE HAVE DONE 0300 0300 30/0443ZAUG

[handwritten: M 30/8 Director — [arrow to stamp: CONFIDENTIAL]]

[handwritten: 1/30/8] NNNN

[--- scan p.46 ---]

10A (13) [handwritten: Confid]

Copy of teleprinter msg 469/61 of 7 Aug 61.

FOR JIB REP FROM DIRECTOR. TODAY’S MELBOURNE SUN REPORTS THE SIGHTING OF TWELVE FLYING OBJECTS, WHICH LEFT A WHITE TRAIL OF STREAMERS WHICH FLOATED TO THE GROUND. THE REPORT WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE RAAF WOULD MAKE A REPORT ON THE INCIDENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AIR. WOULD YOU PLEASE ASK DAFI IF THEY WOULD PROVIDE US WITH A COPY OF THIS REPORT.

[--- scan p.47 ---]

THIS PAGE IS REPRODUCED FROM A BADLY FADED OR ILLEGIBLE SOURCE. SCANNING THIS ITEM AT A HIGHER RESOLUTION WILL NOT IMPROVE ITS LEGIBILITY.

9A (12) CONFIDENTIAL J3093/2/A000

Joint Intelligence Bureau

[handwritten: 5684]

J.I.B.(M) Representative, WASHINGTON -3 APR 1958

[arrow to handwritten: See 6A]

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT

Attached is a copy of a report by Captain J.A.D. Forsyth of S.S. “Woomera” on the observation of a flying object. It is requested that a copy be passed to C.I.A. for information.

[handwritten initials: AF] (W.H. King) Director

CONFIDENTIAL

[--- scan p.48 ---]

8A (11) CONFIDENTIAL J3093/2/A000

Joint Intelligence Bureau

[handwritten: 5683]

J.I.B.(M) Representative, Joint Intelligence Bureau, LONDON -3 APR 1958

[arrow to handwritten: See 6A]

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT

Attached is a copy of a report by Captain J.A.D. Forsyth of S.S. “Woomera” on the observation of a flying object. It is requested that a copy be passed to J.I.B. (London) for information.

[handwritten initials: AF] (W.H. King) Director

CONFIDENTIAL

[--- scan p.49 ---]

[handwritten: SC 10 4/3] J3093 - 2 - 000 7A [handwritten: (10)]

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA DEPARTMENT OF SHIPPING AND TRANSPORT

Postal Address—G.P.O., Box 4317 Telegraphic Address— Telephone—MB 055 JKO:PH

IN REPLY PLEASE QUOTE— V.54/383

[Stamp: REC’D 12 MAR 1958 J.I.B. (M)]

CONFIDENTIAL

REGIONAL OFFICE, MARINE BRANCH, 497 COLLINS STREET, MELBOURNE, C.1.

7th March, 1958.

The Director, Joint Intelligence Bureau, Victoria Barracks, St. Kilda Road, MELBOURNE. S.C.1.

Observation of High Speed Aerial Object.

  1. Attached hereto is an original report which has been forwarded by Captain J.A.D. Forsyth, of s.s. “WOOMERA”. Captain Forsyth is anxious that it shall be passed to the authority which will be most interested in the observation.

  2. Any communications intended for Captain Forsyth may be forwarded to his ship, C/o Huddart Parker Ltd., Box 265C, G.P.O., Melbourne.

[handwritten: signature] (J. K. CRONE) Deputy Director, Lighthouses and Navigation, Victoria.

[Bottom stamp: Attachment Checked and … [handwritten: signature] …]

[--- scan p.50 ---]

s.s. “Woomera” Captain J.A.D. Forsyth. 7B [handwritten: (9)] Passage Port Lincoln To Melbourne Via Backstairs Passage.

Report on observation of phenomenon

Observers :- B.Noble. Second Officer. Position. Lat. 36-35 S. K.O’Connell Chief Engineer. Long. 138-54 E. I.McIlrath. Fifth. Engineer. Course. 142 True. Speed. 9.5 Knots. Weather. Wind. South. Force 2. Bar. 29-98” Air.Temp. 78. Sea.Temp. 64.

Refraction Abnormal. Cloud. Alto Cumulus 2/8. Height. 10,000 feet. Visibility. Plus Thirty miles.

At 1400 hrs. E.S.T. 8th. February 1958 whilst in the above position a contrail was observed to form at about 50 degrees altitude and bearing 290 degrees from the ship. The contrail developed rapidly passed over the vessels zenith and faded out at about 40 degrees altitude and bearing 110 degrees, again reformed at about 30 degrees and finally disappeared at an altitude of about 15 degrees on the same bearing, and in a direction over the township of Kingston.

The contrail appeared to originate from some fast moving body and the height was estimated at plus 50,000 feet. The contrail remained visible for some thirty minutes gradually dispersing with the effluxion of time, it was white in colour.

The second officer likened the contrail to the trails left by V.2. rockets when launched, having observed such launchings from the North sea during 1944.

Abnormal refraction was noted at the time of observation, the s.s. “Lake Eyre” bound on an opposite course was first observed well below the horizon and the image of this vessel was seen to be inverted. Later as two images, gradually fading as the vessel came hull up on the horizon.

[Diagram showing a ship and a contrail path with handwritten labels:] [handwritten: FORMED 50° ALTITUDE] [handwritten: BRG. 290° FROM SHIP] [handwritten: PENCIL POINT] [handwritten: 40° ALT. FADED] [handwritten: REFORMED 30° ALT.] [handwritten: DISAPPEARED AT ABOUT 15° ALT. BRG. 110°] [handwritten: SCATTERED ALTO-CU. 4/8.]

[--- scan p.51 ---]

J3093/2/A000 6A [handwritten: (8)]

JOINT INTELLIGENCE BUREAU,

12 MAR 1958

JIB(M) Representative, [handwritten: 4A refers] WASHINGTON.

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT

[handwritten: 4B]

  1. Attached is a copy of a memo from Department of Territories on the reported sighting of a falling object in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. It is requested that a copy be passed to C.I.A. for information.

  2. The Department of Territories has been informed that, from the Defence point of view, further investigation would not be justified.

[handwritten: signature]

(D. T. Forsyth) Acting Director

[--- scan p.52 ---]

J3093/2/A000 5A [handwritten: (7)]

JOINT INTELLIGENCE BUREAU,

12 MAR 1958

JIB(M) Representative, [handwritten: 4A refers] LONDON.

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT

[handwritten: 4B]

  1. Attached is a copy of a memo from Department of Territories on the reported sighting of a falling object in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. It is requested that a copy be passed to J.I.B. (London) for information.

  2. The Department of Territories has been informed that, from the Defence point of view, further investigation would not be justified.

[handwritten: signature]

(D. T. Forsyth) Acting Director

[--- scan p.53 ---]

J3093 - 2 - 000 4A [handwritten: (6)] DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE 128.1.21

MINUTE PAPER

[Stamp: REC’D 27 FEB 1958 J.I.B. (M)]

Subject REPORTED SIGHTING OF FALLING OBJECT - TERRITORY OF PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA.

The Director, JOINT INTELLIGENCE BUREAU.

Attached are three copies of a memorandum No. 58/26 of 3rd February, 1958, from the Department of Territories, on the above subject. It would be appreciated if you would pass a copy to each of Joint [handwritten: Rec 1/14 etc] Intelligence Bureau, London, and Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, for their information.

  1. The Department of Territories has been informed that from the Defence point of view, a search would not be justified.

  2. [handwritten: You might show the report to Mr Breen maybe.]

[handwritten: signature] Controller, JOINT SERVICE ORGANISATIONS

24/2/1958

[Bottom stamp: Attachment Checked and … [handwritten: signature] …]

[--- scan p.54 ---]

128.1.21 4B [handwritten: (5)] COPY: Department of Territories, CANBERRA

3rd February, 1958.

58/26

The Secretary, Department of Defence, Victoria Barracks, MELBOURNE. S.E.1.

REPORTED SIGHTING OF FALLING OBJECT - TERRITORY OF PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA

Advice was recently received from the Administrator of Papua and New Guinea that Corporals J. McCulloch and B. Blyth, R.A.E., stationed at Vanimo on on the north-west coast of New Guinea, reported the sighting of an object in the sky. The following quotation is from a written report by Corporal McCulloch :-

” The object was sighted at exactly 9.30p.m. on Friday 6th December. It appeared as a bright, white light, a little above the crest of the ranges to the south-west and fell from sight behind the horizon. Although out of sight a bright glow remained and lasted for about five seconds. Soon after the glow disappeared a muffled impact was heard as though a heavy object had hit the ground at some distance. A compass bearing on the position … was found to be 243 degrees (magnetic) … true within 2 degrees either side. The bearing was taken from the exact position from where the object was sighted. Both Corporal Blyth and myself … agree with the above details.”

  1. The Administration reports that the District Officer of the area considers it probable that the object fell beside the coastal range in an area believed uninhabited and on the Australian side of the New Guinea Border. The Administrator reported that for him to follow up the report any further would be expensive in time and money and he does not, at this stage, propose to take any further action in the matter.

  2. I am referring the information to you as being of possible interest and would appreciate hearing from you, in due course, whether you consider it is worth investigation. I have similarly informed the Department of National Development and C.S.I.R.O.

(Sgd.) (C.R. Lambert) Secretary

[--- scan p.55 ---]

J3093/2 3A [handwritten: (4)] RESTRICTED

RESTRICTED COPY NO. 71…

JOINT INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE

AGENDUM NO. 71/1957

INVESTIGATIONS INTO REPORTS OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS

Attached is a copy of a memorandum from the Director of Air Force Intelligence to Director, Joint Intelligence Bureau on the above matter. In referring the matter to Controller, Joint Service Organisations the Director, Joint Intelligence Bureau said,

” It would appear that the reports in question cover a number of subjects - including those in the aeronautical field - and hence would be an appropriate study for the Scientific and Technical Intelligence Sub-Committee, when formed. I doubt whether Scientific Intelligence Branch would have the time or facilities (certainly not in its early days) to devote much study to these reports. The Branch could, however, probably serve as a coordinator for any investigations if required. ”

  1. Director, Joint Intelligence Bureau suggested that the subject should be brought forward for Joint Intelligence Committee discussion when the Scientific and Technical Intelligence Sub-Committee had been formed and was in operation.

Submission

  1. The matter will be listed for consideration by the Joint Intelligence Committee at an early date.

[handwritten signature] Joint Secretary

18/10/1957

DISTRIBUTION:

List ‘A’ Mr. White. S.T.I.S.C.

RESTRICTED

[--- scan p.56 ---]

3B [handwritten: (3)]

COPY: Department of Air MELBOURNE, C.1.

1st April 1957

Director, Joint Intelligence Bureau, Victoria Barracks, St. Kilda Road, MELBOURNE.

INVESTIGATIONS INTO REPORTS OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS

This Department frequently receives reports direct from civilians, or passed on by other departments, of unidentified flying objects. We also receive requests for assistance and advice from various “Flying Saucer Research Societies”.

  1. Many of these reports presumably cover such mundane things as meteorological and astronomical phenomena; others appear to be inexplicable. Most of them are outside the aeronautical field.

  2. As your branch has now established a Scientific Intelligence Section, it would appear that these reports could best be investigated and evaluated by one of your Scientific Research Officers, who will have a broader background of knowledge of this type of phenomena than anyone in this Directorate.

  3. If you agree that you can accept this commitment, I will be glad to make available all the papers which we have acquired, to date, on this subject.

(sgd.) P.W. Dawson, W.C. (A.D. HENDERSON) Group Captain DIRECTOR OF AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE

[--- scan p.57 ---]

RESTRICTED J3093/2/A000 2A [handwritten: (2)] JOINT INTELLIGENCE BUREAU

INVESTIGATIONS INTO REPORTS OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS

29 APR 1957

Controller, Joint Service Organisations

[handwritten: /A]

  1. I would appreciate your advice on the proposal contained in the attached copy of D.A.F.I.’s 114/1/201 (23A) of 1st April 1957.

  2. It would appear that the reports in question cover a number of subjects - including those in the aero- nautical field - and hence would be an appropriate study for the S.T.I.S.C., when formed. I doubt whether Scientific Intelligence Branch would have the time or facilities (certainly not in its early days) to devote much study to these reports. The Branch could, however, probably serve as a co-ordinator for any investigations required.

  3. I would suggest that we ask D.A.F.I. to continue to hold the papers they have acquired and to bring the subject forward again, preferably for J.I.C. discussion, when the S.T.I.S.C. has been formed and in operation.

[handwritten: (See me) J M3] [handwritten: signature]

(D. T. Forsyth) Acting Director

RESTRICTED

[--- scan p.58 ---]

1A [handwritten: (1)] [Stamp: RECEIVED 2 APR 1957 J.I.B.]

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

DEPARTMENT OF AIR,

MELBOURNE, C.1

114/1/201 (23A) [handwritten: 1st April 1957]

Director, Joint Intelligence Bureau, Victoria Barracks, St. Kilda Road, MELBOURNE.

INVESTIGATIONS INTO REPORTS OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS

This Department frequently receives reports direct from civilians, or passed on by other departments, of unidentified flying objects. We also receive requests for assistance and advice from various “Flying Saucer Research Societies”.

  1. Many of these reports presumably cover such mundane things as meteorological and astronomical phenomena; others appear to be inexplicable. Most of them are outside the aeronautical field.

  2. As your branch has now established a Scientific Intelligence Section, it would appear that these reports could best be investigated and evaluated by one of your Scientific Research Officers, who will have a broader back- ground of knowledge of this type of phenomena than anyone in this Directorate.

  3. If you agree that you can accept this commit- ment, I will be glad to make available all the papers which we have acquired, to date, on this subject.

[handwritten: signature]

for (A. D. HENDERSON) [handwritten: Rec’d] Group Captain DIRECTOR OF AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE

[--- scan p.59 ---]

[A tracking slip taped to the page:]

Director 1/4 1A [handwritten signature] Sect. O 2/4 … [handwritten signature] Director 4/4 M2 [handwritten signature] Asst Dir 23/10 3AB [handwritten signature] 23/10 C.I.O 23/10 3AB [handwritten signature] 23/10 Sect O 4/11 3AB [handwritten signature] 4/11 Hd SPB 28/10 3A-B [handwritten signature] 11/11 C.I.O 3/3 4AB [handwritten signature] 4/3 Se I.B. 4/3 4B [handwritten signature] 11/3 C.I.O 14/3 4AB [handwritten signature] 17/3 Sect O 14/3 4B [handwritten signature] 31/3 Director 30/7/61 11A [handwritten signature] 31/7 D.I. 30/8 4A [handwritten signature] 30/8 AD(Sci) 3/8 4A [handwritten signature]