EncounterinRendleshamForest

NickPope

AllRightsReserved

Thiseditionpublishedin2014by:

ThistlePublishing36GreatSmithStreetLondonSW1P3BU

www.thistlepublishing.co.uk

ToElizabeth

Withallmylove,forever

Contents

CoverTitlePageCopyrightPageDedicationAcknowledgementsGlossaryofAbbreviationsIntroduction

Chapter1:GroundZeroChapter2:TheMorningAfterChapter3:IntotheDarknessChapter4:It'sComingThisWayChapter5:CharlesHaltOvertheYearsChapter6:TheMostImportantBasesinNATOChapter7:DebriefingtheWitnessesChapter8:TheBritsAreComingChapter9:SkepticalTheoriesChapter10:ExoticTheoriesChapter11:TheStoryGetsOutChapter12:RendleshamRumorsChapter13:NoDefenseSignificance?Chapter14:ProjectCondignChapter15:BeyondRendleshamChapter16:OtherVoicesChapter17:TheSearchforAnswersChapter18:TheRendleshamCodeChapter19:FinalThoughtsfromJohnBurroughsAndJimPenniston

ConclusionSelectedDocumentsandImages

Acknowledgements

Thisbookowesitsexistencetoalargenumberofpeople.

Firstly,Iwouldliketothankmyliteraryagent,AndrewLownie.Ihavebeenagented(I'mnotsureifthat‘word'willgetpastmyeditor!)byAndrewfornearly20yearsnowandIknowthatasanauthorhimself,he‘getsit'.Hehasconsistentlygivenmeexcellentadviceandworkedtirelesslytogetthebestpossibledealsformybooks.Inaworldwherethewordissometimesmisusedorabused,hehasgenuinelysteeredmeto"bestseller"status.

IwouldalsoliketothankallthoseatSt.Martin'sPresswhohaveworkedsohardonthisproject,helpingtoensurethat thisfinalproduct isaspolishedaspossible.Iwouldparticularlyliketothankmyeditor,PeterWolverton and his assistant, Anne Brewer, for their vision, words of wisdom and effort. Theyensuredthattheeditorialprocesswasanabsolutepleasureandaddedvalueateverystep.Thankstothegraphicsdepartmentforthestrikingandevocativefrontcover,andtoallthoseinsales,marketingandPRwhohaveputsomucheffortintomakingthisbookasuccess.

I should also like to pay tribute to other authors, journalists, broadcasters and researchers who havehelped us uncover the truth about the Rendlesham Forest incident. Their hardwork and perseverancehelpedblazeatrailandbringusclosertothetruth.Mostofthoseconcernedhavebeenacknowledgedinthetextitself,butIshouldliketohighlightinparticularJohnAlexander,KeithBeabey,GeorginaBruni,Jasper Copping, Darren DeBoy, Chuck de Caro, James Fox, Timothy Good, Neil Henderson, LindaMoultonHowe,LeslieKeanandSalleyRayl.

Thankyoutoastronautandall-AmericanheroEdgarMitchellandtoformerCanadianDefenseMinisterandDeputyPrimeMinisterPaulHellyerforsharingtheirviewsaboutthisincident.PosthumousthankstotheformerUKChiefoftheDefenseStaffLordHill-Nortonforhisindefatigablequesttouncoverthetruthabouttheseevents.

Iamalsogratefultoallthosewhohelpedwiththe‘RendleshamCode',bringingtheirrespectiveenergies,insightsandexpertisetobearonthismostintriguingaspectofthecase.ParticularthanksareduetoNickCiske,JoeLuciano,GaryOsbornandKimSheerin.

This book would not have been possible without the co-operation, advice and assistance of a largenumberofmenandwomenbasedatBentwatersandWoodbridgeat the timeof theRendleshamForestincident.Iamgratefultoallconcerned,butinparticulartoDaveCoffey,CharlesHalt,Charles(Chuck)Heubusch,MonroeNevelsandGordonWilliams.Ioffermyparticularthankstoallthosewhoservedinthe81st Security Police Squadronwho, alongwith other colleagues,were caught up in these events. Ihopeyougettheanswersyouarelookingfor.

Thankyou tovarious staffs at theUKMinistryofDefense, theUSDepartmentofDefenseand theUKNational Archives for various technical assistance and thank you to various other people withingovernment, the military and the intelligence agencies who have helped with information, insights orsupport,butwhocannotbenamed.

My heartfelt thanks go to Pat Frascogna for being part of the team and for his excellent overview(reproduced in full in chapter 17) of theongoingwork to use theFreedomof InformationAct to pushvariousagenciestorevealwhattheyknowabouttheRendleshamForestincident.PathasbeenatirelesscampaigneronbehalfofJohnBurroughsandJimPennistonandhasgivenmostgenerouslyofhistimeandexpertise.

ThankyoutoPatriciaBullockWilliamsforherpainstakinganalysisoftheaudiotapemadeonthenightofthesecondandhermeticuloustranscript.

My most profound thanks, of course, are reserved for my two co-authors. John Burroughs and JimPennistonwerethetwoUnitedStatesAirForcepersonnelattheheartofthisincident.Intheyearssincethe encounter they have suffered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other health problems, and havebeenfrustratedasamixtureofhalf-truths,rumors,exaggerationsandlieshavebeentoldaboutthiscase.These twomen served their country with honor and distinction. It is high time that their loyalty wasrepaid.

I would also like to offer a heartfelt thank you and an apology to anybody who I have inadvertentlyforgottentomentionbynamehere.Iamnolessgrateful,despitetheomission.

Finallyandmostimportantly,Iamgratefultomywife,ElizabethWeiss,forallhersupport.Iloveyou.

GlossaryofAbbreviations

ADGE–AirDefenseGroundEnvironmentAFOSI–AirForceOfficeofSpecialInvestigationsCAA–CivilAviationAuthorityCDS–ChiefoftheDefenseStaffCIA–CentralIntelligenceAgencyCINCUSAFE-CommanderinChiefUnitedStatesAirForcesinEuropeDARPA–DefenseAdvancedResearchProjectsAgencyDIA–DefenseIntelligenceAgencyDIS–DefenseIntelligenceStaffDoD–DepartmentofDefenseDS8–DefenseSecretariat8FAA–FederalAviationAdministrationFOIA–FreedomofInformationActLE–LawEnforcementMoD–MinistryofDefenseNASA–NationalAeronauticsandSpaceAgencyNBC–Nuclear,BiologicalandChemicalNCND–NeitherConfirmNorDenyNCO–Non-CommissionedOfficerNSA–NationalSecurityAgencyPRP–PersonnelReliabilityProgramPTSD–Post-TraumaticStressDisorderPQ–ParliamentaryQuestionRAF–RoyalAirForceSec(AS)–Secretariat(AirStaff)SME–SubjectMatterExpertSOP–StandardOperatingProcedureSP–SecurityPoliceSRAFLO–SeniorRoyalAirForceLiaisonOfficerUAP–UnidentifiedAerialPhenomenaUSAF–UnitedStatesAirForceVA–UnitedStatesDepartmentofVeteransAffairsWSA–WeaponsStorageArea

Introduction

Almost everyone has heard of theRoswell incident. Even if someone has no interest inUFOs and noparticularbeliefson the subject,merementionof "Roswell"will likely lead to some recognition: "Ohyes",peoplewillsay,"theplacewhereaUFOissupposedtohavecrashedin1947".Somebelieveit,othersdon'tandawholebunchofpeopleareundecided,butthepointis,justabouteverybodyhasheardthe story. It goes further than this. Roswell is not only the subject of countless books and TVdocumentaries,buthasbecomepartofpopculture.Whenavideoemergedin1995,purportingtoshowthedissectionofanextraterrestrialfromthecrash,theso-called"alienautopsyfilm"wasfront-pagenewsallaroundtheworld.Roswellwasname-checkedinthesciencefictionmovieIndependenceDay;andthetown of Roswell, in NewMexico, boasts a UFOmuseum and puts on an annual UFO parade wherethousandsturnout.

Theproblem is,whateverhappenedatRoswell tookplacewellover65yearsago.The last survivingwitness, JesseMarcel Jr., died onAugust 23, 2013.Hewas 10 years old back in 1947when, as herecountedthestory,hisfather–anAirForceintelligenceofficer–wokehimupinthemiddleofthenightandshowedhimstrangedebris,tellinghimitwasfromaspaceship,andthathe'dneverseeanythinglikeiteveragain.

AUSinfantrymanoncewrote that"Nowar is reallyoveruntil the lastveteran isdead".Once thishashappened,awarpasses from livingmemory intohistory.So,with thepassingofMarcel,Roswellhasbecomepartofhistory.Thisbeingthecase,howcantherebeameaningfuldiscussionaboutUFOs,ifthebest-knownandmost often-citedUFO incident tookplace so long ago andno contemporarywitnessesremaintoshedanylightonwhathappened?Surelythere'samorerecentUFOincidentthatcanbecomethenewfocusofthedebate?Can'twedobetterthandraggingupRoswellyetagain?Thegoodnewsis,wemost certainly can! This book tells the story of just such aUFO incident and unlikeRoswell, thewitnessesareverymuchalive–andreadytotelltheirstories.

Simply put, the Rendlesham Forest incident is by far the best-documented andmost compelling UFOincidentevertohavetakenplace.Ittookplaceoveraseriesofthreenights,inaforestthatlaybetweentwo United States Air Force (USAF) bases in England. This was not some vague "lights in the sky"sighting–theUFOactuallylanded.ButunlikeRoswell,whereit'sclaimedthatthecraftcrashed,withthewreckage (andmaybe bodies too) being spirited away by themilitary, thisUFOwas seen to take offagain.

UnlikeRoswell,wheretherearelotsofstoriesandrumors,butfewhardfacts,thisisacasewherethereisanabundanceofevidence.Thisbooktellsthecompletestoryofthisincidentfromthelandingonthefirstnight,tothesubsequentreturnoftheUFOaswitnessedbytheskepticalDeputyBaseCommanderandagroupoftough,skepticalUSAFmilitarypersonnel.

As compelling as testimony is at this level – multiple witnesses; military personnel, some of longseniorityandhighrank–thebookyouareabouttoreadwilldofarmorethansetouteyewitnessaccounts.Wewillpresentradardataanddetailphysicalevidencetobackupthestatements,includinginformationabout abnormally high radiation levels found at the landing site. All such claims are backed up byverifiable sources, such as formerly-classifiedUKMinistry ofDefense (MoD)documents obtainedbyinformedandcarefullytargeteduseoftheFreedomofInformationAct.

At theheartof thisbooklies the testimonyof the twowitnessesmostclosely involvedin this incident,

JohnBurroughsandJimPenniston.

JohnBurroughsservedfortwenty-sevenyearsinactiveandreservedutyintheUSAF.AtthetimeoftheincidenthewasanAirmanFirstClass,assignedasaSecurityPolice/LawEnforcementpatrolmanatRAFBentwaters.HisnumerousdeploymentsincludedvariousassignmentstotheMiddleEastandsomeofthedetails remain classified to this day. Burroughs left the Air Force in 2006, as a Law EnforcementSupervisor.

JimPenniston is themore seniorof the twomen,having joined theUSAF in1973. In1980,when theincidentoccurred,hewasaStaffSergeant:aseniorandexperiencedNon-CommissionedOfficer(NCO)who held the post of Senior SecurityOfficer. Hewas in day-to-day charge of base security andwasresponsible for the protection of the war-fighting resources at the base. Penniston served throughoutOperationsDesertShieldandDesertStorm,thoughlikeBurroughs,manydetailsofhismilitarycareerarestillclassified.HeretiredfromtheUSAFin1993.

Whiletherearedozens–ifnothundreds–ofUSAFpersonnelwhowereinvolvedinsomeaspectoftheRendleshamForestincident,itisBurroughsandPennistonwhoarecentraltothisstory.Theyarethetwoindividuals who, responding to reports of a possible security incident on December 26, 1980, foundthemselvesfacetofacewiththelandedUFO.Theyaretheonesforwhomtheufology/sci-fiphrase"closeencounter"wastobecomeachillingreality.

JohnBurroughs,JimPennistonandIhavecollaboratedonthisbookandwhileIhavetakenontheroleofleadwriter(somebodyhadtodrawtheshortstrawandsitdowninfrontofthecomputer!),thisisajointventure ineverysense.Wehaveworked togetheron thisproject formanymonths,poolingknowledge,swappinginsightsfromourrespectiveareasofexpertise,brainstorming,debatingtheoriesandgenerallytrying to make sense of the wealth of information that we have amassed on the Rendlesham Forestincident.

Evenwhennotfeatureddirectlyinsomepartsofthenarrative,it'stheinsideknowledgeofBurroughsandPenniston that has enabled this story tobe told.Aside from relayingwhat they experienced first-hand,BurroughsandPennistonhavelocatedotherwitnessesandpersuadedthemtoplacetheiraccountsintothepublicdomain.Moregenerally,theirin-depthknowledgeofthebases,thepersonnel,themissionandthestandardoperatingprocedureshasenabledustoseparatefactfromfiction,andtoputtheeventsintotheircorrectpolitico-militarycontext.

ThisbooktellsthestorynotjustofthesespectacularUFOencounters,butofwhathappenedafterwards.Inmanyways,thisisjustascompelling–andevenmoredisturbing–thantheUFOsightingsthemselves.The aftermath of the incident saw not just an attempt to remove evidence and silence witnesses, butofficial debriefings where threats were made and where narcotics and hypnosis were used first touncover,thentodistortandfinallytoburythetruth.JohnBurroughsandJimPenniston,inparticular,foundthemselvesintheeyeofthisstorm.

OneparticularlydarkanddisturbingaspectofthisstoryrelatestothehealthproblemsthatBurroughsandPennistonarenowsuffering–problemsthattheyattributetotheircloseproximitytothelandedcraft.Ofparticularconcern,givenaDefenseIntelligenceStaff(DIS)assessmentofreadings takenat the landingsite by the Disaster Preparedness Officer, using a Geiger counter, is the possibility that they wereirradiated by the object. This would certainly explain some of the problems the two men haveexperiencedandthisiswhytheyareseekingtoobtaintheirmilitarymedicalrecords.This,inconjunctionwithclarificationfromtheUSmilitaryonwhattheyencountered,wouldenableBurroughsandPenniston

toobtainproperdiagnosisandtreatment.

Unfortunately, what should be a simple administrative procedure – obtaining two medical files – isprovingtobeabureaucraticnightmare.BurroughsandPenniston'smedicalrecordsappeartobeheldbyalittle-knownclassifiedrecordssectionintheDepartmentofVeteransAffairs.AcombinationofFreedomof Information Act requests, a threatened lawsuit, and engagement with various Congressionalrepresentativeshaveallbeenbroughttobearonwhatisanongoingsituation.

ThisisnotaUFObookinanyconventionalsense.MostUFObooks–whetherornottheauthorscomeoutandsayso–arewrittentomakeacasethatUFOsareextraterrestrialspacecraft.AmuchsmallernumberofUFObooksarewrittenwiththeintentionofdisprovingtheso-called"extraterrestrialhypothesis".Bothtypesofbooksareconclusion-led.Theauthorspeddletheirowndogma,beitthatoftruebelieverordie-hard debunker. Data is used selectively, erroneously or downright dishonestly in such a way as toconvince readers either that we're being visited by space aliens or, conversely, that such a thing isimpossible.

Thisbooktakesafundamentallydifferentapproach.It'sdata-ledandweplaceintothepublicdomainavastamountofinformation,mostofitpublishedhereforthefirsttime.Thiscomprisestestimonyfromthewitnessesmostcloselyinvolvedwiththeseevents;informationfromnewly-declassifiedgovernmentUFOfiles, and insights from our respective positions within the UKMoD and the USAF.While we givereaders an insider's perspective of the secretive government and military world in which this storyunfolds,weleaveittoreaderstoassesstheinformationanddecideforthemselveswhattheythink.

WhatfollowsistheinsidestoryofaUFOincidentthat'sbiggerthanRoswell,butit'salsoaveryhumanstoryof twomenonaquest.WhathappenedtoJohnBurroughs,JimPennistonandothers inDecember1980isbizarreandterrifyingenoughinitsownright.Butwhathappenednextisevenmoredisturbing,astheystruggletocometotermswithalife-changing,paradigm-shiftingevent;astheysearchforanswers;andastheytakeonagovernmentthatontheonehandsaysUFOsareanon-issue,butontheother,behavesasifthetopicwasashighlyclassifiedasanysubjectingovernment.

This is a timely book. Interest inUFOs is at an all-time high. Programs on the subject are a constantfixtureonTVschedules.Perhapsnetworkexecutivessenseaquickeningofpacehere,withaseeminglyconstant streamof storiesaboutnewastronomicaldiscoveries that takeuscloserandcloser to findingplanetslikeEarth.Perhapstheyrealizethatfewquestionsarebigger,moreprofound,morecontroversialandmoreimpactfulthan"arewealoneintheUniverse?"and"arewebeingvisited?"

This book is timely for another reason.After a periodwhen such thingswere either not thought aboutmuch or seemed to be accepted, concerns over government secrecy have risen to near the top of thepoliticalandmediaagenda.FuelledbysitessuchasJulianAssange'sWikiLeaksandbytherevelationsofwhistle-blowerslikeChelsea(formerlyBradley)ManningandEdwardSnowden,thesecretstateisbignews.Whether it's theNSA's PRISMprogram, drones, orworries over security of personal data,UScitizensrealizethetimeisrighttohaveaninformeddebateonthesubject.ThestoryoftheRendleshamForestincidentraisestheseveryissues.Ontheonehand,wehavethenaturaldesireofJohnBurroughsandJimPennistontofindoutwhathappenedtothem.Opengovernmentandfreedomofinformationmayhelpthem.Butontheotherhand,itseemsclearthatwhateverhappenedtoBurroughs,Pennistonandtheirothermilitarycolleagues,someone ingovernmentwants it tostaysecretand isprepared togo togreatlengthstoensurethingsstaythatway.Is thisheavy-handedness,oraretherelegitimatereasonswhythetruthabouttheseencountersmustneverbemadepublic?

Withthesebriefremarksmade,it'stimetobeginourjourneyofdiscovery.It'sajourneythatbeginsinthedarknessofanEnglishforest,andendsintheWhiteHouse.

ChapterOne–GroundZero

IntheearlyhoursofDecember26,1980,there'slittleoutwardsignofactivityatthetwinUSAFbasesofBentwaters andWoodbridge. The bases lie a few hundred yards from each other. Between them liesRendleshamForest.Thetwinbasesaremuchasyou'dexpectmilitarybases tobe– thoughtheyhideasecretthatwouldhorrifymostpeopleinthearea,whowereblissfullyunawareofthebases'truemission.BentwatersandWoodbridgelieinthesleepycountyofSuffolk,onthecold,exposedcoastoftheEastofEngland.Formostoftheyoungmenandwomenhere,it'stheirfirstexperienceofaforeigncountry.Tosoftentheblow,thebaseshaveallthecomfortsofhome–abar,aburgerjointandotherstores–they'relikesmallAmericantownsnestlingintheheartoftheEnglishcountryside.

TheeventsstartedwhenAirmanFirstClassJohnBurroughsspottedstrangelightsintheforest.BurroughshadbeenpatrollingWoodbridgeandwasclosetotheEastGate(sometimescolloquiallyreferredtoasthebackgate).Thelightsweredueeastfromthatlocationandwereredandblue.Theredlightwasabovethe blue light and theywere flashing on and off.Burroughs alerted his supervisor, Staff SergeantBudSteffens.Bothmenwatched inamazementasdespitebeing familiarwith thearea (Burroughshadbeenbasedthereforseventeenmonths),theyhadneverseenanythinglikeitbefore.

Theirfirstthoughtwasthatanaircraftmighthavecrashedintheforest.NotoneoftheA-10s(therewasnomilitaryflyingactivityonthenightconcerned)butperhapsacivilianlightaircraft.Theirfirstandmostbasicinstinct,ofcourse,wastoinvestigateandtorenderassistanceifitwasneeded.Also,therewasthequestionofsecurity. Ifsomeunexplainedactivitywasgoingonsoclose to the twinbases,was thereathreat–actualorpotential?

BurroughsunlockedthecombinationlockontheEastGateandheandSteffensdroveoutofthegateandacoupleofhundredyardsorsodowntoasmallpublicroad.There,theyturnedrightanddroveanother10or20yards,beforereachinga lefthandturningwhereasmall trackled into theforest.At thispoint,awhitelightwasvisible,inadditiontotheredandbluelights.Thiswhitelightwasparticularlyoddandatone point appeared to be coming closer to them, down the small track. The color, configuration andmovementofthelightswerelikenoaircraftorvehicletheywerefamiliarwith.

Despitetheurgetopresson,theyrealizedtheyneededtocall-inthisincident,sodrovebacktotheEastGate,where theyphoned in a brief report –using the landline in theguard shack, as opposed to theirpocketradios,whichwereknowntobeinsecureandsusceptibletoscanners,whichcouldbeusedtopickupconversations.

Burroughs spoke to theLawEnforcement duty desk sergeant, Sergeant ‘Crash'McCabe and explainedwhatwashappening.McCabewasn'tsurewhattomakeofthisandbrieflywonderedwhethersomesortofpracticaljokewasbeingplayedonhim.HeaskedtospeaktoSteffens,whoconfirmedwhatBurroughshadsaidwastrueandthathetoohadwitnessedthestrangelights.McCabealsosuspectedthatanaircraftcrashmighthaveoccurredandcalled through toCentralSecurityControl,passing theproblemtoStaffSergeantDavidCoffey.

Coffey called the on-duty flight chief at RAFWoodbridge, Staff Sergeant James (Jim)W. Penniston.Pennistonwasn't briefed on the nature of the situation butwas told to proceedwith his rider,AirmanEdwardN.Cabansag, driving to theEastGatewith blue lights on to rendezvouswith "Police 4" and"Police 5" – the call signs for Burroughs and Steffens. This was highly unusual and Penniston wassomewhat flustered and annoyed that he wasn't briefed on what to expect, but was simply told torendezvouswithBurroughsandPennistonattheEastGate,wherehe'dbetoldthenatureofthesituation.

Thisdeparturefromstandardprocedurewasoneofthefirstindicationsthatthiswasahighlyunusualandsensitivesituation.Italsoraisesthepossibilitythatatleastsomepeopleinthechainofcommandalreadyknewmoreaboutthisthantheyweresaying,orhadbeeninstructednottogivedetailsofthesituationoverthecommunicationssystems.Otherwise,whynotsimplysaytoPennistonsomethingalongthelinesthatapatrol is investigatingapossible aircraft crash in the forest?Coffeycouldhavebeenevenvaguer andusedaphrase suchas "possible security situation",or thatphrase sobelovedbypoliceall around theworld,"anincident".TherewasnoproblemintermsofjurisdictionandUSAFpersonnelwerecertainlyallowed to patrol off-base ("outside the wire", as it's called in the military) in a wide range ofcircumstances.

Whilethere'ssomeconfusionovertheexacttime,JimPennistonrecallsthatitwasjustaftermidnight.

BurroughsandSteffenswerestillwaitingat theEastGatewhentheywerejoinedbyPennistonandhisdriver,AirmanFirstClassEdwardCabansag.TheyquicklybriefedPennistonandonceagain,theviewoftheexperiencedflightchiefwasthat thismusthavebeenanaircraftcrash.But itwasthemiddleof thenight, atChristmas,and therewascertainlynomilitaryaircraftactivity.Andwhile thepossibilityofacivilaircraftwasstillbeingconsidered,nobodyhadheardanexplosionoranysounds.Andthat'swhenSteffensmadeanoddremarkthatcaughteveryone'sattention:

"Itdidn'tcrash.Itlanded".

Despite thatdisconcertingobservation,Penniston felt theaircraft crash theorywas still themost likelyexplanation andwith this inmind, radioedCentral SecurityControl and asked to speak to the overallflightchiefforbothbases,MasterSergeantJ.D.Chandler.

If all this ‘A calls B, who then checks with C' procedure seems somewhat labored, especially in asituationwherethoseinvolvedmighthavebeendealingwithanaircraftcrash,therearethreeimportantpoints tobear inmind.Firstly,while lookingat awrittenaccountmight lead readers to thinkvaluabletimewasbeingwasted,mostoftheactionssetoutabovearerelativelyquickandeasyonesand–inthecase of the telephone calls and radio conversations – take only seconds. Secondly, the military is anotoriouslyhierarchicalorganizationwhereeverybodyisveryrankconscious;insuchaculture,clearinga non-routine action with your supervisor, or at the very least informing him or her, is rather moreimportantthanitisinmostcivilianorganizations–"gettingyourtopcover"asit'ssometimesreferredto.Finally, the security police and law enforcement specialisms tend to be very process-driven in manyrespects.Initiativeisstillencouraged,butalotoftasksareperformedbyfollowingasetprocedurethat'slearnedbyheartandthenconstantlytestedandreinforcedthroughtraining.

Withtheaircraftcrashtheoryinmind,ChandlercheckedthepositionwithregardtoaircraftactivitywiththecontroltoweratBentwaters.SomebodyinthecontroltowercheckedtheradarandalsoplacedcallstoRAFBawdsey,RAFWattonandHeathrowAirportinLondon.Thekeypieceofinformationthatcamebackwas thata"bogey"–or"bogie"– (definedby theUSAFas"a radarorvisualaircontactwhoseidentity is unknown") hadbeen tracked around15minutes previously, but that the target hadbeen lostwhen it disappeared from the radar screendirectly over theWoodbridgebase.Chandler contacted theshift commander and gave Penniston theOK to continue the investigation. Perhaps because he sensedtrouble,orknewsomethingwasamiss,Pennistonrequestedback-up.Inresponsetothisrequest,Chandlerdecidedtocomeouthimself.

Withthesomewhattroublingpieceofnewsabouttheradarreturnhavingbeenrelayedtothem,Penniston,BurroughsandCabansagdroveoutintotheforesttoresumetheinvestigationthatBurroughsandSteffens

hadstartedshortlybeforehand.ThereissomeconfusionaboutwhySteffensdidn'tgooutintotheforest.Onepossibilitywasthatwithpersonnelabouttogooff-base,weaponsneededtobeleftwithsomeone–thoughinfact,weaponscanbetakenoff-baseinsomecircumstances,e.g.whereanimmediateandserioussecuritythreatisperceived.Indeed,there'sasuggestionthatsomeofthosewhowentintotheforestdidn'tleavetheirweaponsbehind,eveniftheyshouldhavedone!

Penniston,BurroughsandCabansagtookthesamerouteashadbeentakenbefore:theydrovethecoupleofhundredyardsorsofromtheEastGatetothesmallroadthatranthroughtheforest.Theyturnedright,droveforafewyards,thenturnedleftdownasmalltrackthatleddeeperintotheforest.Thesetracksarenotproperroadsandareverynarrowandbumpy.Youcan'tdriveavehicle–evenasturdyone likeamilitaryJeep–thatfardownthem,soaftermaybenomorethan50yardsorso,theyhadtostopthecarandproceedonfoot.

As they advanced into the forestwith– asCabansagdescribed it – "extreme caution"– all threemencouldseethestrangelights.Cabansagdescribedthemasbeing"blue,red,whiteandyellow".

Thoughnotformallyclassifiedassuch,itwasclearthattheeventwasnowbeingtreatedasapotentialsecuritysituation.Whiletheonlytheorythathadbeendiscussedsofarwasthatthiswasapotentialcrashofalightaircraft,thefactssimplydidn'taddup.Andbythistime,noneofthoseinvolvedthoughtthiswaswhat theyweredealingwith: theobviousproofof this is thatnobodyhadcalled foranambulance (oreven a first aid kit!) or called out the fire brigade. Another cluewas Cabansag's admission that theyproceededwith"extremecaution"–hardlytheactionsofapatrolengagedonanurgentsearchandrescuemission.

Bythistime,theback-upthey'drequestedhadarrived.ThisconsistedofMasterSergeantChandler(whoPennistonhadspokentoearlier)inanothervehicle.There'sconfusionaboutwhoarrivedfirst.Chandlersaysthatwhenhearrived,Penniston,BurroughsandCabansag"hadenteredthewoodedareajustbeyondtheclearingat the access road",whileCabansag said thatChandlerwas already "on the scene". Suchinconsistenciesmayseemminor,butthey'reindicativeofsomethingwider,becausewhilefourmenwereintheforestthatnight,allcamebackwithdifferentmemoriesofwhathappenednext.

Ataboutthistime,allfourmen'sradiosbegantomalfunction.Orrather–giventhesmallchancethatfourseparate radioswouldsimultaneouslymalfunction–somethingbegan to interferewithcommunications,whichseemedonlytobeworkingoverashortdistance.Todealwiththis,thefourmenadoptedalow-techsolutionandsetuparadiorelay.Inotherwords,Chandlerstayedwiththeparkedvehiclesandfromtherewasable to relaymessagesbetween themenwhowentdeeper into the forestandhiscolleaguesbackonthebase,inCentralSecurityControl.Cabansagwentforward,butwhenheandChandlercouldhardlyheareachother,hetoostopped,leavingonlyJohnBurroughsandJimPennistontopushforwardstotrytofindthesourceofthelights.

Burroughs and Penniston soon realized therewas something seriouslywrong. The airwas filledwithstaticelectricityandthehairsontheirarmsandonthebackoftheirneckswerestandingonend.Itwasdifficulttowalkproperlyandtheydescribedtheexperienceasbeingakintowadingthroughdeepwater.All the time, the lightswere aheadof them,gettingbrighter andmoreclearlydefinedas theyventureddeeperintotheforest,closertowhateverwasoutthere.

Up ahead was a small clearing, brightly illuminated. They had reached their goal. Suddenly, as theyapproached,therewasasilentexplosionoflight.Theyinstinctivelyhittheground,fearingthey'dbehitbydebrisfromthebrightflashoflight.Penniston,seeingnoapparentharmfromtheimmenseflashoflight,

stoodupandwhatcameclearlyintoviewwasclearlynothingtodowithanaircraftcrash.

PennistonlookedtohisrightandsawBurroughsengulfedinahugebeamoflightwhichappearedtobecomingfromabove.ThelightencompassedBurroughs.ThenPennistonsawthatwhathadfirstappearedtobeasphereoflightinfrontofhimhaddissipatedandnowhadtheappearanceofacraftofsomesort.

Staggered,Pennistontookstockofthesituation.Intheclearingwasasmall,metalliccraft.Itwasaboutthreemetershighandmaybethreemetersacrossatthebase.Thecraftwasroughlytriangularinshapeandappeared to be either hovering just above the ground, or perhaps resting on legs at each edge of theobject,asifitwasonatripod,likealunarlandingmodule(onlywiththreelegsandnotfour).Ithadabankofbluelightsonitssideandabrightwhitelightonthetop.Therewasnosoundwhatsoever.

AsPennistonapproachedtheobjecthesawstrangesymbolsontheside.Theywereunlikeanythinghe'dseen before and the nearest match he could come up with was that they were like ancient Egyptianhieroglyphs.Pennistonhadthepresenceofmindtotakeanumberofphotographsandsketchboththecraftandthesymbolsinhispolicenotebook.

Finally,Pennistonpluckedupthecouragetotouchtheobject.Itfelthardandsmooth.This,combinedwiththelookofthehull,closeup,madehimthinkofasmooth,opaqueblackglass.Hethenmovedtotouchthesymbols.Herecallsthesensationthus:

"Theskinofthecraftwassmoothtotouch.Almostlikerunningyourhandoverglass.Voidofseamsorimperfections,untilIranmyfingersoverthesymbols.Thesymbolswerenothingliketherestof thecraft,theywererough,likerunningmyfingersoversandpaper."

AsPennistontouchedthesymbols,thewhitelightontopofthecraftflaredupandbecamesointensethatPennistonwasfear-struckandtemporarilyblindedbywhatwasbeforehim.Pennistonremovedhishandfromthecraftandassoonashedidso,thelightdimmedandthesenseofpanicreceded.

After some time, and to Penniston's utter amazement, the craft lifted slowly off the ground. Again,everythingseemedtomoveinslowmotion,withthecrafttakingtwoorthreeminutestoriseupabovethetreesaround theedgeof thesmallclearing.All the time,evenwith theobject risingabove theground,therewasnonoise.Becausetheclearingwassmallandthetreesweredense,attimestheobjectseemedasifithadtomanoeuvrethroughthetrees.Finally,whenithadclearedthetrees,itacceleratedawayinaninstant.Penniston,methodicalandprofessionalinthefaceofeverything,wrotethefollowingobservationinhispolicenotebook:

"Speed–impossible".

Burroughs has few coherent memories of what happened after the explosion of light. After he threwhimselftotheground,herecallsseeingared,oval,sun-likeobjectintheclearing,butdoesnotrecallthecraft.Forhim,thetimefromhittingthegrounduntilseeingtheUFOdepartseemedlikeafewseconds,whereasforJim,theinspectionofthecrafttookmanyminutes.Eventoday,thisistroublingforPenniston:

"Ientered thebubble field (thearea immediatelyaround thecraft) first; Johnwasover tomyrightabouttenfeetandacouplefeetback.Thesilencewasthenthemostprominentpartofit;theareaorfield seem dead; the air: no sound; no rustling of air or wind; no distant sounds, no animals ornothing-adeadsilence.Astrongstaticonclothes,hairandskin-beingpulledtowardthelight.Thendissipated- Iwasalone.And fromJohn'sperspective,hehasnomemory.John isstandingstillandmotionless.Iyelledathim,ofcourse.Noreaction;hedoesnotmove.He,ofcourse,cannothearme

andIthenturnandfocusonthecraftandthematterofsecurityforthebases.Ithasbeenalwaysthecase that John does not have a memory of this. But when we were being debriefed and writingstatements in Colonel Halt's office, less than 72 hours after the first night, John in his statement(which was hand written) has the drawing of the craft he saw with me. This has always mademewonder about John's memory. Why could he do this within 72 hours and today has no memory?Definitelyfoodforthought!"

Food for thought indeed. Especiallywhen combinedwith one cryptic commentBurroughsmadewhenpressedonwherehewaswhileJimexaminedthecraftandwhytheirmemoriesaresodifferentat thispoint:

"The only possibility is that I was in the lightwhen hewas doing his examination." Penniston andBurroughs–still inastateofconsiderableshock–attemptedtorelocatetheUFOandhadanumberoffurthersightingsofstrangelightsonthehorizon.Atonepointtheobjectwassoclosetheythoughtitwasgoingtolandagain.Butitdidn'tandtheUFOeventuallydepartedtotheEast,outoverthecoast.

Stillconfusedanddisorientated,theyeventuallydecidedtomaketheirwaybackoutoftheforest.Astheydid so, they passed back through the small clearing where they'd had their encounter. Still trying toprocesswhathadhappenedtothem,theylookedaround.Perhapsiftheyfoundnothing,they'dsomehowconvincethemselvesthatithadbeensomesortofsharedhallucination.

Itwasnot tobe. In theverycenterof theclearing,on thehard, frozenground,were three indentations.Theywere recent. Something heavy – probablyweighing several tons, judging by the hardness of thegroundandthedepthoftheindentations–hadclearlybeenrestingthere.Whentheylookedmoreclosely,theysawthatiftheydrewanimaginarylinebetweenthethreeindentations,theshapeformedwouldbeanear-perfectequilateraltriangle.

Asfurtherconfirmation,theynoticedthatbrancheshadbeensnappedoffthetreesaroundtheedgeoftheclearing,wheretheobjecthadsmasheditswayinfromaboveandthendonethesameonitswayout.Itwouldsoundabsurd,wereitnotforthefactthatthiswaspreciselywhatPennistonhadjustwitnessed.

TheylefttheclearingandrendezvousedwithCabansag,Chandlerandsixothersecurityforcemembers,beforemakingtheirwaybacktoRAFBentwaters,themainoperatingbase.Whentheyarrivedback,theyfoundthatthey'dbeengonemuchlongerthantheyrealized.This,coupledwiththefactthatthey'dbeenoutofradiocontact,hadcausednear-panicincertainquarters.Indeed,asearchpartyhadbeenonthepointofgoingout to look for them.Penniston tried to convince himself that adrenalinewould explain the timediscrepancy,buttheirwatchestoldadifferentstory.Heexplains:

"Isupposeanythingispossiblewiththistimediscrepancy.Ibelieveitismorethanlikelythatwithintheaffectedareaaroundthecrafttherewasadistortionofsomekind,whichbasedonthemissingtimefromourwatchesindicatesthis,bythemrunningforty-fiveminutesslow.Weweredefinitelyaffectedby this phenomenon in a physical way, including the machinery we wore (watches)." Burroughsconfirmsboththe‘missingtime'andtheexactfigure:

"Thefactisourwatcheswerebehindandtheshiftcommandersaidweweremissingfor45min."Thereweresomeformalitiestogothrough.Weaponshadtobereturnedandsignedforandahurriedde-briefing– thefirstofmany–wascarriedout.Thoughtheydidn't realize itat the time,dozensofothermilitarypersonnelatthetwinbaseshadseenthestrangelightsandhadbeenwatchingfromanumberofvantagepoints,includingthecontroltoweratBentwaters.EveryonewantedtoknowwhathadhappenedtoPennistonandBurroughs,butforthem,theimmediateaftermathoftheirencounterwasablur.Theyjust

wantedtogetoffduty,getbacktotheirbeds,sleepandforget.Theysoongottheirwish,butiftheythoughttheirordealwasover,theyweresadlymistaken.Ithadonlyjustbegun.

BurroughsandPennistonwere,itshouldbesaid,skepticalaboutUFOs.Inasense,theystillare,despiteeverything.Pennistonsetouthisviewsthisway:

"My thoughtsaresimply that99percentofall so-calledUFOsightingscanbeexplainedbypeoplewithaknowledgeablebackgroundoraerialtrainingtoreportingsuchthingsforexactlywhattheyare.Their UFO is an observation of the following type of possibilities: as a manmade object,star/planetarybody,orothernaturaloccurringphenomenon,allcompletelyidentifiablebyatrainedobserver.Therearealsopeoplewhoseemtohavesomephysiologicalissueswhichareinmyopinionmanifestedexponentiallywhentheyseethingstheycan'texplain.Ifeelitisanaturalstateforthosewithtaintedobjectivitywithintheirthinkingandcanhaveeasilyhaveoccurredwithothersightings.Withthatentirelyasidewiththe99percent,thisleavestheremainingonepercent.ItisthispercentIbelieve is the trulyunknown-aconclusionImadeafter I left the forest thatnight.This is theveryreasonIamtroubledbytheeventsofDecember26,1980.IwentintotheforestwithwhatIjustsaidbeing the case. Then I left the forestwith the "OnePercent Factor" raining all overme. I had noanswers for what clearly created conditions, effects and the presence of an unknown craft withtechnology that cannot be replicated even today. So howdoes this all play? Simply, one percent ofUFOsightingsareunknown."

Burroughsismoresuccinct,thoughhisdismissiveremarksaboutUFOsbetray,perhaps,asenseofuneasealongsidehisskepticism:

"Ineverspentanytimethinkingaboutanyofthat.TheonlyfeelingIeverhadwasIhopedIneverhadtowalkamileintheirshoes."

Pennistonwentontosumupthetransformativenatureoftheexperiencelikethis:

"WhatIoncebelievedisnomoreandwhatI'vewitnesseddefiesall thatIhaveeverimagined.Iamtrulyinaweoverthewholeincidentandno-onecanfullyunderstandthemagnitudeofsuchaneventunlessyouwerethere."

For jurisdictional and legal reasons, it was important that the American military notified the Britishauthoritiesthattheyweregoingoff-base.Theusualwayinwhichthiswasdonewasbynotifyingthelocalpolice. This action had been taken at about 4am by Airman First Class Chris Armold on the LawEnforcementdesk.InamessagetoSuffolkPolicehewrote:

"Wehaveasightingofsomeunusuallightsinthesky,havesentsomeunarmedtroopstoinvestigate,wearetermingitasaU.F.O.atpresent".

Twopoliceofficersrespondedandbrieflysearchedthearea.Theyfoundnothing,thoughtheirenquiriesrevealedthefactthatstrangelightshadbeenwitnessedoverlargepartsofSouthernEnglandearlierinthenight.

A later entry in the Suffolk Police log provides the first known documentary evidence showing that alandinghad takenplace.This intriguinglogentryreadsasfollows:"Wehavehadacall fromtheL.E.[LawEnforcement]atBentwatersinreferencetotheU.F.O.reportedlastnight.Wehavefoundaplacewhereacraftofsomesortseemstohavelanded."

OneoftheothercentralfiguresinthisstoryistheDeputyBaseCommander,LieutenantColonelCharlesI.

Halt.Haltwasa thoroughandcarefulman.Hehadwide-rangingresponsibilitiesforsecurity,policing,lawenforcementandalargenumberofadministrativefunctionsatthetwinbases.Haltalsolikedto‘walkthe ground'. That's to say, he often took an in-depth look at some of the areas for which he hadresponsibility.Sometimes,forexample,he'dsitwiththefiredepartmentpersonnel,talktothecooks,orridewiththecopsonpatrol.Someofficerswouldn'thavegotthatclosetotheenlistedmenandwomenunder their command (many officers aremore detached and keep a ‘professional distance' from thoseunder their command) and some of these more junior personnel were pretty nervous about being socloselyscrutinizedbyoneofthemostseniorofficersatthetwinbases.Halt,however,feltthatifhewastodohisjobproperly,heneededtogetdownintotheweedsandunderstandeveryaspectofwhatwasgoingon.Heregardeditasthebestwaytogetwhatthemilitarycall‘groundtruth'–notwhatpeopletellyouisgoingon,butwhat'sactuallygoingon.Burroughsacknowledgesthistrait,butwasnotkeenonit,clearlyfeelingalittle‘over-supervised':

"Hewashighspeed;wouldridearoundwithLEtogetafeelofwhatwasgoingonatthebase.Herodewithmeacoupleoftimes,alwayswasgettinginourway."

PennistonclearlyhadgreatrespectforHalt:

"ColonelHaltiswhatIcall"AnEnlistedman'sColonel";hevaluedtheNon-CommissionedOfficers(NCO) thathecommanded.Hevalued theirknowledge, skills,assessments,opinions, judgmentsandthepeoplethemselves,asavaluableandkeypartoftheUnitedStatesAirForcemission.ColonelHaltisanofficerwhotrulybelievesyouareonlyasgoodaspeopleyoucommand.FromMajorCommandevaluationstolocalevaluations,theColonelbelievesitwastheNCOcorpsthatmadeitallhappen.ThenhisconductinregardstotheRendleshamForestIncident,well,hewasonlyfollowingorders,andhe stretched thoseorders as far as he couldwithout jeopardizinghis career."Themorning after theUFOencounter,atabout5am,HaltcameondutyandheadedfortheLawEnforcementdesk.Therewassomechatterandlaughter,whichabruptlystoppedasheenteredtheroom.

"What'sgoingon?"Haltasked.

"PennistonandBurroughswereoutlastnightchasingUFOs,sir",SergeantMcCabereplied.

McCabe was writing up the Law Enforcement blotters – the logs on which anything significant thatoccurredontheshiftwererecorded.Thepurposeoftheselogswastwofold–theywereausefulpartofthe handover process to the next duty shift and they also provided a source of raw data that wasinvaluableifaquestionwasraisedlater,whenmemorieshadfaded.

"Putitintheblotter",Haltordered.

It later transpired thataccountsofwhathadhappenedwerewrittenupnot just in theLawEnforcementblotters,but in theSecurityblotters,andthatanAirForceForm1569(IncidentandComplaintReport)wascompletedbythesecuritycontrollersatCentralSecurityControl.

Everyonewassensitiveaboutusingtheloadedterm"UFO",soHaltsuggestedusingavaguephrasesuchas "unexplained lights" andmaybemaking reference to the theory concerning a possible light aircraftcrash.Haltwastousethesamephrase,"unexplainedlights",later,whenreportingtheincidentformallytotheBritishGovernment,viatheMinistryofDefense.Soalready,justhoursaftertheincident,thematterwas being played down. But perhapsmore sinister forceswere atwork. Later that day,Halt becameawarethattheencounterPennistonandBurroughshadhadwassomethingfarmoretangiblethanamere‘lightsinthesky'UFOsighting.HemovedquicklytoreviewnotjusttheLawEnforcementblotter(that

he'dinstructedbewrittenupinvagueterms),butalsotheSecurityblotter,whichwaslikelytohavethebestandmostaccuratecontemporaneousaccountofwhatactuallytookplace.

Halt'splanwasfrustrated.Somehow,somebodyhadremovedbothblottersandtheincidentreport,withnobody on duty being able to explain how. Staff Sergeant Coffey recalls "myBlotter was pulled andclassified"SECRET"bytheBaseCommander[ColonelTedConrad]."Pennistonoffersthisviewofthesituation:

"Theremovalandclassifyingofthesecurityblotters(AFForms53)andAFForms1569s(IncidentandComplaint Report) were part of the containment process initiated by others, outside the BaseCommand.ColonelHaltunknowinglyaskedtheDeskSergeanttoincludethefirstnight'sinformationthattheyhadalreadyomittedonthemorningafter.Ithinkitdisturbedhimwhenhebecameawarethesecurityblottersand1569shadalreadybeenclassifiedandpulled.With theremovalof theblottersand1569s,[withoutHalt'sknowledge]itwasmucheasiertoputoutacover/containmentstoryaboutthenightsinquestion."

Burroughstakesamoreconspiratorialviewhereandoffersaviewonwherethematerialwassent:

"That,alongwithall theothermissingdocuments, shows that this incidentwasclassifiedearlyon.Also,thereisnowaytheyjustdisappeared.MyguessistheyweresenttoGermany[HQUnitedStatesAirForceEurope]andthattheStateDepartmentgotacopytoo."

The blotters were never found, so right from the very outset we have not just a spectacular UFOencounter, but strong evidenceof a conspiracy.Standardprocedureswere being ignored and evidencewassomehowbeingremovedfromrightunderthenosesofpeopleforwhomsecuritywasawayoflife.It'sdifficulttoseehowtheblottersandtheincidentreportcouldhavebeenspiritedawaywithoutoneofthe key players being involved in some way. The alternative – that outsiders were somehow able toaccess the secure area and remove thematerialwithout attracting attention – is evenmore difficult tobelieve.Eitherway,thissetthetoneforwhatwastofollowandledtoaclimateofsuspicionandfear,withworkingrelationshipsandfriendshipsbeingstretchedtothebreakingpoint.

ChapterTwo–TheMorningAfter

In the aftermath of theUFOencounter, rumors are circulating the base likewildfire.As the story getspassedfrompersontoperson,itevolvesandtakesonalifeofitsown.OfficersandseniorNCOsstruggletoensurethattheenlistedmenandwomenundertheircommandconcentrateontheirnormalduties.Thefact that it'sChristmastimedoesn'thelp.Mostof thepeopleherewouldfarratherbeonleave,orbackhome in the US, with their families. It's the sort of situation that fills commanders with dread, in ahierarchical, rule-based organization where things are supposed to go by the book. And that's theproblem;usually, in themilitary, there's aStandardOperatingProcedure (SOP)orprotocols for everyscenario thatmight arise. Thatway, nobody has to guesswhat to do, ormake up policy on the hoof.There'sasetwaytorespondtosomething:scenarioxisrespondedtobyactiony.Everyonelearnsitandthen practises it until responses are almost instinctive. It's all part of the "train hard, fight easy"philosophythat'scentraltomilitarylife–thoughveteransofthecampaignsinIraqandAfghanistansmilewrylyattheideathatthere'smuch"easy"fightingthesedays.

So in relation to an unusual event such as aUFO sighting,where the actions to be takenmight not bereadily apparent, the first instinct would be to reach for the manual and see what it says. The onlyproblem is thatwhile thereused tobeaprocedure fordealingwith this, there isn't anymore.TheUSGovernmentoncehadanofficialUFOinvestigationprogram,butitwasterminatedin1969.

Thenewly-formed(ithad justbecomeaseparateentity fromtheUSArmy)USAFsetupasmallUFOresearchand investigationunit in1948,under thecodenameProjectSign.Unsurprisingly, thisprogramsoon acquired the nickname Project Saucer. Through a series of internal reorganizations and policyinitiatives, theprojectnamechanged fromSign toGrudge in1949.Finally, in1952, therewasanotherchangeandUFOinvestigationswerehandledunderthenamebywhichtheybecamebest-known:ProjectBlueBook.ButProjectBlueBookwaswoundupin1969andtothisday,theonlyinformationavailableaboutUFOs on theDepartment of Defensewebsite is a brief history of Blue Book, followed by thisstatement:

Asaresultoftheseinvestigations,studies,andexperience,theconclusionsofProjectBlueBookwere:

NoUFOreported,investigated,andevaluatedbytheAirForcehasevergivenanyindicationofthreattoournationalsecurity.

TherehasbeennoevidencesubmittedtoordiscoveredbytheAirForcethatsightingscategorizedas"unidentified" represent technological developments or principles beyond the range of present-dayscientificknowledge.

Therehasbeennoevidenceindicatingthatsightingscategorizedas"unidentified"areextraterrestrialvehicles.

Evenassumingthatapapercopyofthiswasreadilyavailabletobasepersonnelin1980,thiswouldhavebeenofnohelpwhatsoever,becausenotonlyhadtheprojectbeendiscontinued,buttheunitwasclearlysetup todealwithreportsof lightsorobjects in thesky.Thepossibility thatoneof theseUFOsmightactuallylandseemednottohaveoccurredtoanyone.CommanderssearchingforanyoneintheUSAF-oranywhereelseintheUSGovernment–tohandthisofftowouldsoonhaverealizedtheywereontheirown.ThatonlylefttheoptionoftryingtohandofftheproblemtotheBrits!Pennistonwasfrustratedbythispolicyvacuumbutdealtwithitasbesthecould:

"ItwasfrustratingthatneithertheAirForcenorourbasehadanunclassifiedSOPforthissecurity

incident. However, with that in mind, I did improvise by using two existing ones: Aircraft CrashSecurity Response Option (SRO) and then when determined, the Helping Hand Security ResponseOption. When told by the Shift Commander during the debriefing the morning after, I felt it wasunderstandablethattherewasnowaytoreportthisasanUFOincident.However,tothecontrary,Idobelievethattransmittedreportsweremadefromthe81stTacticalFighterWing(TFW)CommandPostandup-channeled.Thiswasdue to themissionof the then largestTacticalFighterWing in the freeworld."

Bentwaters andWoodbridge were American bases on British soil. This is a legacy from the SecondWorldWarandtheColdWarandwhiletheUSpresenceintheUKhasdeclined,therearestillanumberofAmericanbasesinBritain.TheUSpresenceintheUKhasalwaysbeenacontentiousissuewiththeBritish,manyofwhomresentforeignersontheirsoil."Overpaid,over-sexedandoverhere"wasthewrywartimejokeaboutAmericans,whichwassomewhatungenerous,giventhefactthatD-Day(andindeedvictoryintheSecondWorldWaritself)wouldneverhavehappenedwithoutthemassiveamountofmenandequipmentprovidedbytheAmericanGovernment.Aftertheendofthewar,theresentmentlingered,especially as Britain languished in a post-war austerity to the extent that rationing was not finallyabolisheduntil1954.Butagain,thefactwasthatwithoutUSbasesintheUK(andelsewhereinEurope),therewouldhavebeennothing–shortof theunthinkableoptionofusingnuclearweapons–tostoptheSovietsinvadingWesternEurope.WithoutAmericanforces,estimateswerethatEuropeanarmieswouldbecapableofwithstandingtheonslaughtofSoviettanksformerelyafewhoursbeforebeingoverrun.

UKbasesmadeavailabletotheUSarecommandedbyaUSofficer,usuallyatColonelrank.InthecaseofAirForcebases,despitebeingmannedalmostexclusivelybyUSAFofficers, thebasesareprefixed"RAF" (Royal Air Force), maintaining a quaint fiction that these are British bases. Even moreconfusingly, there'san"RAFCommander".Normally, this isamore juniorofficer,usuallyatSquadronLeader(aUKranktwolevelsbelowColonel)rank.TheroleoftheRAFCommanderistoliaisewiththeUSBaseCommanderandactasheadofestablishmentforanyUKMinistryofDefenseemployees,buttoallintentsandpurposes,themaindutyistoactastheconduitbetweentheUScommanderandtheMoD.

The fact that there are US bases on UK soil makes for a fairly complex situation in terms of law,jurisdiction,etc.Thereareanumberofdocuments relevant to this, including theNorthAtlanticTreaty,signedonApril 4, 1949; theNATOStatusofForcesAgreementdated June19,1951; and theVisitingForces Act of 1952. These top level pieces of legislation are supplemented by a whole range ofMemorandaofUnderstanding,oftensettingoutmoredetailed,localarrangementsbetweenindividualUSbasesintheUKandlocalauthorities–includingthelocalpolice,thoughPennistoniscynicalabouthowthisworkedinpractice:

"Fromthesecuritysideofthings,therewasnoworkingrelationshipbetweenSecurityandeitherthelocalcivilpoliceortheMoDPolice."

The upshot of all this legislation and associated agreements was that the US Base Commander hadresponsibility for security of the base. In this context, security covers law enforcement and policing.There's a common misperception that US jurisdiction stops at the perimeter fence and that security‘outsidethewire'istheresponsibilityoftheUKauthorities,beitthecivilpoliceor,insomerespects,theMinistry of Defense Police. This is not correct and the actual situation is somewhat more complex.CommonsenseexposesthefallacyofthebeliefthatUSjurisdictionstopsattheperimeterfence.Imaginea terrorist incursion which led to a fire-fight between attackers and US security personnel. It wouldclearlybenonsensetosuggestthatinafluidoperationalsituation,USpersonnelshouldbeunabletogobeyondthefence,whensuchamovemightmaketacticalsense.Similarly,itwouldbecrazytosuggestthat

theUS should ignore a perceived threat or another situation (such as an aircraft crash)where there'simminentdanger tohumanlifeandseektopass theresponsibility toUKpersonnelwhomightbemilesawayandunabletorespondinsufficienttime.Accordingly,onefindsvaguephrasessuchas"OperationsoutsidethebasesaresubjecttoarrangementswithUKauthorities"invariousbilateralUS/UKagreementsandotherrelevantdocuments.Butthesituationisconfusingandallthiscauseddifficulty,embarrassmentandaneardiplomaticincidentinrelationtotheseUFOsightings.

Despite–orperhapsbecauseof–thelackofaformalSOPonUFOsorunexplainedphenomena,somepersonnel at the base did attempt tomake some informal attempts at an investigation the day after theinitial sightings. Those concernedwere doubtless unaware that theywere driving a coach and horsesthroughthedefensiveandprickly"wedon'tinvestigateUFOsanymore"responsethatwasgivenroutinelybytheUSAF,theDODandevenNASA,whenaskedaboutthesubject.

MajorEdwardDrurywasdeputySquadronCommandertothemoreseniorMajor,MalcolmZickler,whowasincommandofthe81stSecurityPoliceandLawEnforcementSquadron.Druryhadbeenwokenupandbriefedbytheon-dutyFlightSecurityOfficer,LieutenantSkipBuran,whoalsonotifiedMajorZicklerandColonelConrad, theBaseCommander. These are the SOPs for a security incident and theywerefollowedbyBuran.Druryandtheon-dutyshiftcommanderonthemorningofDecember26,CaptainMikeVerrano,hadbeenamongthefirsttwoofficerstoquestionBurroughsandPenniston.Drury'sfirstthoughtwasthatthewholeaffairhadbeenaChristmasprank,butthedebriefingswithBurroughsandPenniston,coupled with the confirmation that the UFO had been briefly tracked on radar from the BentwatersCommandPost,soondisabusedhimofthistheory.

At somepoint on themorning ofDecember 26,Drury andVerranodecided to inspect the landing sitethemselves.BuranorderedBurroughsandPennistontorendezvouswiththem.AlsoorderedtoattendwasMasterSergeantRayGulyas,whosejobitwouldbetotakemeasurementsatthelandingsite,alongwithphotographs.

BurroughsandPennistonretraced theroute theyhad taken thenightbefore.Arrivingat thepointwherethey'dhadtodismounttheirvehicleandproceedonfoot,theysawnobody,sowentdeeperintotheforest,to the landing site.Burroughs immediately saw the indentations that they'd seen in thedark and calledPennistonover.Pennistonpacedaround,measuringthedistancebetweenthethreemarks.Everythingwasexactlyastheyrecalleditfromthenightbefore.

Atthispoint,Drury,VerranoandGulyasarrived.BurroughsandPennistonbriefedthem,showedthemthelandingsiteandleft.Drury,VerranoandGulyasstayedatthelandingsiteforawhileandthenwentbacktobriefMajorZickler.Frustratingly,Zickler instructedthemtoreturnimmediatelyandrendezvouswithoneoftheBritishpoliceofficerswhohadbeencalledouttheprecedingnight,whowasconcernedthathemighthavemissedsomeevidence in thedark.Thisexplains thediscrepancybetween the initialpolicereportstatingthatnothingwasfound,andthelaterreportconfirmingthatalandingsitehadbeenlocated.

Inthemeantime,PennistonhadreturnedtohislodgingsinthenearbycityofIpswich.Butsleepwouldnotcome after what he had experienced and he was overtaken – as if by a compulsion – to have moreevidence.HecalledaBritishfriendwhowasaninteriordecoratorandpickedupsomePlasterofParis,ajugofwaterandasmallbucket.HethendrovebacktoWoodbridge,puttheitemsintohisknapsackandwentbacktothelandingsite.HemixedandpouredthePlasterofParisintothethreeholes,waitedforaroundanhourwhilethemixtureset,thenremovedthecasts,wrappedtheminplasticandplacedthemintheknapsack.Ashewasleaving,heranintoDrury,Verrano,GulyasandtheBritishpoliceofficer.DruryaskedPennistonwhathewasdoingandPennistonsaidthathewasjusttryingtoputtheeventsintotheir

propercontextbyre-examining the landingsite.Drurysaid theyweregoing tohandle thesituationandtoldPennistontogohome,getsomesleepandlethimworryabouttheinvestigation.Pennistondeparted.Hesaidnothingabouttheplastercasts.Thiswouldbehissecret–personalconfirmationthatwhatheandBurroughsexperiencedhadbeenreal:

"I wanted something forme to have that was physical evidence of what had happen. I was drivenharderbythisthoughtaftermymeetingwiththeShiftCommanderearlier.Ihadeveryindicationthiswasgoingtofadefastfromradar."

AsPennistonreturnedtoIpswich,Drury,Verrano,GulyasandtheBritishpoliceofficerproceededtothelanding site. Gulyas took his measurements and shot an entire roll of film, which he later handed toVerrano.Verranosubsequentlytoldhimthatallthepictureshadbeenfogged.Inatellingforetasteofthesuspicionthatwouldsooninfectmanyoftheparticipantsofthesestrangeevents,Gulyasreturnedtothesitelatertotakehisownphotos.Whilethequalityiscomparativelypoor,afewoftheblackandwhiteimagessurvived.Bizarrely,Gulyas,likePenniston,tookplastercastsoftheindentationsontheground–again,onhisowninitiative.

A few things are clear fromall this.Firstly, thepolicyvacuum in relation toUFOs is alreadycausingconfusionoverwhoshouldbedoingwhat.Farfrombeingnippedinthebudbysomeonetakingcharge,thisproblemwouldlinger,fester,andeventuallyexplodeintowhatnearlycausedadiplomaticincidentbetweentheAmericanandBritishGovernments.Butalreadywehaveasenseoftheproblem,withUKpolice officers being called out during the night, departing and then being called back the followingmorning;variousUSAFpersonnelwanderingouttothelandingsite;andwitnessesreturningtothesiteoftheencounter.Thislatterissueisthemostinteresting.Pennistonwasn'tjustshell-shocked;itwasasifhewasunder some sort of compulsion: drawnback to the landing site.Part of itwas theunderstandabledesiretogetsomesortofconfirmationthatthishadactuallyhappened–tolocatesomemoreevidence.BurroughsandPennistonhadalreadyrevisitedthesiteoftheirencounterforthatveryreason,inthedark,beforereturningtobaseonthenightofDecember26.Theindentationsandthetreedamagehadprovidedthemwithassurancethattheincidenthadindeedtakenplace,buttheremayhavebeensomethingdeeperatworkandtheissueofacompulsionisarecurringthemeinthiswholestory.

The twin concepts of looking for confirmation and searching for evidence applied not just to thewitnesses,buttothechainofcommand,withofficerssuchasDruryandVerrano.Again,partofthiswasgoodmanagement (the chain of command's responsibility to themore junior ranks) and part of itwasdoubtlesscuriosity–whowouldn'tbeinterestedintakingalookatthesitewheremilitarywitnessessawa UFO land? But with so many of these witnesses, it almost seems as if they were drawn there bysomething and that they were looking some something more than answers – some deeper meaning,perhaps.

It's particularly strange to note the way in which different people were doing the same thing,independently of each other. Several people took photos of the landing site, the morning after theencounter.AndwhenGulyasreturnedtothesitetotakemorephotos,havinghissuspicionsconcerningthestory about the first set not having come out, he – like Penniston – poured Plaster of Paris into theindentationstotakeamould.Whiletakingphotosisarguablyafairlylogicalstep,takingamouldoftheindentationsisasomewhatmoreabstractidea.

Onthepointaboutphotographs,anyonewhosenttheirfilmtothebase'sphotolabwasinvariablytoldthattheirfilmhadbeenfoggedandthatnoimageshadcomeout.There'scontroversyoverwhetherthiswaspartofacover-up,orwasatruestatement,withthefoggingbeingcausedbyhighlevelsofradioactivity

atthelandingsite.

Justwhenitseemedthatthingsweredyingdownalittle,theunthinkablehappenedandtheUFOreturned.OntheeveningofDecember27,aCombatSupportGroupawardsdinnerwastakingplaceatWoody'sBaron Woodbridge. The Base Commander, Colonel Ted Conrad, was present, as was Charles Halt, theDeputyBaseCommander.Atsomestageintheproceedings,LieutenantBruceEnglund,theon-dutyshiftcommander, entered thepremises looking shell-shocked, tookHalt aside and toldhim"It's back".Haltlooked confused for amoment and asked "what's back?"The response fromEnglundwas clear: "TheUFOisback,Sir".

HaltconferredwithConradoverwhattodo.Itwasclearthatoneofthemwouldhavetotakechargeofthe situationandgoout into the forest. ItwasConrad'sdecision to take, as the seniorofficer.Perhapsbecausehe felt itwas important for him topresent the awards, perhapsbecausehewas skeptical thattherewasanysubstancetotheUFOsightings,orperhapsbecauseastheoldmilitarysayinggoes,"rankhasitsprivileges",Conradmadehisdecision:hewouldremainatthesocialfunction.HaltwouldgooutintothecoldDecembernight,intotheforest,andinvestigatetheselatestUFOsightings.Ashewalkedoutofthebuilding,hehadnoideathathewouldbewalkingintohistory.

ChapterThree–IntotheDarkness

AsHaltleftthesocialfunction,hismind-setwasamixtureoffrustration,determinationandcuriosity.Itwasabitterlycoldnightandasheglancedbackat the lights inWoody'sBar therecouldhavebeennodoubtinhismindthathe'ddrawntheshortstraw–orrather,beenhandedit,byhisboss.Butwhilehe'dfarratherhavestayedindoorsinthewarmthandcomfortofthesocialclub,enjoyingaconvivialeveningwithcolleaguesandfriends,hehadajobtodo.HewasfrustratedbytheUFOrumorsthatwereprovingto be such a distraction to the men and women on the twin bases and now, at least, had the perfectopportunitytolaythemattertorest.Buthewascurioustoo,andwhowouldn'tbe?Afterall,it'sonethingtoseenewspaperstoriesabouthicksseeingUFOsinthemiddleofnowhere,ormaybecatchanoverly-dramaticTVdocumentaryonthesubject(whichwasthelimitofmostpeople'sexposuretothesubjectinthosepre-internetdays),butit'squiteanotherthingwhenpersonnelattwokeymilitarybasesstartseeingUFOs–andnotjustlightsinthesky,butsomethingconsiderablymoreupcloseandpersonal.Sodespitehisinherentskepticismanddesiretobringthemattertoaclose,atthebackofHalt'smind,therewasasparkofinterestandcuriosity.Maybe,justmaybe,therewassomethinginterestingoutthere.

Halt's first taskwas to assemble a team.LieutenantBruceEnglund,whohad come toWoody'sBar toreportthereturnoftheUFO,wasautomaticallyontheteambyvirtueofthefactthathewastheon-dutyshiftcommander.HaltthencalledtheDisasterPreparednessOfficeandspoketothechieftoseewhowason stand-by. The individual concerned was Sergeant Monroe Nevels. Nevels was an experiencedphotographer and brought his camera aswell as the piece of equipmentmore central to his duties: aGeigercounter,usedtomeasurelevelsofradiation.TheothermemberoftheteamwasMasterSergeantBobbyBall,theon-dutyflightchief.

WhileNevelshadbroughthisGeigercounterandcamera,Haltbrought thehand-heldcassetterecorderthathehabituallycarriedwithhim(likeAgentCooperinthecultTVseriesTwinPeaks)todocumenthisobservationsandthoughts.Healsotooksparebatteriesandseveralmicro-cassettes.Otheritemsincludedflashlights,radios,aStarlightScope(i.e.anightvisiondevice)andsomeutilityjackets,inviewoftheextremecold.

Inparallel,HaltorderedthattheareaoftheforestwheretheUFOhadbeenseenshouldbeilluminatedwithlight-alls.Alight-all isessentiallyasetoffloodlightsmountedonawheeledplatform.Agasolineenginedrivesageneratorthatpowersthelights.Light-allsareusedtosupplyemergencyorremote-arealighting,oradditionallightingfortaskssuchasmunitionsloadingandaircraftmaintenance.Butforsomereason,thelight-allswerenotfunctioningproperly.There'sconfusionaboutthis.SomewitnessessaythattheyweresimplylowongasandthisiscertainlywhatthefrustratedHaltbelieved,ashesharplyorderedthattheyberefilled.Butothersinvolvedhavesaidthattherewassomethingoddaboutthemalfunctioninglight-alls,asiftheywerebeinginterferedwithinsomeway,perhapsakintothewayinwhichtheradioshadbehavedduringtheinitialencounterwiththeUFOonthefirstnightofactivity.

One consequence of the malfunctioning light-alls was the fact that more people got involved in theunfolding situation, andmore still heard about it. The situationwas already confused,with personnelunsure whether to refill the light-alls with gasoline, or fetch new ones from the motor pool.Simultaneously, through a combination of people monitoring radio traffic, and simply talking to eachother, word spread quickly around the twin bases that another UFO event was unfolding and that theDeputyBaseCommanderwasinvestigatingpersonally.Someofthesepersonnelwereondutyandsomewereoff-duty.Inwhatsoundssuspiciouslylikeabreakdownofdiscipline,anumberofpersonnelheadedoutintotheforestwithoutanyordersorauthority,simplyoutofcuriosity.Haltwassometimesnotsurewhowasout thereasaresultofhisorders toprovidefunctioninglight-alls,andwhowasout thereon

whatamountedtoaprivateenterprise.

AirmanTonyBrisciano–ondutyattheFuelsManagementBranch,andthepersononthereceivingendofHalt's increasingly impatient demands for gasoline and light-alls – recalls thatwhen he arrived at themilitarygaspumpsatWoodbridge,thescenewaschaotic.Therewerenumerouslight-allsmountedontheback of pick-up trucks, in various stages of being fuelled. There were also a number of police cars.Briscianosaidthathe'dneverseensomanyvehicleswaitingforfuelatthesametimeandsaidthiswasparticularlynoticeablebecausethiswasintheearlyhoursofthemorning.Giventhebusyoperationalroleof the twin bases, plus the heavy program of exercises, this gives an indication of just howmajor anoperationwasunderway.

Lookingbackonevents,Haltisalwayscarefultomakeitclearhowsmallateamhetookintotheforest.Was this simply an attempt to downplay the incident so as to be consistent with the official USGovernmentlinethattherewasnolongeranyofficialinterestinUFOs,orassomeconspiracytheoristsallege,wasitsomethingelse?

There'snodefinitivelistofexactlywhoelsewasoutthereasidefromtheoriginalteamofHalt,Englund,NevelsandBall,butthreeindividualswhowereundisputedlyouttherewereSergeantAdrianBustinza,SergeantFrailandmostintriguinglyofall,oneofthetwokeywitnessesfromthefirstnight'sencounter,JohnBurroughs.

WhileHaltwaitedforfunctioninglight-allstoarrive,hedecidedtoheadforthelandingsitefromthefirstnight,toconducthisownretrospectiveinvestigation.

At this point, Halt decided to start using his mini cassette recorder. Halt recorded his thoughts andobservationsoverthenextfewhours,pressingthestopbuttonwhennothingsignificantwastakingplace.Accordingly,whatwehave today isaroundeighteenminutesofdialog,broken intowhatmightbestbedescribedasseparatechunksofaction,punctuatedbybreaksinthetape.Acompletetranscriptofthetapecanbefoundattheendofthisbook,butkeyextractswillbequotedinthischapter,forconvenience,attheappropriatepointsinthetext.

Therecordingisanextraordinarypieceofevidenceforanumberofreasons.Itisundisputedlygenuine,asconfirmedbyHaltandseveraloftheotherpeoplewhosevoicescanclearlybeheardandidentifiedonthetape.Andoverthirtyyearson,whenmemorieshaveinevitablyfadedandwheredisagreementshaveemergedbetweensomeofthoseinvolved,itisimmutable.Theirwordsreachouttousacrosstheyearsandwhileonecanquestiontheirjudgementandperception,theysaidwhattheysaid.

Notwithstanding this, as is the case with almost every aspect of this extraordinary story, there'scontroversyhere.Inlate1999CharlesHalttoldauthorandinvestigativejournalistGeorginaBrunithathehadfourorfivehoursoftapewhich–unliketheeighteenminutesinthepublicdomain–nobodywouldbeallowedtohear.Whenshepressedhimfordetailsofwhatwasonthesetapesandwhythematerialcouldn'tbemadeavailable,Haltrefusedtoelaborate.

Intheopeningstatementonthetape,Haltgivesaroughindicationofhisteam'slocationandsummarizesthesituationwiththelight-alls:

"150feetormorefromtheinitial-Ishouldsaysuspected-impactpoint.Havingalittledifficulty,wecan'tgetthelight-alltowork.Thereseemstobesomesortofmechanicalproblem.Let'ssendbackandget another light-all. Meantime, we're gonna take some readings from the Geiger counter and, er,chasearoundtheareaalittlebit,waitingforanotherlight-alltocomebackin."

Thenext portionof the tapedealswithHalt orderingMonroeNevels to usehisGeiger counter in theclearingwhereJohnBurroughsandJimPennistonencounteredtheUFOonthefirstnight.AtfirstNevelsfindsnothingsignificant.There'snaturalbackgroundradiationeverywhereandhisfirstassessmentis"justminorclicks"."OK,we'restillcomfortablysafehere?"Haltasks.There'snoreplyonthetape,soeithertheresponsewasgivenwhileHalthadstoppedthetape,orthereplywasinaudible,orgivenviaanodorathumbsup.Inanyevent,it'sareasonableassumptionthathadtheanswerbeen"no",themenwouldhavelefttheareaimmediately.

It will be recalled that Burroughs and Penniston had found three indentations on the ground,where itseemsthattheUFOhadcometorest.TheseweretheholesintowhichbothJimPennistonandRayGulyashadpouredplasterofParis,toobtainacastofwhateveritwasthatpenetratedtheground.Whenplottedout, the shape formedwas a near-perfect equilateral triangle. The implicationwas that the triangular-shapedUFOhadbeensupported,whenitlanded,onlegsorlandingpadsofsomesort,similartothoseoftheApollo lunar landingmodule.Thegroundwasrockhard,dueto thefrozenDecember temperatures,andHaltestimatedthat theobjectmusthaveweighedseveral tons tocause indentations thatdeep.HaltinstructedNevelstoconcentratehisanalysisontheseindentations.

Thelandingsiteisscannedcarefully,withtheradiationlevelsappearingtopeakinthethreeindentationsandinthecenterpointofthethreeindentations,i.e.directlyunderneaththecenterofwherethecrafthadlanded.Thisareaseemsdiscoloredandadiscussionensuesaboutthis.

Halt:"We foundasmallblast,what looks likeablastedorscuffedupareahere.We'regettingverypositivereadings.Let'ssee,isthatnearthecenter?"

Englund:"Yesitis."

Nevels:"Well,weassumeitis."

Englund:"Thisisrightinthecenter…deadcenter."

Shortlyafterwards, there'sabreakinthetape.Whenitrestarts,Halt,beingamethodicalman,givesanorderforamorethoroughassessment:

"OK,whydon'twedothis:whydon'twemakeasweep,hereI'vegotmyglovesonnow.Let'smakeasweepout around thewhole area, about ten foot out, andmake a perimeter run around it, startingrightbackhereatthecorner,backatthesamefirstcornerwherewecamein.Let'sgorightbackhere…[heavybreathing]…nowI'mgonnahavetodependonyoucountingtheclicks"

Sometimeduringthelastbreakinthetapeatleastonefunctioninglight-allhasarrived,becauseHaltsays"OK,getthelight-allonit."

ItshouldberememberedthatinvestigatingthelandingsitewasnotthereasonHalthadassembledateamandgoneoutintotheforest.He'sbeensentoutbyColonelConradbecauseofareportthattheUFOhasreturned.But in this initialpartof the tape there'snoevidence to suggest that theUFO is anywhere insight,andnoevidencethatHaltislookingforit.GiventhatEnglundwastheonewhoarrivedatWoody'sBarwith thenews that theUFOreturned, it's intriguing that there'snodialogbetween the twoof themaboutthisonthetape.Clearly,forwhateverreason,thisdiscussionwasn'trecorded.

Sometimes Halt's tape picked up incoming radio transmissions from personnel back at base, or frompersonnelelsewhereintheforestwhowerearrivingwiththelight-alls.

Having taken extensiveGeiger counter readings from the landing site and in particular, from the threeindentations and the center point of the three holes, Halt now turned his attention to the trees thatsurroundedtheclearing."Thislookslikeanabrasiononthetree",Englandobserves."There'ssomesapmarksorsomething like that",Haltstates.Englundsummarizes thesituationashesees it:"eachoneofthesetreesthatfaceintotheblast–whatweassumeisalandingsite–allhaveanabrasionfacinginthesamedirectiontowardthecenter…"Halt'sattentioniscaughtbyaparticulartree:"I'veneverseenapinetreethat'sbeendamagedreactthatfast".

They'reclearlytakingsamples,becauseNevelsasks"Yougotabottletoputthatin?"andHaltsays"Yougotasamplebottle?"beforeEnglundsays"That'sforthesoilsample".Itseemsthatsamplesweretakennot justofsoil,butofsapandothermaterial fromtheapparentlydamagedsidesof the treesfacingtheclearing.Alittlelaterwhentalkingaboutsamples,Haltsays"Have'emcutitoff,includesomeofthatsap…"

The tree damage certainly seems consistent with what John Burroughs and Jim Penniston saw on theprecedingnight.However,aquestiontobeconsideredistheextenttowhichtheconclusionsHaltandtheothersweremakingaboutall thiswere influencedbywhatBurroughsandPennistonhadreported.Theacidtestwouldbethis:ifHaltandhismenhadexaminedtheclearingforsomereason,randomly,withouthaving been aware that a UFO had been reported to have landed there, would they have noticed theindentationsandtreedamageandifso,wouldtheyhavethoughtitasnoteworthyasthetapeindicatestheydid?

AtthesametimeasHaltwasexaminingthelandingsite,oneofthekeyplayerswasmakinghiswaybackonhisowninitiative.AfterJohnBurroughswentoffdutyattheendoftheshiftduringwhichheandJimPennistonhadtheirencounter,hewasonathree-daybreakandwasathomeinIpswich.MirroringwhathadhappenedtoPenniston,hetoohadtroublesleepingandfeltcompelledtogobacktothebase.Whenhe arrived, hemet upwith a Law Enforcement Sergeant calledO'Brienwho greeted him jovially bysaying"Hey,it'stheUFOguy!"

O'BrienthentoldBurroughssomethingthatshockedhimtothecore.HeexplainedthattherehadbeenafurtherUFOsightingonthenightofDecember26,involvingpersonnelfromD-Flight:LoriBuoenandtheDesk Sergeant, John Trementozzi. Buoen had seen a fiery red/orange object descend slowly into theforest.She reported that ithadbeen surroundedbyaneerieblue/whitecorona.WhenTrementozzi andotherD-Flight personnel arrived, they saw red, green andwhite lights in the forest. The lightswouldappearatonespot,disappearandthenreappearatanotherpoint.Theshiftcommander,LieutenantBonnieTamplin, togetherwithMasterSergeantBobbyBall,wentout to investigate.Atonepoint the jeep thatTamplinwasdrivinghadbeenstruckbylightbeamsandabluelightracedthroughthevehicle.All thepower went off and the vehicle stalled and died. Buoen and Trementozzi had been followingdevelopmentsontheirradioandheardTamplincallout"Bob,Bob,whereareyou?Ican'tseeanything".Buoenrecalledthefear:"Shewassoscared–andthiswasourLieutenant!"

O'BrienturnedtoBurroughs,nolongerjoking,andasked"Whatthehelldoyouthinkisreallygoingon?"–Burroughshadnoexplanationtooffer.Butitwasclearthattherehadbeentwoseparateincidents,withC-Flight andD-Flight seeminglyunawareof eachother's encounters. It'sunclearwhether the failure tobriefD-Flightonwhathappened tomembersofC-Flight(consistentwithSOPswhichrequireanythingthat might impact on operations to be briefed) was simply a consequence of the missing blotters, orreflectedadecisionhigherupthechainofcommand.

By the timeBurroughs andO'Brien had this conversation, numerous personnel at the twin baseswere

awareofthevarioussightingsandtheotherstrangeevents.BythetimeHaltandhisteamwentoutintotheforest, perhaps asmany as fiftyor sixtypersonnelweremonitoring the situationunofficially, either bylistening in to radio communications, or by climbing vantage points such as the control tower atBentwaters. This was in addition to those on-duty personnel who were involved directly in somecapacity, either out with Halt, or – as with the personnel refuelling the light-alls – supporting Halt'sinvestigation.

Whilemostof theoff-duty‘spectators'werecontent to takeapassiverole,Burroughswasnot.Havingbeensointimatelyinvolvedonthefirstnight,hewantedtogoouttoseewhatwashappening.Partly,thiswas a desire for confirmation (that he wasn't going crazy and that he and Penniston hadn't somehowimaginedthewholething)andmaybeforsomeformofclosure.Butmorethanthat,itwasacompulsion.Hefeltthatsomethingwasactivelydrawinghimbackoutintotheforest.

Burroughs hitched a ride with two friends who were heading out to the East Gate. At that point hetransferredintoamilitaryjeepandmovedforwardtothestagingareawherethelight-allswere.TheHalttapecapturesthefollowingexchange:

SecurityControltoBall:YouhaveAirmanBurroughsandtwootherpersonnelrequestingtoride‘emover[sic]onajeepatyourlocation.

Ball:Tellthemnegativeatthistime.We'lltellthemwhentheycancomeouthere.Wedon'twantthemouthererightnow.

TheirritationinBall'svoicecanclearlybeheard.It'sextremelyunlikelyheknewthatBurroughswasn'teven on duty – a fact thatwould doubtless havemade him considerablymore irritated.Halt toowasirritated,butit'sunclearwhetherhisirritationwascausedbyagrowingsensethatthingsweregettingoutof hand, with too many people milling around in the forest; whether he was concerned aboutcontaminationofevidenceatthelandingsite;orwhetherthespikesinradiationlevelsmadehimthinkitwasprudenttokeeppeopleback,unlesstheyhadanabsoluteneedtobethere.WhileNevelsneveronceintimated that the peaks in radiation they were recording were dangerously high – as common senseindicateshewouldhavedonehadthelevelsbeenpotentiallyharmful–there'ssomethingalmostprimalabout the word "radiation". Especially for a layperson, who may be unaware that there's naturalbackgroundradiationeverywhere,thewordinvariablyconjuresupimagesofpost-HiroshimaorNagasakiradiationsicknessvictims,orofemaciatedcancerpatientswhohaveundergonechemotherapy.ItwouldbeabasicinstinctofHaltandEnglund,astheseniormenpresent,towanttoavoidexposingthemenandwomenundertheircommandtoanythreat.

Therewasalsothelegalpositiontothinkof.Becausetherearevariouscircumstances(e.g.aperceivedsecurity situation,whichwas arguably the casehere)where it's quiteproper forUSpersonnel todealwithasituationoff-base, jurisdictionwasn'tan issue.Generallyspeaking though, theUKpolicewouldhaveprimacy(jurisdictioncanbeconcurrent–i.e.restwithmorethanonepersonororganization–butinvariablyoneindividualorbodyhasleadresponsibility)anditmightlookoddforsomanyUSmilitarypersonneltobeoutintheforest.Therewasalsothepresentationalissuetothinkof.Howwouldthestoryplayoutinthepress,ifthemediagotholdofit?ThesewerethesortsofissuesthatwouldprobablyhavebeenmoreinHalt'smindthaninthemindsofmorejuniorpersonnel.

AfinalcomplicatingfactorwouldhavebeenifHaltknew–orsuspected–thatsomeofthepersonneloutin the forest had been armed. Again, there's no absolute prohibition on this (nobody would expectpersonnelrespondingtoaterroristincidenttodosounarmed),butthesetofcircumstancesinwhichthis

wouldbepermissibleisextremelylimited.Testimonyonthequestionofwhetheranyoneoutintheforestthatnightwasarmed is inconclusive.Theofficial line,ofcourse, is that theywerenot.Manyof thoseinvolvedmadeapointof stating that as they left thebase, they left theirweapons,but some testimonysuggestsatleastsomepersonnelwerearmed.

ForthenextfewminutesHaltandthethreemenwithhimcontinuetoexaminetheclearing.NevelstakesfurtherreadingswiththeGeigercounterandpaysparticularattentiontothetreesaroundtheedgeoftheclearing– focusingon the sidesof themfacing theclearing,where thehigher levelsof radiationweredetected.HaltalsoinstructsthattheStarlightScopebedeployed.Heproceedstolookatthetreesthroughthis image intensifier and is clearly impressedby the results: "Gettingadefiniteheat reflectionoff thetree",hesaysatonepoint.Then,"Therearethreetreesintheareaimmediatelyadjacenttothesitewithintenfeetofthesuspectedlandingsite;we'repickingupheatreflectionoffthetrees".

Haltthennotices‘hotspots'ontheground."Here,someonewannalookatthespotsontheground?"andthen"Whoops,watchyoudon'tstep…you'rewalkingalloverthem.OK,let'sstepbackandnotwalkallover‘em"–again,it'snotclearifHaltisworriedaboutevidencebeinglostorcontaminated,orwhetherhe'sconcernedaboutthehealthconsequencesifhismensteppedonapotentialradiationhotspot.Eitherway,Haltisclearlyspookedbythis,becausethetapeispunctuatedwithobservationssuchas"Hey,thisiseerie"and"Thisisstrange".

Halt then tries to correlate the hotspots with the three indentations and in particular, the center pointformed by the three indentations. The following exchange betweenHalt andNevels documents this aswellasgivinganinsightintothepotentialsignificanceofallthis:

Halt:Yousaythereisapositiveafter-effect?

Nevels:Yes,thereis,definitely.That'sonthecenterspot–thereisanafter-effect.

Englund:Whatdoesthatmean?

Nevels:Itmeansthatwhenthelightsareturnedoff,oncewearefocusedinandallowtimefortheeyestoadjust,wearegettinganindicationofaheatsourcecomingoutof thatcenterspot,as,er,whichwillshowuponthe–

Halt:Heatorsomeformofenergy–it'shardlyheatatthisstageofthegame[i.e.nearlytwodaysafterwhateverlandedintheclearingdeparted].

Nevels:Butitisstillheat.

There'sthenanotherbreakinthetape.ThenextrecordingisamonologueinwhichHaltdescribessomemore treedamage: "Lookingdirectlyoverhead, one can see anopening in the trees, plus some freshlybrokenpinebranchesonthegroundunderneath.Lookslikesomeofthemcameoffaboutfifteenortwentyfeetup.Someofthebranches[are]about[an]inchorlessindiameter".

Again,thiswouldseemtobeconsistentwithwhatJohnBurroughsandJimPennistonreportedpreviously.Itwas a small clearing and the implication is that theUFO had tomaneuver itsway in from directlyabove, which would almost inevitably have involved causing some damage to the canopy and otherbrancheslowerdown.Thisisanassumption,ofcourse,asBurroughsandPennistondidn'tseethecraftarrive.Buttheysawitdepartandtheslowascent–priortothe"speedimpossible"departure–seemedconsistentwiththesortofcarefulmaneuverrequiredtonegotiateasmallholeinthecanopy.

Thenthere'sanotherbreakinthetape.

Halt has described the hotspots as being "eerie" and "strange".But thewhole situation is about to getconsiderablymorestrange.

ChapterFour–It'sComingThisWay

Thusfar,Halt,Englund,BallandNevelshavegoneoutintotheforestinresponsetoareportthattheUFOseentwonightspreviouslyandencounteredatclosequartersbyJohnBurroughsandJimPennistonhasreturned.Haltcalledfor light-alls to illuminate theforest,but they'reeithermalfunctioning,are lowongas, or both.Whilewaiting for some functioning light-alls to arrive,Halt has led the threemen to theclearing where the UFOwas seen to land in the early hours of December 26 and has undertaken anexaminationofthescene,noticingindentationsonthegroundanddamagetotreesthat'sattributedtotheUFO.Radiation readingshavebeen takenwithaGeiger counter and seem tocorrelatewithwhere theUFOwasseentoland,and‘hotspots'havebeenrecordedwithanightvisiondevice.

Halthasbeenrecordinghisobservationsonhishand-heldcassetterecorder.Aftera lengthydiscussionaboutthe‘hotspots'there'sanotherbreakinthetape.Whenthetaperesumes,Haltdoessomethingthathehasn'tdonebeforeandhelpfullygivesthetime.Theobservationthatfollowsisinteresting:

01:48.We're hearing very strange sounds out of the farmer's barnyard animals. They're very, veryactive,makinganawfullotofnoise.

Infact,thoughthelandingsiteissomedistanceintotheforestasreachedfromRAFWoodbridge,it'sveryneartheboundarybetweentheeasternmostedgeoftheforestandalargefield.ThefieldispartofGreenFarm,inthetinyhamletofCapelSt.Andrew.

There'sdisputeaboutwhatanimalswereonthisfarmin1980,orinanylocationsufficientlyclosetobeaudibletoHaltandtheothers.Interestingly,onethingHaltdoesn'tmention,whichweknowwereatthefarmhouseandonothernearbyproperties,isdogs.Thissuggeststhatitwasn'tthefarmyardanimalsthatHaltheard,asthiswouldundoubtedlyhavesetoff thedogs.It'spossiblethatwhatthemenheardweremuntjac deer (sometimes known as barking deer),which can be found inRendleshamForest.Muntjacdeerarenocturnal,soitmaybethattherewasnothingunusualaboutthesenoises,whichcouldhavebeencriesofalarm(andit'spossiblethatitwasthepresenceofHaltandtheothersthatdisturbedtheminthefirstplace!),ornoisesassociatedwithfightingormating.

However,whathappenednextcastsdoubtonthesemundanepotentialexplanationsandsuggests–asHaltbelieves–thatsomethingelsedisturbedtheanimals.

Halt:Youjustsawalight?Where?Waitaminute.Slowdown.Where?

Englund:Rightonthispositionhere.Straightaheadinbetweenthetrees-thereitisagain…watch,straightaheadoffmyflashlight,therenowsir.Thereitis.

Halt:Hey,Iseeittoo.Whatisit?

Englund:Wedon'tknow,sir.

Halt:OK,it'sastrangesmallredlight,lookstobeoutmaybeaquartertoahalfmile,maybefurtherout.I'mgonnaswitchoff.

Afulltranscriptofthetapecanbefoundintheappendixattheendofthisbook,butwhatfollowsarethekeyextractsfromthenextfewminutes,astheUFOisobservedbyHaltandtheothers.Theseareinthecorrectorder,butwithsomelessrelevantquoteseditedoutorshortened,soastogivereadersaclearerideaofwhatwasbeingseeninrelationtotheUFO:

Halt:Isitbackagain?

Englund:Yessir.

Halt:Well,dousetheflashlightsthen.Let'sgobacktotheedgeoftheclearingsowecangetabetterlookat it.Seeifyoucanget thestarscopeonit.Thelight'sstill thereandall thebarnyardanimalshavegottenquietnow.

Halt:We'reabout150to200yardsfromthesite…everythingelseis justdeathlycalm.Thereisnodoubtaboutit,there'ssomekindofstrangeflashingredlightahead.

Nevels:Sir,it'syellow.

Halt:Isawayellowtingeinittoo.Weird.Itappearstobemovingalittlebitthisway?It'sbrighterthanithasbeen–it'scomingthisway.Itisdefinitelycomingthisway!

Unknown:Piecesofitshootingoff.

Halt:Piecesofitareshootingoff.

Halt:There'snodoubtaboutit.Thisisweird!

Unknown:Totheleft.

Nevels:Twolights-onelightjustbehindandonelighttotheleft.

Halt:Keepyourflashlightsoff.There'ssomethingvery,verystrange.

Halt:OK.Piecesarefallingoffitagain!

Englund:Sir,itjustmovedtotheright.

Halt:Strange.OK,we'relookingatthething;we'reprobablyabouttwotothreehundredyardsaway.Itlookslikeaneyewinkingatyou.Stillmovingfromsidetosideandwhenyouputthestarscopeonit,itsortoflikehasahollowcenter,adarkcentre,it's–

Englund:Likeapupil–

Halt:Yeah,likeapupilofaneyelookingatyou,winking.Andtheflashissobrighttothestarscope,thatitalmostburnsyoureye.

Halt: We've passed the farmer's house and are crossing the next field and we now have multiplesightings of up to five lights with a similar shape and all, but they seem steady now rather thanpulsating…We'vejustcrossedthecreek.

Halt:At2.44we'reat the farsideof thefarmer's– thesecondfarmer's fieldandmade[a]sightingagainabout110degrees.This looks like it'sclearout to thecoast. It's righton thehorizon.Movesaboutabitandflashesfromtimetotime.Stillsteadyandredincolor.

Halt: 3.05. We see strange, uh, strobe-like flashes to the… rather sporadic, but there's definitelysomething, uh, somekindof phenomenon…directly north,we'vegot two strangeobjects, ah, half-moonshape,dancingabout,withcolored lightson 'em… thehalf-moonshavenow turned into fullcirclesasthoughtherewasanellipse-eclipseorsomethingthereforaminuteortwo.

In the third from last segment on the tape, we hear Halt and his team experience an extremely closeencounter.Listeningtotherecording,onecanclearlyhearamixtureofbewilderment,tension,excitement

andfearinthemen'svoicesoverthenextfewexchanges:

Halt:Now3.15.Nowwe'vegotanobjectabouttendegreesdirectlysouth–

Nevels:Totheleft.

Halt:Tendegreesoffthehorizon…andtheonestothenortharemoving–one'smovingawayfromus.

Nevels:Movingoutfast.

Halt:They'rebothheadingnorth.Hey,herehecomesfromthesouth–he'scomingtowardusnow!

Unknown:Weird!

Halt:Nowwe'reobservingwhatappearstobeabeamcomingdowntotheground!

Unknown:Colors!

Halt:Thisisunreal[incredulouslaugh]

At thepointwhenHaltobserves thebeamof light comingdown to thegroundpanicked shouts canbeheardinthebackground.Halthasclarifiedthatwhathappenedatthispointwasthatapencil-thinbeamoflight,likealaser,struckapointonthegrounddirectlyinfrontofthem,abouttenfeetahead,illuminatingtheground.Ashespeculatedinlateryears,

"Wejuststoodthere inawe,youknow?Is thisawarning, is thisasignal, is thisacommunication?Whatisthis?Aweapon?"

There'sanotherbreakinthetapeandthenHaltmakesthepenultimateremark:Halt:3.30,03.30andtheobjectsarestill inthesky,althoughtheonetothesouthlookslikeit's losingalittlebitofaltitude.We'returningaroundandheadingbacktoward,uh,thebase.Theobjecttothesouth-theobjecttothesouthisstillbeamingdownlightstotheground.

There'safinalbreak,beforetheverylastobservation:

Halt:"04.00hours.OneobjectstillhoveringovertheWoodbridgebaseataboutfivetotendegreesoffthehorizon,stillmovingerraticandsimilarlightsandbeamingdownasearlier."

Itwasanironicsituation.HavingleftWoodbridgebaseseveralhoursearlier,inresponsetoareportthataUFOhadagainbeenseenintheforest,HaltandhismenhadencounteredseveralUFOs,oneofwhichhadfiredalightbeamvirtuallyathisfeet.Butnow,ashewassomedistancefromthebase,theUFOwasdirectlyoverWoodbridge,firingbeamsoflightdownatthebase.Itwasasiftheintelligencebehindthecraft(andHalthasneveroncedoubtedthattherewasanintelligenceinvolved)wastoyingwiththem,andshowingHalt justhoweasy itwas topenetrate the area's airdefenses andoperatewith total impunityoveroneofthemostsensitivemilitarybasesintheNATOalliance.

ButwhataboutJohnBurroughs?HalthasbeenoddlyreluctanttoacknowledgethepresenceofBurroughsonthisthirdnightofactivity,despitetheevidencefromhisowntaperecorder.BurroughsrecallsthatafterhavinginitiallybeendeniedpermissiontojoinHaltandhisteam,hewaseventuallyallowedtodoso.Herecalls thatheandSergeantAdrianBustinzawere thenauthorized toapproachoneof the lights,on thebasisthatBurroughswouldbeabletoascertainwhetherornotthiswasthesamethingheandPennistonencounteredonthefirstnight.Burroughsdescribeswhathappenednext:

"Allofasuddeninfrontofuswehadabluetransparentlightcomestreakingtowardsusandthenawhite object kind of appeared up above and then floated down and was sitting out there in thedistance.IaskedforpermissiontogotowardsittoseeifIcouldgetacloserlook.Aswestartedgoingtowardsit,itappearedtostartcomingtowardsus.SergeantBustinzawasonmyright.Hewentdowntotheground.Hesawmegointothelight.Hesawmedisappear.HesawthelightexplodeandIwasgone for several minutes before I reappeared. I have no recall of it. I have no memory of whathappened.ThenextthingIknowIwasstandinginthefieldandwhateveritwas,wasgone.Itwaslike,"Whatjusthappened?""

FromconversationswithBustinzainlateryears,Burroughsbelievesthatwhathappenedwasarepeatofwhathappenedonthefirstnight.Inotherwords,afteran‘explosionoflight',thetriangular-shapedcraftappeared from the light but that he had somehow gone "into the light", as he believes he did on bothnights.

ChapterFive–CharlesHaltOvertheYears

UntilJohnBurroughsandJimPennistondecidedtospeakout,CharlesHalthasprobablybeenthepersonmostcloselyassociatedwiththeRendleshamForestincident.Intheabsenceofthedocumentsandphotosthathavemysteriouslydisappeared,histaperecordingisoneofthekeypiecesofevidenceconcerningthesecondencounterintheforest,onthenightofDecember27/28.Butwhileagoodintelligenceanalystwillalways want to see the raw data (in this case, the original tape recording), it's no less important tosummarizethismaterialsoastogiveamoreeasilydigestibleaccount.AndwhobettertosummarizethisrawdatathanHalthimself,sohecanaddsomecolor.Inthatway,wecanseewhateventsstrikehimasimportantandseewhatheactuallythinksaboutallthis,particularlywiththebenefitofhindsight.

Fortunately,thereisawaywecandothis.Overtheyears,inanumberofdifferentplaces,Halthasmadevariousstatementsaboutwhathappened.Asisoftenthecase,theUFOandconspiracytheorycommunityareeithernotawareofthismaterial,misinterpretit,ormisrepresentit,whethertheseviewpointsbethoseofbelieversorskeptics.Againstthisbackground,it'simportanttolookatthismaterialcarefully.

On November 12, 2007 Charles Halt was one of a number of panelists at an extraordinary pressconferenceheldattheNationalPressClubinWashingtonDC.TheeventwasorganizedandsponsoredbyJames Fox, a documentary filmmaker, and Leslie Kean, an investigative journalist who headed up anorganization called the Coalition for Freedom of Information. The event featured a number of retiredgovernment,military and aviation community personnelwhohad either seen aUFOwhilst onduty, orundertakenanofficialinvestigationintoUFOsightings.TheeventwasmoderatedbytheformerArizonaGovernorFifeSymingtonIII.

CharlesHaltwasoneof thepanelistsandaftersettingout thebackgroundtothesightingshedescribedeventsasfollows:

"Wesuddenlyobservedabrightred/orangeovalobjectwithablackcenter.Itremindedmeofaneyeand appeared as though blinking. It maneuvered horizontally through the trees with occasionallyverticalmovement.Whenapproacheditrecededandsilentlybrokeintofivewhitelightswhichquicklyvanished.WemovedoutoftheforestintoapastureandobservedseveralobjectswithmultiplelightsintheNorthernsky.Theychangedinshapefromellipticaltoround…

… Several other objects were seen to the South. One approached at high speed and sent down aconcentratedbeamnearourfeet.Anotherobjectsentdownbeamsintotheweaponsstoragearea…"

Heconcludedwiththefollowingassessment:

"Ihavenoideawhatwesawbutdoknowwhateverwesawwasunderintelligentcontrol."

OnJune17,2010CharlesHaltsignedanotarizedaffidavit,givingabriefsummaryofwhathesawandsettingouthisviewofthis.ThedocumentwaswitnessedbyKatherineC.Shaw,aVirginiapublicnotary.Thedocumentdescribedtheencounterthus:

"…Oursecurityteamobservedalightthatlookedlikealargeeye,redincolor,movingthroughthetrees.Afterafewminutesthisobjectbegandrippingsomethingthatlookedlikemoltenmetal.Ashortwhilelateritbrokeintoseveralsmaller,white-coloredobjectswhichflewawayinalldirections…

…Someonenoticedasimilarobjectinthesouthernsky.Itwasroundand,atonepoint,itcametowardusataveryhighspeed. It stoppedoverheadandsentdownasmallpencil-likebeam,sortof likealaserbeam.Thatilluminatedthegroundabouttenfeetfromusandwejuststoodthereinawe…

…ThisobjectthenmovedbacktowardBentwaters,andcontinuedtosenddownbeamsoflight,atonepointneartheWeaponsStorageArea."

Haltconcludedwiththefollowingassessment:

"IbelievetheobjectsthatIsawatclosequarterwereextraterrestrialinoriginandthatthesecurityservicesofboththeUnitedStatesandtheUnitedKingdomhaveattempted–boththenandnow–tosubvert the significance ofwhat occurred atRendleshamForest andRAFBentwaters by the use ofwell-practicedmethodsofdisinformation."

This is nothing short of sensational. Note howHalt has now discarded his careful phraseology abouthaving"noidea"whatthecrafthesawwas,butstatingthatitwas"underintelligentcontrol"–aphrasewhich left thedooropen for thepossibilityof a secret, prototype aircraft ordrone.His "Ibelieve theobjectsthatIsawatclosequarterwereextraterrestrialinorigin"statementleavesnodoubtwhatsoeverabouthisassessment.

It'sahypotheticalpoint,butit'sintriguingtospeculatewhatthereactionwouldhavebeenfromhischainof command, themedia and the public, hadHalt gone publicwith such a statement at the time of theincident!

Halt's next point is no less incendiary. To accuse theUS andUK security services of subversion anddisinformation in relation to this incident is an extraordinary statement from amanwho I know to beextremelycarefulwitheverywordthathesays–note,forexample,howhe'scarefultofollowtheofficial‘neitherconfirmnordeny'lineinrelationtothepresenceofnuclearweapons.It'sanaccusationthat–hadhe made it at the time – would almost certainly have resulted in his being removed from the UK,reprimandedandpossiblydismissedfromtheservice.

OnSeptember22,2012CharlesHaltwasoneof thepanelistsataneventheldat theNationalAtomicTestingMuseum in LasVegas. The eventwas entitled "MilitaryUFOs: SecretsRevealed" and itwasalmostwithoutprecedentforaSmithsonian-affiliatedinstitutiontohostaneventonUFOs.

Haltgavea20minutepresentationwhichwasinlinewiththeprevioustwostatementsquoted,butwhich– inviewof the available time– fleshedout someof thedetails.Heessentially repeatedhis twokeypoints,firstly,thathebelievestheUFOheandotherssawwasextraterrestrialinoriginandsecondly,thatelementswithintheUSandUKintelligencecommunitywereresponsibleforcoveringuptheincident.Onthislatterpoint,Haltsaidthis:

"I've heardmany people say that it's time for the government to appoint an agency to investigate[UFOs]. Folks, there is an agency, a very close-held, compartmentalized agency that's beeninvestigatingthisforyears,andthere'saveryactiveroleplayedbymanyofourintelligenceagenciesthatprobablydon'tevenknowthedetailsofwhathappensoncetheycollectthedataandforwardit.It'skindofscary,isn'tit?"

Inanotherdirectquoteonthesameissue,Haltstated:

"I'mfirmlyconvincedthere'sanagencyandthereisanefforttosuppress."

Hewentontosaythis:

"InthelastcoupleofyearstheBritishhavereleasedatonofinformation,buthasanybodyeverseen

whattheirconclusionswereorheardanythingaboutBentwatersofficially?Whenthedocumentswerereleased,thetimeframewhenIwasinvolvedintheincidentismissing-it'sgonemissing.Nothingelseismissing."

Haltwentontoaddressthequestionofwhyhehasn'tsufferedanyadverseconsequencesfromspeakingoutaboutthisincidentinsuchrobustterms:"Probablyforacoupleofgoodreasons;numberone,myrankandsomeofthejobsI'veheld;butalso,veryearlyon,IsatdownandmadeaverydetailedtapeandmadeseveralcopiesofeverythingIknowabout it and they're secludedaway.Maybe I'mparanoid. I don't know, but I think itwas timewellspentwhenImadethetapes."

Phraseslike"satdownandmadeaverydetailedtape"and"veryearlyon"stronglysuggestHaltwasnotreferring to the tape recording that he made at the time of the incident, but to a more detailed tape,recordedshortlyafter theevent,perhapsassomesortof ‘insurancepolicy'.Halthasnotelaboratedonthispoint.

Inthequestionandanswersessionthatfollowedtheindividualpresentations,HaltclashedwithColonelJohnAlexander.Alexander is a retiredUSArmyofficerwhoundertook anofficial search for aUFO-related group operating somewhere within government, after the termination of Project Blue Book.Alexander's group of military, intelligence community and aerospace industry officials all had TopSecret/Sensitive Compartmentalized Information security clearances and was called the AdvancedTheoreticalPhysicsGroup-theydeliberatelyavoidedusingtheterm"UFO"soastoavoidfallingwithinthe scope of anyUFO-related Freedom of InformationAct requests. They concluded that UFOswere"real",butfoundnoevidenceofanycovertgroupstudyingthephenomenon.

WhenAlexandertoldHalttherewasnocover-up,HaltcalledhimnaïveandimplieditwasarroganttoassumethatjustbecauseAlexander'sgroupdidn'tfindsomething,itdidn'texist.Hewentontosuggestthatsuchagroupmighthavebeendeliberatelymovedtotheprivatesector(doubtlesstosomecompanywherethe senior figures are retiredmilitary and intelligence personnel),with the twin aims of lessening thescopeforCongressionalscrutinyandtakingitoutsidethescopeoftheFreedomofInformationAct.Halthas a fairpointhere and it'sworthnoting thatwhile access to classified informationdepends to someextent on your security clearance, it also depends on your ‘need to know'. If the ‘information owner'judgesyouhaveno‘needtoknow',youwon'tgetaccess,nomatterhowhighyoursecurityclearance–orrank.

Pennistonisclearwhohethinkshasitright:

"IfullysupportColonelHaltonhisassessmentandtherewasacover-up(containment)initiatedfromtheoutset.Haltisright."

Burroughsoffersthisassessment:

"Alexanderisstillfollowingthecompanylineaboutwhatheknows.Haltseemstobeopeningupwithnewdetailsonwhathehasknownforyears."

While thesewider issuesofsecrecyandaccess toclassified informationcanbeendlesslydebated, it'simportantnottolosesightofthecentralandexplosivenatureofHalt'sstatements,namelythattheDeputyBaseCommanderoftwoofthemostimportantbasesintheNATOallianceencounteredaUFOincloseproximitytotheinstallations,thinksitwasextraterrestrialinoriginandbelievesthatthiswascoveredupbyAmericanandBritishintelligence.

TheseareaboutassensationalagroupofUFO-relatedclaimsasaseniormilitaryofficercouldmake.

ChapterSix–TheMostImportantBasesinNATO

MostofthewitnessestotheRendleshamForestincident,alongwithmanyotherpeoplewhowerepostedtothebasesatBentwatersandWoodbridgebutwhoarenotpartofthestory,havedescribedtheareaasbeing "weird", "creepy", or other variations on the same theme.Becauseof this and in order to placetheseextraordinaryeventsintotheirproperhistoricalandgeopoliticalcontext,itseemsappropriatetogointosomemoredetailsabouttheareain1980,thehistoryofthetwinbases,theirroleatthetimeoftheincidentandthecommandstructurethatwasinoperation.

The county of Suffolk, in the UK, lies less than one hundred miles from London. But in terms of itscharacter,itmightaswellbehalfaworldaway.Theflat,low-lyingandlargelyrurallandscapeconsistsofamixtureoffarmland,wetlandsandsmalltowns.Theareaisrichinhistory,witharchaeologicalfindsand sites dating back to the Stone Age. Sutton Hoo, nearWoodbridge, is the site of one of the mostimportantarchaeological sites in theUK,where twomassiveAngloSaxonburial sitesdating from theearlyseventhcenturyyieldedawealthoffindsincludingawarrior'shelmet,weaponsandanentireship!

FromasfarbackaswhentheUKwasfirstsettled,beforethechanginggeographyturnedBritainintoanisland,Suffolkwasinhabited.TheEnglishChannelmayhavemadethingsmoredifficult,butitcertainlydidn'tstopwavesofinvadersandmigrantscomingtoSuffolk,topillage,settle,orconquer.TheRomans,the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings all left their mark on this ancient land. Pagans and then Christiansworshippedhere.Theareaisrichinlegendandfolklore,withstoriesofghosts,witchesandmonsters.StoriesincludethatofBlackShuck,aghostlyblackdog(oftenassociatedwiththedevil)saidtoroamthearea. More recently, East End Charlie is the name given to the ghost of a German Luftwaffe pilotsupposedlykilledintheareaduringtheSecondWorldWar.Rumorsofwitchcraftpersisttothisdayandinthissparsely-populatedareawithitsinsularpeople,it'snothardtobelievesuchstories.

From the early twentieth century, Suffolk has played host to some of the most secretive and ground-breakingscientificandmilitary researchanddevelopmentundertaken in theUK.Evennow,notall thedetailsofthiscanbemadepublic.FromsecretsitessuchasBawdseyManorandOrfordness,workwasdonethatwastochangetheworld.

In 1915 theArmament Experimental Squadronwas based atOrfordness,where increasingly powerfulbombs were tested, against the backdrop of the First World War. In the Thirties, as war with NaziGermanyapproached,theAirMinistryaskedScottishmeteorologistRobertWatson-Wattwhetheritwaspossiblethatradiowavesmightbefocusedintoabeampowerfulenoughtoincapacitateapilotoreventodestroyanaircraft.Sofarasweknow,nosuchdeath-raywaseverdeveloped,butWatson-Wattreportedthatradiowavesmighthaveanalternativeuse,detectingincomingaircraft.AresearchteamwassetupatOrfordnessandtheylaterrelocatedtoBawdseyManor,whichwasrenamedBawdseyResearchStation.The result of this, of course,was radar, and the construction of a chain of radar stations that becameoperationaljustintimetoplayadecisiveroleintheBattleofBritainandthus,arguably,intheoutcomeoftheSecondWorldWaritself.

Afterthewar,theUK'sfledglingnuclearprogramwasbasedatOrfordness,wheretheAtomicWeaponsResearch Establishment was based until it transferred to Aldermaston in 1971. There is also someevidence that weather modification experiments may have taken place at this site and it may be nocoincidencethattheareahasbeenhitbyextremeweathermanytimesovertheyears,fromtheNorthSeaFlood of 1953 to the Great Storm of 1987 – which hit Rendlesham Forest particularly hard, all butflatteninglargeswathesoftheforest.

Bawdsey later became home to a secret US research project code-named Cobra Mist, designed atdevelopinganover-the-horizonradarsystem.

Martlesham Heath is another interesting local site. Opened in 1917 when it housed the AeroplaneExperimentalUnit, thesite laterbecamehome toaBritishTelecommunications research facilitywhichhascloselinkswiththeUK'sthreeintelligenceagencies,MI5,MI6andGCHQ.

ThenearbyvillageofSizewell,onthecoast,isthesiteoftwomassivenuclearpowerstations,MagnoxSizewellAandPressurizedWaterReactorSizewellB.

Part of the job of a good intelligence analyst is to look for pieces of apparently separate informationwhich,whenlinked,formasingle,coherentpicture.It'sabit likeassemblinga jigsawpuzzle,withthepictureonlybecomingclearwhenenoughsmallpieces(thatthemselvesmayappearunremarkable)havebeenassembled.Beingabletospotconnectionsisakeyskill.However,humansoftenseepatternswherenoneexist.Anexampleispareidolia–wherepeople‘see'thefaceofJesusinaDanishpastry.Soitisinintelligence,wherelookingforconnectionsisanimportantskill,butwhereit'sequallyimportanttoavoidseeingconnectionsthataren'tthere.Itgetsevenmorecomplicatedwhen,becauseofananalyst'spersonalvieworaperceptionofwhathisorherpoliticalbosseswant,aconclusion-ledapproachistaken.Agoodexamplewouldbethewayinwhichcertainpeoplewentlookingforaconnectionbetweenthe9/11terrorattacksandSaddamHussein'sregime,becausethat'swhattheyexpected(andinsomecaseswanted)tofind.Suffice to say,wehighlight thehistoryof theareanot toallegeor implyanyconnectionwith theRendleshamForestincident,buttogivesomelocal‘color',soreadersgetabettersenseofthestageonwhichtheseeventsplayedout.

The twin bases ofBentwaters andWoodbridge date back to the SecondWorldWar.Woodbridgewascompletedin1943andBentwatersin1944.Bythistime,thetideofthewarhadturned,andakeyroleinthiswasthepartplayedbytheRAF'sBomberCommandandbytheUSArmyAirCorps(theUSAFhadyet tobe formedas a separatemilitarybranch).Flying frombases in theUKand sometimesmountingraidswhereoverathousandaircrafttookpart,RAFandUSaircraftbombedthecitiesandindustrialsitesof Nazi Germany relentlessly, pegging back Germany's military production. But the price was high.Casualtieswere horrendous and the lumbering bomberswere vulnerable toGerman fighters and anti-aircraftgunsalike.Manyaircraftmade the return legbadlydamaged,pilotsdesperatelyusingall theirskillstocoaxtheirplanesbackovertheseatoEngland.Insuchasituation,buildingnewairfieldsontheeast coast was a sensible tactic, as damaged aircraft were often both unstable in the extreme anddesperatelyshortof fuel.AirfieldssuchasBentwatersandWoodbridgeweredesignedspecifically forsuchdamagedaircraft, togiveaircrewsthatdidmakeitbackover theseaa locationwheretheycouldquicklylanddamagedaircraft.Therunwayswereamongthewidestandlongestinthecountryandthese‘emergencyairstrips'undoubtedlysavedmanylives.

After the end of thewar, the future of the bases was uncertain, but the SecondWorldWarwas soonfollowedbytheColdWar,andasChurchill's"ironcurtain"descended,cuttingEuropeintwo,theUSAF(formedin1947)tookoverthetwinbasesin1951.

It'simportanttounderstandthepolitico-militarysituationatthetimeoftheRendleshamForestincident.Withourcurrentpre-occupationwithsmallregionalconflictsandwithterrorism,it'seasytoforgetthatin1980therewasaveryrealsensethatnuclearwarbetweenAmericaandtheSovietUnion–ortechnically,betweenNATOandtheWarsawPact–mightbreakout.Ifwezeroinon1980wefindourselvesatapointwhereadevelopingsituationwouldsoonevolveintothegreatestperiodofEast/West tensionsincetheCubanMissileCrisisin1962,whentheworldstoodonthebrinkofnuclearwar.

In the UK, the uncompromising ConservativeMargaret Thatcher was PrimeMinister, having won theGeneralElectionin1979tobecometheUK'sfirstfemalePrimeMinister.Thoughhisinaugurationwasnotuntil January1981,RonaldReaganhadwon theUSelectiononNovember4,1980,and though theThatcher/Reaganpartnershipwasyettotakeshape,itwasclearthatbothintheUSandtheUK,atougherstancewouldbetakenontheSovietUnionthanhadpreviouslybeenthecase.

As it turnedout, the resolveof these twohard-linepoliticianswassoon tobe tested.Theseedsof thecrisis theywould facewere sown in the unlikely location of aPolish shipyard inGdansk, by a unionofficialnamedLechWalesa.TheSolidaritytradeunionhadbeenformedonSeptember17,1980afteranearlierwaveofstrikes.ItwasthefirstunionintheWarsawPactnottobecontrolledbytheCommunistPartyofthenationinwhichitwasbased.

ItisstillunclearjusthowclosewecametoWorldWarThreeatthistime,notleastbecausesomuchoftheinformationisstillhighlyclassified–especiallyinformationregardingColdWarspyColonelRyszardKukliński, who was spirited out of Poland by the CIA shortly before martial law was declared inDecember1981.There'ssomeintriguinghistoricalevidencetosuggestthataSovietinvasionofPolandhadbeenscheduledforDecember8,1980,underthecoverofascheduledmilitaryexercisecalledSoyuz1980.Supposedly,theinvasionwasonlycalledoffonDecember5whenthePolishGovernmentassuredtheSovietsthey'ddealwithSolidarityinternally–anassuranceSovietleaderLeonidBrezhnevaccepted,subjecttoconditions.WhilesomehistoriansbelievetheinvasionthreatwasaSovietbluff,designedtopersuadethePolishgovernmenttolaunchitsowncrackdownonSolidarity,othersarenotsure,giventheerraticnatureof theageingBrezhnevandotherSoviet leaders.Even if itwasabluffon thisoccasion,therewasastrongpossibilitytheSovietswouldtakeahardlineifthePolishGovernmentcouldn'tcontrolthesituation.While theseparateandbetter-knowncrisis thatwas toevolve from theJanuary15,1981meeting betweenLechWalesa andPope JohnPaul IIwas still in the (not too distant) futurewhen theRendleshamForestincidenttookplace,theSoyuz1980affairmayhavebeenbyfarthegreatercrisis–andmayhavecometoaheadjustbeforetheRendleshamForestincidenttookplace.

Thosepeopleservingonthebaseswereunawareofthesehigh-leveldramas,butclearlyknewsomethingwasgoingon.Burroughsdescribesthegeneralatmospherethus:

"ThingswerecalmwhenIfirstgotthere,butafterthemissioncameonlinewiththeA-10andReaganbecamePresident,thingsbecameveryedgy."

Evennow,overthirtyyearsaftertheRendleshamForestincident(withBentwatersclosedandoperatingasacommercialbusinessparkandwithWoodbridgereturnedtotheMoDandlargelyusedasamilitarybarracks) the full story of the twin bases cannot be told. We can give an outline of the role of theestablishments,themission,theequipmentandthepersonnel,butsomedetailsarestillclassifiedandmustremainso.Thishasplacedusinadifficultposition.Onetheonehand,itisfrustratingtohavetoleaveoutsomekeypartsofthestory,especiallywhensomeofthemaretold(withvaryingdegreesofaccuracy)byothersandare freelyavailableon the internet.However, inother respects, therewasneveranychoiceaboutthis.JohnBurroughs,JimPennistonandIhavealltakensecurityoathsthatbindusforlifeandwetakethisseriously,bothinalegalsenseandinthesensethatweremainloyaltoourformergovernmentmasters.Divulgingclassifiedinformationwithoutproperauthorizationisnotonlyacriminaloffencethatcarriesseverepenalties,it'sabetrayaloftrust.

Burroughs and Penniston are loyal ex-military personnel who served with dedication and distinction.They have risked their lives for their country and for the ideals of freedom and democracy that theycherish.Despitethefrustrationtheyfeelathavingtoleaveoutpartsofthestorythatsomepeoplemight

considerimportant,thisisn'tnegotiable.Valuessuchasintegrity,honestyandloyaltyarehardwiredintopeoplelikeBurroughsandPenniston.

Regrettably,itdoesn'talwaysworktheotherwayaround.Despitethefactthatloyaltyshouldbeatwo-waystreet,Burroughs,Pennistonandmanyoftheotheryoungmenandwomencaughtupintheseeventsfeelbetrayedbythechainofcommand.Theysuspectthateitherthechainofcommand(orsomepeopletherein)knewsomethingabouttheseevents,orconverselythattheyignoredthembecauseofthekneejerkprejudiceoftenelicitedbyeventheuseoftheterm"UFO".Worsestill,theybelievethatafterwards,theevents were either downplayed or actively covered up and that some witnesses were threatened anddrugged,oratthelessseriousendofthespectrum,lefttogetonwiththeircareersandtheirliveswithnocounselingorotherformofaftercare.

Though nominally two separate military establishments (lying close together, separated in part byRendleshamForest),Bentwaters andWoodbridge operated as a single entity, the so-called twin baseshavingbeentreatedinthiswaysince1958.TheywerepartofalargenumberofUSAFbasesintheUK(collectivelyknownas3rdAirForce),comingunderthecontrolofGeneralRobertW.Bazley,whowasbasedatRAFMildenhall.TheseUSAFbasesintheUKwerepartofUSAFE–UnitedStatesAirForcesinEurope.USAFEhad itsheadquarters inRamstein,Germany, andcameunder the control ofGeneralCharlesA.Gabriel.

The twin bases were home to the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, which in 1980 operated the A-10ThunderboltIIaircraft,nicknamedtheWarthog.

TheA-10isacloseairsupportaircraftanditsprimaryroleistoattacktanks,armoredvehicles,artillerypiecesandotherhigh-valuemilitarytargetsontheground.IntheeventofaconventionalwarbetweentheWarsawPactandNATO,thethinkingwasthatwesternforceswouldbefacedwithamassiveinvasionofarmoracrosstheplainsofEurope.ThisiswhereanaircraftliketheA-10wouldhavecomeintoitsown.AsignificantportionoftheA-10sbasedatBentwaters/Woodbridge(byDecember1980anexpansiontosixsquadronswasnearlycomplete)woulddoubtlesshavebeendeployed toForwardOperatingBasesand thrown into the fray in a desperate attempt to destroy as muchWarsaw Pact armor as possible,blunting an attack and thus trying to redress the balance in tanks and armored vehicles, where thenumericaladvantagelaywiththeWarsawPact.

The A-10's twomain weapons systems are AGM-65Maverick surface-to-air missiles and the 30mmGAU-8AAvengercannon,whichasoperated in1980couldfireat tworates,ofeitheraround2000or4000roundsperminute.TheA-10firstsawcombatintheGulfWarin1990/1,whereit'screditedwithhavingdestroyedover900tanks,around2000othermilitaryvehiclesand1200artillerypieces.A-10shaveseensubsequentactionintheBalkansandinthewarsinIraqandAfghanistan.

In 1980 the twin bases were commanded by Colonel GordonWilliams. He was known as theWingCommander,inthesensethathecommandedthe81stTacticalFighterWing.ThisprovedtobeconfusingfortheMoD,becauseWingCommanderisarankintheRAF,equivalenttoaLieutenantCommanderintheUSAF.HisdeputywasknownastheViceWingCommander.Underthesetwocommanderscamefourmajordepartments:Operations,Maintenance,RescueManagementandtheCombatSupportGroup.MostofthepersonnelinvolvedinthisstorywerefromtheCombatSupportGroup,commandedbyColonelTedConradandhisdeputy,LieutenantColonelCharlesHalt.Tofurtherconfusematters,thesetwopostsweregenerally referred to as the base commander and the deputy base commander, incorrectly implying (tothoseunfamiliarwithUSAFterminology)that theywerethetwomostseniorofficersat thetwinbases.The reason for the base commander and deputy commander descriptorswas becauseCombat Support

Groupresponsibilitiesincludedthegeneralbasemanagementduties.

It's important to clarify something about the role of the RAF. The titles RAF Bentwaters and RAFWoodbridgeweremisnomers – a little piece of fiction thatmight have glossed overmatterswith thepublic, but foolednobodyelse. In everythingbut name, thesewereAmericanbases.The fact that theywereonBritishsoilwasaminordetailandservedonlytoreinforcewhatallmilitaryplannersknew:thatinanyconventionalwar,Europe–includingtheUK–wasutterlydependentuponUSmilitarymighttodefend against an invasion from the forcesof theSovietUnion and theWarsawPact.TheUSwas thedominantpowerinNATO,justastheSovietUniondominatedtheWarsawPact.

As faras the twinbaseswereconcerned, justabout theonlyRAFpresencewasa liaisonofficerwhoactedastheinterfacebetweenthebasesandMoD.HeheldtherankofSquadronLeaderanddespitethemisleadingtitleof"RAFCommander",commandedverylittle.Therolewasanimportantone,buthewasessentiallyaconduitbetweentheUSAFandhisRAF/MoDbosses.

ThelegalstatusofUSbasesintheUKwasdefinedinanoverarchingdocumentcalledtheNATOStatusofForcesAgreement. Ifeveran issuearoseaboutaquestionsuchas jurisdiction, theanswercouldbefound"intheNATOSOFA":aphrasewhichalwaysraisedafeweyebrowswithpeopleonthebasisthatitconjuredupimagesoflookingforsmallchangedownthebackofthelivingroomfurniture.

Asmentionedabove,mostofthepersonnelinvolvedinthisstorywerepartoftheCombatSupportGroup.Further,mostwerepartof the81st SecurityPolice andLawEnforcementSquadron.At the timeof theincidents,MajorMalcolmZicklerwasincommandofthisunit.HereportedtoCharlesHalt.

Toputthedutiesofthe81stSecurityPoliceandLawEnforcementSquadronintoeverydaylanguage,theywereresponsibleforsecurityandpolicing.Inotherwords,thesecurityofthebase,theequipmentandthepersonnelwas their responsibility, aswas enforcingmilitary law and discipline. Part of this involvesguarding,butthisisconfusing,becauseotherjuniorpersonnelfromallunitscan(anddo)findthemselveson guard duty. But so far as the 81st Security Police and Law Enforcement Squadronwas concerned,guarding meant having particular responsibility for high-value assets and taking a wider strategicresponsibilityforsecuringthebases.Ifthispointseemsalittlelabored,it'sanimportantone,becausetheSecurityPolice(SP)andLawEnforcement(LE)personnelcaughtupintheseeventswerehighly-trainedpersonnelwitharoleandresponsibilitythatwentsignificantlyfurtherthansimplypatrollingtheperimeterfence–importantthoughsuchataskis.

WhileIhaveheardsomeformerUSAFpersonnelspeakdisparaginglyabouttheirtimeattheTwinBases,andhaveheardthemdescribethelocalareausingwordssuchas"creepy","sinister"and"depressing",itisclearthatPennistonandBurroughstakeprideintheirserviceandnotwithstandingthewaytheyweretreatedovertheUFOencounter,neverlostsightoftheimportanceofthemission.Pennistonsumsupthesituationlikethis:

"I felt that themission of the 81st TFWwas a key part of deterring theWarsawPact nations frommoving and 5000 tanks and invading what was then the Federal Republic of Germany. It was astrategic non-nuclear option which was available to the United States and NATO. The state ofreadinessforthe81stTFWwassuperb-readinesstosupportanyaggression,whencombinedwithourfour forward operating locations inGermany and communication support from the rest ofNATO. IconsidermyassignmenttoRAFBentwatersasthebestIhadinmytwentyyearsintheUSAF.Myfellowairmanthoughtthesame.Weallstilltalkoftenaboutthat."

Wenowcometoadifficultpointinthisbook.Thequestionarisesastowhetherornottherewerenuclear

weaponsatthetwinbases.Someofthosewhowerebasedthereatthetimehavesaidquiteopenlythattherewere.Otherpeoplewhowouldhavebeeninapositiontoknowhavealsomadestatementstothiseffect.AgoodexampleofthisisLordHill-Norton,aformerUKChiefoftheDefenseStaff(aUKpostbroadly equivalent to that of theChairman of the JointChiefs of Staff) and chair ofNATO'sMilitaryCommittee.WritingabouttheRendleshamForestincident,LordHill-Nortonsaidthis:

Mypositionbothprivatelyandpubliclyexpressedoverthelastdozenyearsormore,isthatthereareonlytwopossibilities,either:

a.An intrusion intoourAirSpaceanda landingbyunidentifiedcraft tookplaceatRendlesham,asdescribed.

Or

b.TheDeputyCommanderofanoperational,nucleararmed,USAirForceBase inEngland,andalargenumberofhisenlistedmen,wereeitherhallucinatingorlying.

ThisquotewastakenfromaletterdatedOctober22,1997thatLordHill-NortonhadsenttoLordGilbert,MinisterofStateattheMinistryofDefense.Thestatementaboutnuclearweaponscouldnotbeclearer.

Notwithstandingtheabove,sofarastheUKGovernmentisconcerned,thepositionisnottocommentonsuchnuclearquestions.ThefollowingstatementisatypicaloneandistakenfromHansard,theofficialrecordofproceedingsoftheUK'sParliament:

"Itisthelong-standingpolicyofsuccessiveGovernmentstoneitherconfirmnordenythepresenceofnuclearweaponsatanyparticularplaceortime."

Thefinalpartof theabovestatementmakesitclearthat this‘NCND'(neitherconfirmnordeny)policyappliesretrospectivelyandthatthiswouldbetheofficialresponsetowhatmanymightnowregardasahistoricalqueryaboutabygoneage.

HereisasimilarNCNDstatementfromHansard,whichmakesitclearthatthepolicyappliesequallytoanyqueryabouttheUSGovernment.

"It is the long-standing policy of HerMajesty's Government and of theUnited States Governmentneither to confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons in ships, aircraft or any particularlocation."

LordHill-NortonwaswellawareoftheNCNDpolicybutchosetoignoreit.InOctober1997heaskedthefollowing,asaformalPQ(ParliamentaryQuestion):

"WhethertheallegationscontainedintherecentlypublishedbookLeftatEastGate,totheeffectthatnuclearweaponswere storedatRAFBentwatersandRAFWoodbridge in violationofUK/US treatyobligationsaretrue."

Theanswer,printedintheOctober28HansardandsignedoffbyLordGilbert,wasasfollows:

"Ithasalwaysbeenthepolicyofthisandpreviousgovernmentsneithertoconfirmnortodenywherenuclearweaponsare locatedeither in theUKorelsewhere, in thepastorat thepresent time.Suchinformationwouldbewithheldunderexemption1of theCodeofPracticeonAccess toGovernmentInformation."

Therewasasecondquestion,inspiredbywhatLordHill-NortonhadlearnedaboutCharlesHalt'sUFOsightingandinparticularbythefinalremarksonthetaperecording,abouttheUFOfiringlightbeamsontothebase:

"WhethertheyareawareofreportsfromtheUnitedStatesAirForcepersonnelthatnuclearweaponsstored in theWeapons Storage Area at RAFWoodbridge were struck by light beams fired from anunidentifiedcraftseenoverthebaseintheperiod25-30December1980,andifso,whatactionwassubsequentlytaken."

Thereplywasasfollows:

"ThereisnoevidencetosuggestthattheMinistryofDefensereceivedanysuchreports."

Theresponseisaninterestingone,inthatitdoesn'tsimplysay"no".There'sanarttodraftingrepliestoPQs,becausemisleadingParliamenteveninadvertentlyistakenextremelyseriously,soanswershavetobeprecise,yetleavethedooropenincertaincircumstances,e.g.whenyoucan'tbesureoftheposition.Playingdevil's advocate, the answer toLordHill-Norton's secondquestionwould still be truthful andaccurateinascenariowhereMoDwasawarethattheincidenthadtakenplacebutwheretherewasnosurvivingpaper trail.Thismay soundpedantic, but there's a critical difference.When responding to aquestionalongthelinesof"Didxhappen?"theresponse"Wearenotawarethatxhappened",or"Thereisnoevidencethatxhappened"or"Wecanfindnorecordsthatwouldindicatethatxhappened"isfarsaferthan"No,xdidnothappen".

Evenbearinginmindthewarningaboutseeingconnectionswherenoneexist, it'sclearfromallof thisthat the Rendlesham Forest incident took place at an extremely important location, at a particularlysensitive time.Andwith thatobservation inmind,we'll return to theaftermathof thesightingsandseehowtheshell-shockedwitnessesweretreated.Becauseiftheythoughttheirordealwasover,theyweresadlymistaken.

ChapterSeven–DebriefingtheWitnesses

VariousmenandwomenatRAFBentwatersandWoodbridge–includingtheDeputyBaseCommander,CharlesHalt–encounteredsomethingtrulyextraordinary.Althoughthere'sadebatetobehadaboutwhathappenedtothem,there'snodoubtthattheyexperiencedsomethinghighlyunusual.Commonsensetellsusthatthismusthavehadaprofoundeffectonthoseconcerned.Morethanthat,thereactionsandbehaviorofsomeofthoseconcerned–mostnotablyJohnBurroughsandJimPenniston,whoseactionsaftertheeventsborder upon compulsive – clearly indicate that they were disturbed by what they saw and what theyexperienced.Thisisanaturalreactionwhensomeoneisconfrontedbysomethingoutsidetheirframeofreference. They have no way to process the information. This causes stress that manifests itself in anumber of different ways, which can vary depending upon how closely the person was affected anddependingupontheir individualcharacterandtemperament.Nowadayswewouldprobablylumpallofthistogetherundertheheadingpost-traumaticstressdisorder.

TheNationalInstitutesofHealthfactsheetonpost-traumaticstressdisorderbeginsbystating:

Post-traumaticstressdisorder(PTSD)isananxietydisorderthatsomepeopledevelopafterseeingorliving through an event that caused or threatened serious harm or death. According to the 2005NationalComorbiditySurvey-Replicationstudy,PTSDaffectsabout7.7millionAmericanadultsinagivenyear,thoughthedisordercandevelopatanyage,includingchildhood.Symptomsincludestrongandunwantedmemoriesoftheevent,baddreams,emotionalnumbness,intenseguiltorworry,angryoutbursts,feeling"onedge,"andavoidingthoughtsandsituationsthatareremindersofthetrauma.

While the reference to "anevent that causedor threatened seriousharmordeath"might at first glanceseemalittleextremeforwhathappenedinRendleshamForest,itshouldberecalledwhatHaltsaidaboutthemomentthattheUFOfiredabeamoflightdownathimandhismen:"Wejuststoodthereinawe,youknow?Isthisawarning,isthisasignal,isthisacommunication?Whatisthis?Aweapon?"However,otherdefinitionsofPTSDallowa lessextremecause.TheMerriam-Websterdictionarydefines itasapsychologicalconditionthatcanoccur"afterexperiencingahighlystressingevent"–amoresubjectivetrigger (and with a lower threshold) that would certainly seem applicable to the Rendlesham Forestincident.

It'sironicthatitwasin1980thatPTSDwasrecognizedasadisorderwithspecificsymptomsthatcouldbe reliably diagnosed and was added to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic andStatisticalManualofMentalDisorders.Themilitary,however,wasslowoffthemarkwhenitcametorecognizingPTSD.Arguably, theyalwayshavebeen.Whether it's thescandalof‘shell-shocked'youthsbeingexecutedforcowardiceby theBritishArmyin theFirstWorldWar,or the tragedyof theway inwhichVietnamveteranweretreated(andindeedviewedbyUSsocietyasawhole),theUSandtheUKmilitarydonothaveaproudrecordonthisissue.Tobefair,theUSDODandtheDepartmentofVeteransAffairshasmadesubstantialprogressontheseissuesinrecentyears.ThesameistrueoftheUKMinistryofDefenseandtheVeteransAgency.Butthisprogress,forgedinIraqandAfghanistanandpartofthepost-9/11worldinwhichmilitarypersonnelarefinallyenjoyingthesocietalrecognitionthattheydeserve,isall too recent.The situation in1980wasverydifferent and evennow,whenwecome to consider thelobbying that John Burroughs and Jim Penniston have done, there's no official recognition that theRendleshamForestincidentcausedanyhealthproblems,betheyphysicalormental.AnyonewanderingaroundinastateofshockintheaftermathoftheRendleshamForestincidentwouldhavereceivednothingmorethanabrief"pullyourselftogether".Weaknesswas–andstillis–despisedinthemilitaryandevenifthoseconcernedweresuffering,theyknewtherewasnorealalternativetoknucklingdownandgettingonwiththeirjobs.

Ifthathadbeenasfarasthingswent,onemight,perhaps,accusethechainofcommandofinsensitivity.Nowadaysonemightsay that the"dutyofcare"hadnotbeenhonored,or theMilitaryCovenant(aUKconcept defining the debt owed by the nation to its Armed Forces) breached. But while the chain ofcommandprovidednosupporttotheRendleshamForestwitnesses,that'snottosaytheywereleftalone.

Thereis,ascanclearlybedemonstrated,anofficialandanunofficialversionofthedebriefingprocessthat followed the Rendlesham Forest incident. The official version is easy to document, though theproblemswiththisdocumentationwillbeglaringlyobvious.

Outofallthevariouswitnessesonthetwokeynightsofactivity,officialwitnessstatementsareavailablefromjustfiveindividuals.Inorderofrank,withthemostseniorfirst,theyareasfollows:

LieutenantFredBuranMasterSergeantJ.D.ChandlerStaffSergeantJimPennistonAirmanFirstClassJohnBurroughsAirmanFirstClassEdCabansag

AstherearesofewUSAFdocumentsonthecasepubliclyavailable,andbecausethesedocumentsweredrawnupsosoonaftertheeventsconcerned,it'simportanttoreproducetheminfull.Inallcaseswe'vekeptthespacingasintheoriginalstatements(infact,onlyBuran'sstatementwasparagraphed),buthavecorrectedspellingmistakes.Topreservethe‘flavor'ofthesestatementswe'veleftgrammaticalerrorsastheyare,exceptwheredoingsowouldrenderthematerialunintelligible.

LieutenantFredBuran

Thisstatementwas typedonAirForceForm1169(StatementofWitness)andbeganwith thestandardphrase "I do herebyvoluntarily andofmyown freewillmake the following statementwithout havingbeensubjectedtoanycoercion,unlawfulinfluenceorunlawfulinducement".ItwasdatedJanuary2,1981andwassignedattheend.

"The following statement is general in nature andmay be inaccurate in some instances due to thetime-lapseinvolvedandthefactIwasnottakingnotesatthetimeoftheoccurrence.Atapproximately03:00 hrs, 26 December 1980, I was on duty at bldg. 679, Central Security Control, when I wasnotifiedthatA1CBurroughshadsightedsomestrangelightsinthewoodedareaeastoftherunwayatRAFWoodbridge.

ShortlyaftertheinitialreportA1CBurroughswasjoinedbySSgtJimPennistonandhisrider,AMNCabansag.SSgtPennistonalsoreportedthestrangelights.IdirectedSSgtCoffey,theondutySecurityControlled to attempt to ascertain from SSgt Penniston whether or not the lights could be markerlightsofsomekind,towhichSSgtPennistonsaidthathehadneverseenlightsofthiscolorornatureintheareabefore.Hedescribedthemasred,blue,whiteandorange.

SSgtPenniston requestedpermission to investigate.Afterhehadbeen joinedby theSecurityFlightChief,MSgtChandler,andturnedhisweaponovertohim,Idirectedthemtogoahead.SSgtPennistonhadpreviouslyinformedmethatthelightsappearedtobenofurtherthan100ydsfromtheroadEastGateoftherunway.

Imonitored their progress (Penniston, Burroughs andCabansag) as they entered thewooded area.They appeared to get very close to the lights, andat one point SSgtPenniston stated that itwas a

definitemechanicalobject.Due to thecolors they reported Ialerted them to the fact that theymayhavebeenapproachingalightaircraftcrashscene.IdirectedSSgtCoffeytocheckwiththetowertoseeiftheycouldthrowsomelightonthesubject.Theycouldnothelp.

SSgtPennistonreportedgettingnearthe"object"andthenallofasuddensaidtheyhadgonepastitandwerelookingatamarkerbeaconthatwasinthesamedirectionastheotherlights.Iaskedhimifhecouldhavebeenmistaken,towhichPennistonrepliedthathadIseentheotherlightsIwouldknowthedifference.SSgtPennistonseemedsomewhatagitatedatthispoint.

Theycontinuedtolookfurther,tonoavail.Atapproximately3:43hrs,Iterminatedtheinvestigationandorderedallunitsbadtotheirnormalduties.

IdirectedSSgtPennistontotakenotesoftheincidentwhenhecameinthatmorning.Aftertalkingwithhim face to faceconcerning the incident, Iamconvinced thathesawsomethingoutof therealmofexplanation for him at that time. I would like to state at this time that SSgt Penniston is a totallyreliableandmatureindividual.Hewasnotoverlyexcited,nordoIthinkheissubjecttooverreactionormisinterpretationofcircumstances.Later thatmorning,afterconversingwithCPTMikeVerrano,the day-shift commander, I discovered that there had been several other sightings. Any furtherdevelopmentsIhavenodirectknowledgeof."

MasterSergeantJ.D.Chandler

Thisstatementwas typedonAirForceForm1169(StatementofWitness)andbeganwith thestandardphrase "I do herebyvoluntarily andofmyown freewillmake the following statementwithout havingbeensubjectedtoanycoercion,unlawfulinfluenceorunlawfulinducement".ItwasdatedJanuary2,1981andwassignedattheend.

"Atapproximately3.00hrs,26December1980,whileconductingsecuritychecksonRAFBentwaters,Imonitoreda radio transmission fromA1CBurroughs,LawEnforcement patrol atRAFWoodbridge,statingthathewasobservingstrangelightsinthewoodedareajustbeyondtheaccessroad,leadingfrom the East Gate at RAF Woodbridge. SSgt Penniston, Security Supervisor, was contacted anddirected to contact Burroughs at the EastGate.Upon arrival, SSgt Penniston immediately notifiedCSCthathetoowasobservingtheselightsandrequestedtomakeacloserobservation.Afterseveralminutes,Pennistonrequestedmypresence. IdepartedRAFBentwaters throughButleyGate forRAFWoodbridge.When I arrived, SSgt Penniston, A 1C Burroughs and AmnCabansag had entered thewooded area just beyond the clearing at the access road. We set up radio relay between SSgtPenniston,myselfandCSC.OnoneoccasionPennistonrelayedthathewascloseenoughtotheobjecttodetermine itwasdefinitelyamechanicalobject.Hestated thathewaswithin50metres.Healsostated that therewas lots of noises in the areawhich seemed to be animals running around. EachPennistongavemetheindicationthathewasabouttoreachtheareawherethelightswerehewouldgiveanextendedestimatedlocation.Heeventuallyarrivedata"beaconlight",however,hestatedthatthiswasnotthelightorlightshehadoriginallyobserved.Hewasinstructedtoreturn.Whileenrouteoutof theareahereportedseeing lightsagainalmost indirectpasswhere theyhadpassedearlier.Shortlyafterthis,theyreportedthatthelightswerenolongervisible.SSgtPennistonreturnedtoRAFWoodbridge.Aftertalkingtothethreeofthem,Iamsurethattheyhadobservedsomethingunusual.AtnotimedidIobserveanythingfromthetimeIarrivedatRAFWoodbridge."

StaffSergeantJimPenniston

Thisstatement is typedonasheetofpaperheaded"Statement".It isunsigned,undatedandhasvarious

sketchesattached.Pennistonsays this is the statement thatwasgiven tohimat theAirForceOfficeofSpecialInvestigations(AFOSI)buildingandwasthestorythathewasorderedtotellanyonewhoaskedabout the event, due to the fact that there was an on-going investigation at the time, by an "outsideinvestigativedepartment".

"ReceiveddispatchfromCSCtorendezvouswithPolice4AICBurroughs,andPolice5SSgtSteffensateast gate Woodbridge. Upon arriving at east gate directly to the east about 1 ½ miles in a largewoodedarea.A largeyellowglowing lightwasemittingabove the trees. In thecentreof the lightedarea directly in the centre ground level, there was red light blinking on and off 5 to 10 secondintervals.Andablue light thatwasbeing for themost part steady.After receivingpermission fromCSC,weproceededoffbasepasseastgate,downanoldloggingroad.Leftvehicle,proceededonfoot.BurroughsandIwereapprox.15-20metersapartandproceedingonatrueeastdirectionfromloggingroad.Theareainfrontofuswaslightingupa30meterarea.Whenwegotwithina50meterdistance,theobjectwasproducingredandbluelight.Thebluelightwassteadyandprojectingundertheobject.It was up the area directly extending a meter or two out. At this point of positive identification Irelayed toCSC, SSgtCoffey. Positive sighting of the object…1… color of lights and that itwasdefinitelymechanical innature.This is theclosestpoint thatIwasnear theobjectatanypoint.Wethenproceededafterit.Itmovedinazig-zaggingmannerbackthroughthewoods,thenlostsightofit.Onthewaybackweencounteredabluestreakinglighttotheleftonlylastingafewseconds.Aftera45minwalkarrivedatourvehicle."

AirmanFirstClassJohnBurroughs

Thisstatementishandwrittenonanunheadedsheetofpaperandhasasketchattached.Itissigned,butnotdated.

"Onthenightof25-26Decataround3:00,whileonpatroldownatEastGate,myselfandmypartnersawlightscomingfromthewoodsdueeastofthegate.Thelightswereredandblue,theredoneabovetheblueone,andtheywereflashingonandoff.BecauseI'veneverseenanythinglikethatcomingfromthewoodsbeforewedecidedtodrivedownandseewhatitwas.Wewentdowneast-gateroadandtookarightatthestopsignanddroveabout10-20yardstowherethereisaroadthatgoesintotheforest.IcouldseeawhitelightshiningintothetreesandIcouldstillseetheredandblueone.WedecidedwebettergocallitinsowewentbackuptowardsEastGateandcalleditin.ThewholetimeIcouldseethelightsandthewhitelightwasalmostattheedgeoftheroadandtheblueandredlightswerestilloutinthewoods.Asecurityunitwassentdowntothegateandwhentheygottheretheycouldseeittoo.Weaskedpermissiontogoandseewhatitwas.Wetookthetruckdowntheroadthatleadsintotheforest. Aswewent down the east-gate road and the road that leads into the forest, the lightsweremoving back and they appeared to stop in a bunch of trees. We stopped the truck where the roadstoppedandwenton foot.Wecrosseda smallopen field that let intowhere the lightswere comingfrom,andaswewerecomingintothetreestherewerestrangenoises,likeawomanscreaming.Alsothewoods lit up and you could hear the farm animals making a lot of noises, and there was a lot ofmovementinthewoods.Allthreeofushitthegroundandwhateveritwasstartedmovingbacktowardstheopenfieldandafteraminuteortwowegotupandmovedintothetreesandthelightsmovedoutintotheopenfield.Wegotuptoafencethatseparatedthetreesfromtheopenfield.Youcouldseethelightsdownbya farmer'shouse.Weclimbedover the fenceandstartedwalking toward theredandblue lights and they just disappeared.Oncewe reached the farmer's housewe could see a beacongoingaround,sowewenttowardit.Wefolloweditforabout2milesbeforewecouldseeitwascomingfromalighthouse.Wehadjustpassedacreakandweretoldtocomebackwhenwesawabluelightto

our left in the trees. Itwasonly there foraminuteand just streakedaway.After thatwedidn't seeanythingandreturnedtothetruck."

AirmanFirstClassEdCabansag

Thisstatementistypedonanunheadedsheetofpaper,issigned,butnotdated.AirmanCabansagopenlyadmitsthiswasaretypedstatementandthathewastoldtosignitwithoutquestionandhisinvolvementwouldbeover.Hesaysthiswasdoneunderextremeduress.

"On26Dec80,SSgtPennistonandIwereonSecurity#6atWoodbridgeBase.Iwasthemember.WewerepatrollingDeltaNAPAwhenwereceivedacallovertheradio.ItstatedthatPolice#4hadseensomestrange lightsoutpast theEastGateandwewere torespond.SSgtPennistonandI leftDeltaNAPA,headingfortheEastGatecodetwo.WhenwegotthereSSgtSteffensandA1CBurroughswereonpatrol. They told us they had seen some funny lights out in thewoods.WenotifiedCSCandweasked permission to investigate further. They gave us the go-ahead.We left ourweaponswith SSgtSteffenswhoremainedatthegate.Thusthethreeofuswentouttoinvestigate.WestoppedtheSecurityPolicevehicleabout100meters from thegate.Due to the terrainwehad toonby foot.Wekept inconstantcontactwithCSC.Whilewewalked,eachoneofuswouldseethelights.Blue,red,white,andyellow.Thebeaconlightturnedouttobetheyellowlight.Wewouldseethemperiodically,butnotinaspecificpattern.Asweapproached,thelightswouldseemtobeattheedgeoftheforest.Wewereabout100metersfromtheedgeoftheforestwhenIsawaquickmovement,itlookvisibleforamoment.Itlooked like it spun left a quarter of a turn, then it was gone. I advised SSgt Penniston and A 1CBurroughs.WeadvisedCSCandproceededinextremecaution.Whenwegotabout75-50meters,MSgtChandler/FlightChief,wasonthescene.CSCwasnotreadingourtransmissionsverywell,soweusedMSgtChandlerasago-between.Heremainedbackatoutvehicle.Asweenteredtheforest,theblueandredlightswerenotvisibleanymore.Onlythebeaconlightwasstillblinking.Wefiguredthelightswerecomingfrompasttheforest,sincenothingwasvisiblewhenwepassedthroughthewoodyforest.Wewouldseeaglowingnear thebeacon light,butaswegotcloserwe foundIt tobea litup farmhouse.Afterwehadpassedthroughtheforest,wethoughtithadtobeanaircraftaccident.SodidCSCaswell.Butweranandwalkedagood2milespastout thevehicle,untilwegot toavantagepointwherewecoulddeterminethatwhatwewerechasingwasonlyabeaconlightoffinthedistance.Ourroutethroughtheforestandfieldwasadirectone,straighttowardsthelight.WeinformedCSCthatthelightbeaconwasfartherthanwethought,soCSCterminatedourInvestigation.A1CBurroughsandI tookaroad,whileSSgtPennistonwalkedstraightback fromwherewecame.A1CBurroughssawthelightagain,thistimeitwascomingfromtheleftofus,aswewerewalkingbacktoourpatrolvehicle.WegotincontactwithSSgtPennistonandwetookawalkthroughwherewesawthelights.Nothing.Finally,wemade itback toourvehicle,aftermakingcontactwith thePC'sand informingthemofwhatwesaw.AfterthatwemetMSgtChandlerandwewentinserviceagainafterterminationofthesighting."

Onsomeofthestatements, therearehandwrittennotes, initialedH.TheHclearlystandsforHalt,whoseemstohavewrittenthemsomeyearslater,inrelationtothepossibilityofthewitnessesgoingpublicwiththeirexperiences.ThesehandwrittenannotationsgiveanintriguinginsightintothecharacterofthekeyplayersandintoHalt'smindset.Theremarksareasfollows:

Buran:FredBuranisagood+reliableperson.Hemighttalkifhisnamewereprotected.

Chandler:Noannotation.

Penniston:SgtPennistonhasa lot tocontribute.Hepromisedmeaplastercast+photosbutneverdelivered.I thinkhe'sholdingout to"sell"astory.Heis,however,averycompetent individualandcanbetrusted.I'mconvincedhisstoryisashesays.Hewassoshook[up]hehadtohaveaweektorecover.

[PennistonloanedHaltoneoftheplastercastsin2003foranalysis].

Burroughs:Burroughsisastraightforward+honestcop.Hedoeshavetheabilitytotakeanincident+turnitintoadisaster(hecomesontoostrong).There'snodoubtinmymindhisstatementisaccurate.Hereallybecameobsessedwiththis.Nowhe'sworriedthatthismightaffecthiscareer.

Cabansag:I'mconvincedthisisa‘cleanedup'versionofwhathappened.ItalkedwithAmnCabansag+cansayhewasshookuptothepointhedidn'twanttotalk.FromtalkingwithChuckdeCaro(CNN)Icansayhestillworriestoday.Hemighttalkifapproachedright.

The reference toCNN is another clear implication that thesenoteswere annotatedonto the statementssomeyearsaftertheincident,inrelationtothequestionofif/howtogopublicabouttheincident.ButofparticularrelevancetotheissueathandisHalt'sreferencetoa‘cleanedup'versionofwhathappened.

WehavealreadyreviewedCharlesHalt'svariousfirst-personstatementson theevents,over theyears,includingonedeliveredonNovember12,2007,atapressconferenceheldattheNationalPressClubinWashingtonDC.JimPennistonwasalsopresentat thiseventandbecauseof the importanceofquotingprimarysourcematerialwhereavailable, it'sworthreproducinghispositionstatementhere,sowecancompareandcontrastitwiththeoriginalwitnessstatementquotedabove:

"MynameisJamesPenniston,UnitedStatesAirForceRetired.

In 1980, I was assigned to the largest Tactical FighterWing in the Air Force, RAFWoodbridge inEngland.Iwastheseniorsecurityofficerinchargeofbasesecurity.

AtthattimeIheldatop-secretUSandNATOsecurityclearanceandwasresponsiblefortheprotectionofwar-makingresourcesforthatbase.

Shortly aftermidnight on the26thofDecember, 1980, Staff Sergeant Steffensbriefedme that somelightswere seen inRendleshamForest, just outside the base.He informedme thatwhatever itwasdidn'tcrash…itlanded.Idiscountedwhathesaidandreportedtothecontrolcenterbackatthebasethatwehadapossibledownedaircraft.IthenorderedAmn.Cabansag,AICBurroughstorespondwithme.

Whenwearrivednear thesuspectedcrashsite itquicklybecameapparent thatwewerenotdealingwithaplanecrashoranythingelsewe'deverrespondedto.Therewasabrightlightemanatingfromanobjectontheforestfloor.Asweapproacheditonfoot,asilhouettedtriangularcraftabout9feetlongby6.5feethigh,cameintoview.Thecraftwasfullyintactsittinginasmallclearinginsidethewoods.

Asthethreeofusgotclosertothecraftwestartedexperiencingproblemswithourradios.IthenaskedCabansagtorelayradiotransmissionsbacktothecontrolcenter.BurroughsandIproceededtowardsthecraft.

Whenwecameuponthetriangularshapedcrafttherewereblueandyellowlightsswirlingaroundtheexteriorasthoughpartofthesurfaceandtheairarounduswaselectricallycharged.Wecouldfeelit

onourcloths,skinandhair.Nothinginmytrainingpreparedmeforwhatwewerewitnessing.

Aftertenminuteswithoutanyapparentaggression,Ideterminedthecraftwasnonhostiletomyteamortothebase.Followingsecurityprotocol,wecompletedathoroughon-siteinvestigation,includingafullphysicalexaminationofthecraft.Thisincludedphotographs,notebookentries,andradiorelaysthroughairmanCabansagtothecontrolcenterasrequired.Ononesideofthecraftweresymbolsthatmeasuredabout3incheshighandtwoandahalffeetacross.

Thesesymbolswerepictorialindesign;thelargestsymbolwasatriangle,whichwascenteredinthemiddleoftheothers.Thesesymbolswereetchedintothesurfaceofthecraft,whichwaswarmtothetouchandfeltlikemetal.

ThefeelingIhadduringthisencounterwasnotypeofaircraftthatI'veeverseenbefore.

After roughly 45 minutes the light from the craft began to intensify. Burroughs and I then took adefensivepositionawayfromthecraftasitliftedoffthegroundwithoutanynoiseorairdisturbance.Itmaneuveredthroughthetreesandshotoffatanunbelievablerateofspeed.Itwasgoneintheblinkofaneye.

Inmylogbook,(thatIhaverighthere)Iwrote,Speed:IMPOSSIBLE.Over80AirForcePersonnel,alltrainedobserversassignedtothe81stSecurityPoliceSquadron,witnessedthetakeoff.

Theinformationacquiredduringtheinvestigationwasreportedthroughmilitarychannels.Theteamand witnesses were told to treat the investigation as "top secret" and no further discussion wasallowed.

Thephotosweretrievedfromthebaselab(tworollsof35mm)wereapparentlyoverexposed."

Again,thismorefulsomestatement,deliveredafterPennistonretiredfromtheUSAF,bearsoutthepointthat theoriginal statementswere ‘watereddown' or ‘cleanedup' versionsof the story.Therewas justenoughbasicinformationinthemthattheycouldbesaidtobeessentiallytrue,butwithmuchofthemoreexoticmaterialnotcoveredweare,perhaps,intheterritoryofa"materialomission".

Lookingatthefivecontemporaneouswitnessstatementsasawhole,itseemsclearthattheprocessherewashaphazard tosay the least.ThestatementsfromBuranandChandlerwere typedonanofficialAirForce Statement ofWitness form, signed and dated, butCabansag'swasn't on theAir Force form andwasn't dated.NeitherwasPenniston's (whichwas also unsigned),while the statement fromBurroughswashandwritten,signed,butnotdated.Inotherwords,thestatementsareinasortofinverseorder,wherethemore closely involvedwith the sighting thewitnesswas, the less in linewith anydueprocess thestatementsare.

Furthermore,nostatementswere taken (or if theywere, theyhaveyet tocome to light)bysomeof theotherpersonnelinvolvedinthefirstUFOsighting,suchasStaffSergeantBudSteffens,Sergeant‘Crash'McCabeandSergeantDavidCoffey.

Moreover, there are no statements from any of those involved in the second night's sighting, such asLieutenantColonelCharlesHalt,LieutenantBruceEnglund,MasterSergeantBobbyBall andSergeantMonroeNevels.

Similarly, therearenostatementsfromsomeofthosemoreperipherallyinvolved,butwhowouldhavebeenabletoaddimportantinformation,suchasCaptainMikeVerranoandMasterSergeantRayGulyas.

Thiswaseitheranextraordinarilyineptinvestigation,oronewheresomeevidenceismissing.Sowhatdothepersonnelwhomade(orsupposedlymade)thesestatementshavetosayaboutallthis?Buranhassaid thathis statement is accurateandChandlerhasnotgoneon the recordabout this.Neithermen,ofcourse,sawanythingthemselves.ButwhenitcomestothethreemenwhogotclosesttotheUFO,thestoryisverydifferentandtherearediscrepancies.

For example, therewasanexchangeof remarksdirectlyafter the incident, asPennistonand theothersprepared to turn in theirM-16s.Penniston said toChandler "Youwouldn't believewhat happenedoutthere". Chandler responded in a very sympathetic way, "Yes, I know, I was at the East Gate". Thisexchange,justbeforePennistonandBurroughsreportedtotheShiftCommander'soffice,isverydifferentfrom what Chandler says in his official statement, which clearly says in summary "At no time did IobserveanythingfromthetimeIarrivedatRAFWoodbridge."

Cabansagstatesthathecouldn'ttypeandsaysthatsomeonehandedhimatypedstatementtosign.Hesaysthathewasonlynewlyqualifiedandwasextremelynervous.Cabansagwasclearlyintimidatedbyallofthisandsigned,underextremeduressasheputsit,notevenhavingreadthetext.

InDecember2012, tohelpclarify thepositionconcerningthevariouspost-incidentdebriefingsandthewitnessstatements,BurroughsandPennistonjointlywroteupthefollowingaccountofwhathappened:

"Iwasmethodicallyandconsistentlyinterviewedandinterrogatedbymychainofcommandandotheragencies.Everytime,IwaspromisedthatthiswasthelastinterviewanditwouldbeabsorbedintotheclassifiedannalsofdataandIwouldneednottellortalkaboutitnomore.Thiswasnotthecase.Iwentthroughatleastfourteendebriefingsandtwobynon-airforcepersonnel.Igaveallinformationfrommemoryandatnotimewasthenotebookeverbroughtup.Thedebriefswereallforthelasttime,Iwaspromised.Tellall,andtellitcorrectlyanditwouldbethelastofquestionsonRendlesham.Fortheseweretocontinue,nomatterwhatIhadsaid.Idobelievethecommandelement,weremoreforobtainingknowledge.Buttheexternalinterrogation,wereformuchmore,Iamafraid.

The timeline for Rendlesham and information flow: incidents occurred Dec 26-28, 1980. On themorning of the 29th of December, AFOSI building, meeting with two American Agents, more likelyDefense IntelligenceAgency (DIA) and/orNational Security Agency (NSA), Pennistonwrites a fourpagewrittenstatementtotheagents.Hedatesitandsignsthedocument.AgentsthengivePennistonatyped statement,which is generic and is limited on details. For example, observation of ametalliccraft and not getting within 50 yards of it. Penniston is instructed by the agents that an officialinvestigationisunderway,andheistotellallwhoasks,thecoverstorythatwasprovidedtohim.Hereadsitseveraltimesandthenagreestodoso.IgouptotheWingandBaseCommandoffices;asIwalkinColonelConradmotionsformetocomeintohisoffice.Heshutsthedoor;hereIamwithmyBaseCommander;heaskedmesomequestions,butnotasacommander,morelikeafellowairmanandhealsogavemeencouragementtounderstandwehadhissupport.IthengoovertotheDeputyBaseCommander'sofficedownthehall.BurroughsiswaitingoutsideHalt'sofficeandmeetshimandweboth ask Halt's secretary to tell him we are there. Then we are debriefed at the Deputy BaseCommander'soffice,ColonelHalt.Statementswrittenandthendrawingsmade.Penniston,Burroughsand Cabansag are taken into Wing Commander's Office with Base and Deputy Base Commanderspresent. The NSA account is briefed to the officers. The Wing Commander thanks the SecurityPolicemenforthereportandasksnoquestions.AlldirectwitnessesarebriefedtotreatalldiscussionaboutRendleshamasTopSecret.Endingallconversationonbasebythosedirectlyinvolved.Weareassured that this incidentwill never see the light of day. For it is classified and names have beensanitizedfromreports.ThemostunusualthingwasafterIgiveColonelWilliamsthesanitizedversion

thatwasprovideddownattheAFOSIbuilding.SomethingsounusualstruckmeasColonelWilliamspatiently listened toouraccountof thehappeningsof the firstnight.Theaccountneverstirredonequestionatall,norcomment.Hemerelythanksusfordoingourjob,andheappreciatedthereport.Ihavealwaysthought,wouldtherenotbejustonequestion?ItwasifheknewaboutthephenomenonthatIhadjustbriefedhimon."

PennistonofferedthisevenmoredamningassessmentoftheduplicityinSeptember2013:

"Any timea statementofwitness isdone, it isusuallydoneona form,or ifnotavailable,on linedpaper. All witness statements should be dated, signed, and witnessed. If they are not, it should bequestioned as to whether they were actually made by the witness. I personally believe the onlystatement thatwasactuallyauthenticandnot tamperedwith is theone fromJohnBurroughs. Iwasnever asked by the Security Police Squadron to do a statement. This is because they knew it hadalready been accomplished at the base AFOSI building. Burroughs' statement was asked for byColonelHaltandnotbytheSecurityPoliceSquadron.Ibelievethattheotherstatementswereeithertheproductof coaching,orwrittenbyothers,which theyhad thewitnesses sign.Case inpoint,EdCabansag's statement; it was prepared and he was told to sign it. So was there containment?Absolutely;sotheycoulddevelopthecoverstoryofaliensandoffixinganalienspacecraftusingA-10avionics-almostlaughablethatanyonewouldbuythatrubbish.Iguessthebottomlineisthat"justanotherUFOstory"woulddevelop fromthescuttlebuttand fromthestoryputout in the localpubsandonbase.Anyonewhowasawitnessorintheknowabouttheincidentswassilencedandthepeoplewhowere talkingwere peoplewho unknowingly to themselves perpetuated the cover story, some ofthembyproclaimingthattheywerewitnessestotheevents."

Burroughs too reiterates thekeypoint that the so-calledwitness statementswereessentially aworkoffiction,downplayingthekeyevents:

"That'sthestatementtheyaskedmetowrite.Alltheywantedwasabriefoverviewonwhathappenedthefirstnight,andthat'swhatIdid."

Perhapsthemostdamningremarksaboutthewayinwhichthewitnessesweretreatedintheaftermathofthe Rendlesham Forest incident come from Charles Halt.Writing in a chapter of Leslie Kean's bookUFOs: Generals, Pilots and Government Officials Go on the Record, he made the followingextraordinarystatement:

"OSI [Office of Special Investigations] operatives harshly interrogated five young airmen, some oftheminshockatthetime,whowerekeywitnesses".

Haltwentontowrite:

"Drugs such as sodium pentothal, often called a "truth serum" when used with some form ofbrainwashingorhypnosis,wereadministeredduringtheseinterrogations,andthewholethinghashaddamaging,andlasting,effectsonthemeninvolved".

Although the "five young airmen" are not named, it seems clear that this is a reference to the fivewitnessesfromwhomwrittenstatementsweretaken.Whilesomemightregardthisas‘toolittle,toolate'andwoulddoubtlesshaveexpectedseniorofficerstohavesteppedintoprotecttheirmenatthetime,PennistonispragmaticaboutthisandgratefulthatHaltspokeoutatall.Heoffersthisview,endingwithaspeculativebombshell:

"I feel therewasawholearrayof thingsthatColonelHaltdidnot fullyknowat the time.However,through the course of time he did become aware and finally acknowledge the use of drugs andinterrogationofthefirstresponders.Maybe,justmaybe,Haltwasinterrogatedalso.Ioftenwonderedaboutthat,especiallygivenhisgapsinmemorytoo."WhateveronebelievesaboutUFOs,foraseniormilitaryofficertomaketheallegationthatdrugsandhypnosiswereusedonthemenunderhiscommandintheimmediateaftermathofaUFOincidentislittleshortofsensational.

ChapterEight–TheBritsAreComing

AtsomepointonSundayDecember28,1980,LieutenantColonelCharlesHalt(whohadgrabbedafewhoursof sleepafterhis investigationand sightingon thenightofDecember27/28)hada conversationabout the incident with the Wing Commander, Colonel Gordon Williams, who was the commandingofficerofthetwinbases.WilliamsaskedHalttobriefhim,whichhedid.Healsoplayedhimthetapethathe'drecorded.Williamsaskedtoborrowit,withtheintentionofplayingittotheseniorUSAFofficerintheUK,GeneralRobertW.Bazley.Although thiswasphrasedasa request, itwasclearlynotone thatHalt could decline and he duly handed over the tape. As he recalls, he was worried that his nextpromotion,andperhapsevenhissecurityclearance,wereinjeopardy(fearsthatprovedgroundless)andhespentthenextcoupleofdaysworryingwhatthefalloutwouldbe.

On Tuesday December 30,Williams went to RAFMildenhall, where Bazley was based. The USAFpresence in theUK is known as 3rdAir Force andBazley – as commander of 3rdAir Force – held aregularstaffmeetingwiththecommandingofficersofthevariousUSAFbasesintheUK.Thesemeetingswereatwo-waystreet.Theyprovidedanopportunityforbasecommanderstobriefanddiscusstheirbigcurrent issues in each other's presence and with Bazley and other key HQ staff from 3rd Air Force.Conversely, itwas an opportunity forBazley and his top team to brief his various commanders aboutwiderUSAFandDODissuesthatmightimpactontheirwork.

Atsomepointduring thismeetingonDecember30WilliamsbriefedBazley,Bazley'skeystaffand theotherCOsabouttheUFOsighting.Halt'stapewasplayed.AccordingtoHalt,whowasn'tpresentbutwhoWilliamsbriefedlater,therewasastunnedsilence.Bazleyraisedhiseyebrowsandaskedhisassembledstaffwhatthehelltheyshoulddonow.Anunnamedofficerapparentlymadearemarkalongthelinesof"Wow this thing'sbigger than the [Roswell?] affair"– though frustratingly, thepenultimateword isnotrecalledwith100%accuracy.

Atthatpoint,Bazleyaskedforclarificationonwhere,precisely, theinitialUFOincidenthadoccurred.WhenWilliams confirmed that itwas in the forest, i.e. ‘outside thewire', Bazley looked pleased andutteredwords to the effect that "it's aBrit affair. It happened off the installation. Let them handle it".Pennistonisclearinhisviewthatthiswasacunningsleightofhand:

"Thiswas theAir Force'sway to fulfill the containment of the incident. A clever smokescreen thatfittednicelywithintheparametersofoperatingprocedures.Theendresultwouldmakeonethinktheotherisinvestigatingtheincident."

Burroughsagrees,butactuallywelcomedthemove:

"Itwasasmartmove,sinceallofwhathappenedwasoffbase.Yes,itwasasmokescreen,butittookalotofheatoffofusearlyon."

WhenWilliamsreturnedfromthemeetinghetoldHaltwhatBazleyhadsaidandsuggestedthatheliaisewiththeRAFCommander,SquadronLeaderDonaldMoreland,whoservedastheliaisonofficerbetweenthetwinbasesandtheUKauthorities.Asithappened,MorelandwasonChristmasleaveandHaltwasnotable todiscusstheissuewithhimuntilaroundMondayJanuary12.Haltrecalls thatMorelandtoldhimtowriteamemototheUKMinistryofDefense,butto"sanitize"it.Inlateryears,Haltdescribedthis"sanitization"inthefollowingterms:

"Thememowasnotmeantforpublicconsumption.Itwasmeantasatickler,ifyouwill,totheMinistryOfDefense,togettheminvolvedtodoaproperinvestigation."

Sonowwecometooneofthemostcriticaldocumentsinrelationtothiscase,theso-called"HaltMemo".Giventheeventsthathavebeenpreviouslydescribed,it'sasinterestingforwhatitdoesn'tsayaswhatitdoes;another"materialomission",perhaps.It'salsoimportantbecauseitwasthefirstformalnotificationtotheUKMoDandlater,thefirstdocumentrelatingtothecasetobemadepublic.

TheHaltmemowasdatedJanuary131981andinlinewiththe"sanitization"/"tickler"strategywentoutundertheunderstatedtitle"UnexplainedLights".Thememoreadsasfollows:

1.Earlyinthemorningof27Dec80(approximately0300L)twoUSAFsecuritypolicepatrolmensawunusuallightsoutsidethebackgateatRAFWoodbridge.Thinkinganaircraftmighthavecrashedorbeen forced down, they called for permission to go outside the gate to investigate. The individualsreportedseeingastrangeglowingobjectintheforest.Theobjectwasdescribedasbeingmetallicinappearance and triangular in shape, approximately two to three meters across the base andapproximatelytwometershigh.Itilluminatedtheentireforestwithawhitelight.Theobjectitselfhadapulsingredlightontopandabank(s)ofbluelightsunderneath.Theobjectwashoveringoronlegs.Asthepatrolmenapproachedtheobjectitmaneuveredthroughthetreesanddisappeared.Atthistimetheanimalsonanearbyfarmwentintoafrenzy.Theobjectwasbrieflysightedapproximatelyanhourlaternearthebackgate.

2.Thenextday,threedepressions1½″deepand7″indiameterwerefoundwheretheobjecthadbeensighted on the ground. The following night (29 Dec 80) the area was checked for radiation.Beta/Gammareadingsof0.1Milliroentgenswererecordedwithpeakreadingsinthethreedepressionsandnearthecenterofthetriangleformedbythethreedepressions.Anearbytreehadmoderate(0.05–0.07)readingsonthesideofthetreefacingtowardsthethreedepressions.

3.Laterinthenightaredsun-likeobjectwasseenthroughthetrees.Itmovedaboutandpulsed.Atonepoint itappeared to throwoffglowingparticlesand thenbroke into fiveseparatewhiteobjectsanddisappeared.Immediatelythereafter,threestarlikeobjectswerenoticedinthesky,twoobjectstothe north and one to the south, all ofwhichwere about 10 degrees off of the horizon. The objectsmovedrapidlyinsharp,angularmovementsanddisplayedred,greenandbluelights.Theobjectstothe north appeared to be elliptical through 8-10 power lens. They then turned to full circles. Theobjectsinthenorthremainedintheskyforanhourormore.Theobjecttothesouthwasvisiblefortwo to three hours and beamed down a stream of light from time to time. Numerous individuals,includingtheundersigned,witnessedtheactivitiesinparagraphs2and3.

Despitemassivelydownplayingtheincident,itwasstillprettysensationalstuff,withitsreferencetoan"object"describedasbeing"metallicinappearanceandtriangularinshape",theaccountoftheradiationreadingstakenatthelandingsiteandtheadmissionattheendthatHalthimselfwasoneofthewitnesses–thoughhecouldhardlyhavedownplayedhis involvementanyfurtherwithouteditinghimselfoutof thestoryaltogether!

ShouldHalthavesaidmore?Pennistonthinksitstrucktherightbalance:

"ColonelHaltwasrespectingourprivacy,ashehadguaranteed.Also,hebelieveditwouldneverseethelightofday.Ithinkitsaidenough."

MorelandforwardedthememotoaMinistryofDefensedivisioncalledDefenseSecretariat8(DS8)twodays later.Hisbrief January15,1981covernotewentoutunder the title"UnidentifiedFlyingObjects(UFOs)"andreadasfollows:

"I attach a copy of a report I have received from theDeputyBaseCommander at RAFBentwatersconcerningsomemysterioussightingsintheRendleshamForestnearRAFWoodbridge.Thereportisforwardedforyourinformationandactionasconsiderednecessary".

TheUKMoDisbroadlyequivalenttotheUSDOD.Ithasadualroleasapolicy-makingDepartmentofState and as the UK's highest-level military headquarters. This can lead to some confusion, but isimportantinunderstandingwhereMoDsitswithintheBritishGovernment.

Broadly speaking, MoD's involvement with the UFO issue mirrored that of the old USAF program,ProjectBlueBook.Theremitwas to lookatUFOsightings reported to theMoD, investigate themanddeterminewhetherornottherewasevidenceofanypotentialthreattotheUK,oranythingofmoregeneraldefenseinterest.Thesetwopossibleoutcomesweresometimeslumpedtogetherusingthephrase"defensesignificance". The methodology of the MoD's UFO investigations and indeed the conclusions alsomirroredthoseofProjectBlueBookandit'sclearthatinsettinguptheUK'sprogram,someaspectsofstrategy,structureandprocess(rightdowntothedesignoftheformsusedtorecordsightingreports)werebasedontheBlueBookmodel.Bizarrely,unlikeitsUScounterpart,theUKprogramhadnoformalname,thoughtheBritishmediaoftenuses thephrase"MoD'sUFOproject"asaclearandconcisedescriptor.Over the years thiswork has been undertaken by awide range of differentMoD sections,with titlesincludingS4,S6,DefenseSecretariat8(DS8),Secretariat(AirStaff)(Sec(AS),andDirectorateAirStaff(DAS),tonamebutafew.Clearlythis‘alphabetsoup'isanotherreasonwhythemedia's"MoD'sUFOproject"tagisappropriate.

GiventhattheinitialUFOsightinghappenedintheearlyhoursofDecember26,thefactthatthedateofHalt'smemo to theMoD is January 13 is astonishing. Furthermore, given that the covering note fromDonaldMorelandwasdated January15, it's quite possible thatHalt'smemodidn't reachMoD'sUFOprojectuntilweekcommencingJanuary19.While thereasonsfor thishavebeenexplained,anypoliceofficerwilltellyouthatthefirst24hours(maybe48,insomecases)isabsolutelycriticalintermsofaninvestigationandthatifsignificantprogressisn'tmadewithinthisperiod,thechancesofsuccessdiminishrapidly.Thehugedelay in informingMoDfatallyundermined theUK'sability toconductameaningfulinvestigation and meant that to all intents and purposes, only the US stood a chance of successfullyresolvingthemystery,intheimmediateaftermathoftheevents.

Therewas tobeoneotherconsequenceof thedelay, in that itgave theMoDauseful ‘getout' in lateryears,when responding tomedia and public enquiries about the events.By pointing out thatHalt hadwaited nearly three weeks before reportingmatters to the UK, theMoDwas able to say that the USauthorities clearlyhadmatterswell inhandand/orwere relativelyunconcernedabout the events.ThisallowedtheMoDtoimplythattheeventswereoflittleconsequence,animplicationwhichwasentirelyconsistentwiththelongstandingMoDpolicytodownplayboththeUFOphenomenonitselfandthelevelofofficialinterestandresourcesexpendedonthesubject.

As if this delaywasn't bad enough, thememo contained a critical factual error that was to have far-reachingconsequences:thememodescribedthefirstsightingashavingtakenplace"earlyinthemorningof27Dec80"wheninfact,thecorrectdatewasDecember26.Consequently,whenthememosetouttheotherkeyevents,prefacedwiththephrases"thenextday","thefollowingnight"and"laterinthenight",everythingwaswrong, incorrectly reported as having takenplace 24hours later thanwas, in fact, thecase.Oneobviousproblemthatthiscausedwasthatwhen,lateron,MoDcametocheckwhetheranythingunusual had been tracked on radar, the wrong dates were checked. Penniston wonders if this wasdeliberate:

"YetanotherenigmawiththeRendleshamForestIncident.Whythedelayandtheinaccuracywiththedates? I believe it was to help with the containment. By incorrect times and dates, it is hard toinvestigateatalaterdatethroughFOIA."

Burroughstoospeculatesthiswaspartofadeliberatestrategy:

"Thefacthegotthedateswronginthememowasnotbyaccident."

Burroughs,however,paintsHaltasavictimtoo,andnotastheperpetrator:

"Ibelieveitwaswrittenincasetheincidentgottoohot;thatHalt-becausehewasoutthere-wouldbethefallguyasfarastakingtheheatforitandhavingtoanswerallthequestion.Theywouldsayitwasjuststrangelightsseeninthedarkandshowwewerenotcoveringanythingup.ThedateswerewrongtokeeppeoplefromgettinganyinformationunderFOIA."

It'slikelythatthedeskofficeronMoD'sUFOprojectdidn'treceiveHalt'smemoandMoreland'scoveringnote until theweek commencing January 19 - fully 24 days after the first events.Notwithstanding thisdelay,MoD'sUFOprojecthadahugeadvantageinrelationtothoseUSAFpersonnelcaughtupintheseevents, given that the USAF's Project Blue Book had been terminated in 1969 and was probablyunfamiliartomost–ifnotall–ofthepersonnelinvolvedintheRendleshamForestincident.Conversely,whenHalt's report did finally get to theMoD, it sent to a section that had considerable experience indealingwithUFOsightings,accesstoawiderangeofinvestigativeresourcesbothintermsofequipmentandpersonnel, andanarchiveofhundredsof fileson the subject.This shouldhaveensured theywerewell-placedtogetthingsrapidlybackontrack,despitethefactthattheycamelatetothegame.

Ironically, this actually worked against those concerned, probably because just about all previoussightingshadinvolvedaerialencountersasopposedtolandings.Consequently,atriedandtestedprocessfor investigating such cases was applied to a totally different situation, where an altogether differentapproachshouldhavebeentaken.Thatsaid, thedeskofficergot twothingsright: firstly,akeyprioritywastocheckwhetherradarevidencemightcorroboratewhathadbeenreported.Secondly,Halt'smemocontaineddataontheradiationreadingstakenatthelandingsiteandthedeskofficerknewthattheMoDhadspecialiststaffsthatcouldmakeaninformedassessmentofthis.

We've previously made it clear that both the US and the UK had jurisdiction. A separate question,however, is who had primacy? This is important because the answer to this question should havedeterminedwhethertheUSortheUKtooktheleadininvestigatingandhandlingthisincident.

However, for governments, theUFO issue is – at best – something of a hot potato. Charles Halt hasdescribeditasa"tarbaby".Consequently,theconfusionoverprimacyhasbeenquiteusefultoboththeUSandtheUK,witheachimplying(andsometimesopenlystating)thatprimacylaywiththeother!MoDhasbeenabletosaythattheUSAF'sdelayinreportingshowedthattheUSauthoritieshadmatterswellinhand.Conversely,whenbriefedabouttheincidentbyGordonWilliams,RobertW.Bazleycouldbarelydisguisehisreliefwhentoldthatthekeyeventshadtakenplaceoffthebases:"It'saBritaffair".

One consequence of the confusion over jurisdiction and primacy was poor information-sharing. TheUSAF didn't pass the witness statements that Halt took from five of the key witnesses to the MoD.Critically, this includedthesketchesof thecraftandthesymbolsmadebyJimPenniston,whichshouldhave set alarm bells ringingwith all concerned. This failure, coupledwith the delay in reporting theincidenttotheMoD,wasclearlyafactorintheMoD'sfailuretoconductanyfollow-upinterviewwithHaltortheotherwitnesses–itselfanotherkeyfailure.Conversely,theMoDfailedtopasstheUSAFthe

DefenseIntelligenceStaffassessmentoftheradiationlevelsatthelandingsite.Theconsequencewasthateachpartyhadinformationthatwouldhavebeenusefultotheotherandwouldclearlyhavedemonstratedthattheincidentswerefarmoresignificantthanwasrealizedatthetime.

The most controversial instance of this lack of information-sharing relates to one of the mostextraordinary parts of this whole affair – the involvement of General Charles A. Gabriel, thenCINCUSAFE(CommanderinChiefUnitedStatesAirForcesinEurope).InadocumentdatedFebruary16,1981,SquadronLeaderBadcock,anRAFofficerspecializinginairdefenseissues,wrotetoMoD'sUFOprojectaboutthecase.AfteraddressingtheissueofwhetherornottheUFOwastrackedonradar,hefinishesbywritingthefollowingextraordinarysentences:

"IaskediftheincidenthadbeenreportedontheUSAFnetandIwasadvisedthattaperecorders[sic]oftheevidencehadbeenhandedtoGenGabrielwhohappenedtobevisitingthestation.Perhapsitwouldbereasonabletoaskifwecouldhavetaperecordingsaswell."

Thisisworthyoffurthercomment.Thefirstpointtomakeisthat"taperecorders"isalmostcertainlyareference to the audio tape recorded by Lt Col Charles Halt on the second night of activity. Clearly,however,itwouldbeoddiftheGeneraltookpossessionofthisinisolation.It'sfarmorelikelythatthisformedpartofamoreextensivebriefingpackageincluding,forexample,thesoilandsapsamplestakenfrom the landing site,whichhavedisappearedwithout trace.But this raiseswiderquestions about theGeneral'svisit.Atfirstglance,thephrase"whohappenedtobevisitingthestation"impliesthatthiswasapre-planned‘meetandgreet'visitandthatanybriefingontheUFOsightingstookplaceinthemarginsofthisroutinevisit.ButGeneralGordonWilliamsisinsistentthatGabriel's‘meetandgreet'visittookplacebeforeChristmas–andthusbeforetheUFOsightings.ItseemsthenthatthevisitreferredtointheMoDdocumentwasasubsequentvisit,detailsofwhichhadnotbeenbriefedtoWilliams.

ThepossibilitythatGeneralGabrielmadeasecondvisittothetwinbasessosoonafterhisroutinepre-Christmasvisitisproblematic,asisthesuggestionthatWilliams,thecommandingofficer,wasn'tbriefedonthis.ButifWilliamsiscorrectaboutthetimingofthe‘meetandgreet'visit,theMoDdocumentdoesindeed suggest that a separate, secret visit took place, in direct response to the Rendlesham Forestincident.

Again,whilerumorsofunscheduledvisitstothebaseintheaftermathoftheeventsarewidespread,it'sHaltwhoismostclearon the issue.Hehasstated thataC-141transportaircraftarrivedbut that therewasgreatsecrecyaboutthisandhewasnotabletoascertainwhowasonboardandwhattheirmissionwas.Apparentlyagroupof"specialindividuals"disembarked,passedthroughtheeastgateandheadedoutintotheforest.WasthistheflightonwhichGeneralGabrielarrived?Andifso,whywereWilliamsandHaltapparentlynotinvolved,orevenbriefed?Pennistonhashisviewonthis:

"Mythoughtsarethatwhathappenedatthetwinbaseswassoimportantandretrievalofdocumentsandotherevidencewassoparamount,itwasonlyentrustedtoafourstargeneral,theCommander-in-ChiefofUSAFEurope.SomeonethoughtitwasnecessarytohaveGeneralGabrielhandleitandthatnodelegationwouldbeallowedtoanyoneelse.Thisordercamefromthetop,Isuspect."

Burroughsagreeswholeheartedlyonthispoint:

"That shows just how serious the incident reallywas, for him to get involved; and atwhat level itfinallyendedupat."

Akeypoint in everyMoDUFO investigationwas anexaminationofmilitary radardata. Indeed,UFO

reports were sent automatically to the Directorate of Air Defense, a division in the MoD that hadresponsibilityforAirDefenseGroundEnvironment(ADGE)issues.ThiswasdonesothatUFOsightingscould be cross-checkedwith radar data, to see if anything had been tracked thatmight corroborate avisualsighting.Anegativeresultdidn'tmeansightingsweredismissedoutofhand–stealth technologyillustrates that solidobjects canhave avery low (ideally zero) radar signature–but radarwas akeyfactor in assessing UFO sightings as "explained" (i.e. as misidentifications of ordinary objects orphenomena),"unexplained"orascaseswheretherewas"insufficientinformation"tomakeameaningfulassessment.

OnJanuary26,SquadronLeaderBadcockwrotetotworadarunits–RAFNeatisheadandEasternRadar,basedatRAFWatton–askingthemtocheckwhetheranyunusualradarreadingshadbeenrecordedontheeveningofDecember29–thedateHalthadgivenforthesecondnightofactivity.Butaswe'veseen,thisdatewaswrong.Tomakemattersworse,forsomereasonBadcockomittedtoaskthattheradardataforthefirstnightofactivity(December26,wronglydescribedbyHaltasDecember27)becheckedwhen,arguably,thiswasthemoresignificantofthetwonights,giventhattheUFOactuallylanded.

Squadron Leader Sharpe from RAF Neatishead replied on February 5, stating that the radar camerarecorder(tworadarscreensdisplayedidenticaldata–onewasmonitoredbyaradaroperatorandonewas filmed, so that a record would exist of the data) had been switched off earlier in the day, oncemilitaryflyingactivityhadfinished,aswasnormalpractice.Sharpewentontosaythat:

"An examination of executive logs revealed no entry in respect of unusual radar returns or otherunusualoccurrences".

EasternRadaratRAFWattonrepliedonFebruary26.SquadronLeaderCoumbestated that thefilmoftheirradarcamerarecorderfortheeveningofDecember29wasfaulty.Helpfully,theythencheckedthefilm in respect of December 28 and December 30, but both these films were faulty too. Intriguingly,Coumbewentontosaythat:

"Onthenightofthereportedsightingourcontrollerondutywasrequestedtoviewtheradar;nothingwasobserved.Thefactsarerecordedinourlogbookofthatnight."

Coumbedoesnotgivethedate,soit'snotclearwhetherthisisareferencetothefirstorthesecondnightofactivity.

As can be imagined, the fact that theNeatishead radar camera recorderwas switched off, theWattonradarcamerarecorderfilmswerefaultyandthat,inanycase,thewrongdayswerechecked,hasledtosomeconspiracytheories.Attheveryleast,itwasasorrystateofaffairs,perhapsbestsummedupinanundatedinternalnotesenttotheUFOprojectaroundfouryearslater,byanofficerintheADGEdivision,WingCommanderKeith,whowrote:

"Regrettably, the tasking letter fromMoDreferred toan incidenton29Dec80 therefore therepliesfromNeatisheadandEasternradarareprobablyworthless.Unitradarrecordingsarenotheldfor4yearsconsequentlywearebackwherewestarted!"

Onapointofclarification,standardprocedureat the timewas tokeeppaperrecordsof radardataforthreeyearsbeforebeingdestroyed.Videorecordingsofradardatawereretainedforthirtydays,priortore-useofthetapes.

ThepointaboutthedutycontrolleratEasternRadarbeingaskedtolookattheradaronthenightofthe

sightingisworthyoffurthercomment.DespiteSquadronLeaderCoumbe'sassurance,theradaroperatorhe refers to – Nigel Kerr – tells a different story. Kerr does not recall the exact date, but says thatsometimearound theChristmasholidays, a call came in fromBentwaters about "a flashing light in thesky". He checked the radar and saw something on the approach line, which he first thought was ahelicopter.Itremainedstationaryforthreeorfoursweepsacrosstheradarscreensbeforeitdissipated.It'snotclearwhetherornotthistiesinwithanentryintheRAFWattonlogtimedat0325onDecember28,whichstates:

"BentwatersCommandPostcontactedEasternRadarandrequestedinformationofaircraftinthearea–UA37trafficsouthboundFL370–UFOsightingsatBentwaters.Theyaretakingreportingaction."

IsthisthecallKerrrecalls,orwasthisasecondcall,placedwhenKerrwasoffduty?AndwasthiscalltheonetowhichSquadronLeaderCoumbereferredinhisFebruary26letterwhenhewrote"onthenightofthereportedsightingourcontrollerondutywasrequestedtoviewtheradar…"?Frustratingly,it'snotclear.

It has been variously suggested that in the immediate aftermath of the events, unidentifiedUS officersvisitedRAFWattontoexamineand/ortoremoveradarrecordings.Thereareseveralsuchaccounts,butitisdifficulttonaildownthefacts.TwoparticularlyintriguingpiecesoftestimonyrelatetotwoUSAFairtrafficcontrollers–Ivan"Ike"R.BarkerandJamesH.Carey–whoapparentlytrackedaUFOonradaratBentwatersatsomepointbetweenChristmasandNewYear.Butagain,thefactsaredifficulttopindown.

Aside from radar data, the second substantive issue that the MoD's UFO project looked into wasradiation.LtColHalt'smemo to theMoDdescribedhow radiation readingswere takenat the landingsite,athisbehest,byMonroeNevelsfromtheDisasterPreparednessOffice.

Thereadings inHalt'smemowerepassed toofficers in theDefenseIntelligenceStaff (DIS)whowereaskedtocomment.TheDISwasoneofanumberofareasthattheMoD'sUFOprojectcouldcalluponforspecialistadviceandassistance.TheusualportofcallwasDI55,whichreportedtoDGSTI–DirectorGeneral Scientific and Technical Intelligence. On this occasion, because of the radiation issue, DI55broughtinDI52,anotherpartofDGSTI'sempire.

AtthetimeoftheRendleshamForestincidentandindeedformanyyearsthereafter,theroleoftheDISinrelationtoUFOresearchandinvestigationshadnotbeenpubliclyacknowledged.TheUFOcommunity,however,suspectedtheirinvolvement.SometimeintheEightiesanapparentlyinnocuousphotocopyofarelativelyunexcitingUFOreportwassenttoamemberofthepublicbyahelpfuldeskofficerontheUFOproject. But somebody had forgotten to black out the internalMoD distribution list (aswas the usualpractice)where, among other divisions,DI55was listed. It didn't take a genius to figure outwhatDIstoodfor!Notwithstandingthisslip,theinvolvementoftheDISinMoDUFOresearchandinvestigationswasnotformallyacknowledgeduntilcomparativelyrecently.

OnJanuary28,SquadronLeaderBadcock,actingonarequestfromDS8,wrotetoDI55andamongotherthingsasked:

"Wewouldparticularlyliketoknowwhetherthereadingsofradioactivityareunusualorwhethertheyareinthenormalbackgroundrangetobeexpected."

DI55passedthistoDI52.OnFebruary23theyreplied(it'snotclearwhythistooksolong),statingthat:

"Background radioactivity varies considerably due to a number of factors. The value of 0.1

Milliroentgens (mr), I assume that this is per hour, seems significantly higher than the averagebackgroundof0.015mr."

Inthecourseofa1994coldcasereviewoftheRendleshamForestincidenttheMoDrecheckedtheissuewith theDefenseRadiological Protection Service. It was confirmed that the radiation levels reportedweresomewherebetweensevenand ten timeshigher thanexpectedbackground levels. Itwasstressedthat while statistically significant, such levels of radiation would not be harmful to those concerned.Notwithstandingthis,giventhatwedon'tknowanythingaboutthesourceofthisradiation,orthetype,theissue is of particular concern to the witnesses, particularly John Burroughs and Jim Penniston, whobelievetheircurrentadversehealthconditionsaredirectlyattributabletotheeventsofDecember1980.ClearlythequestionofhealthproblemscausedbyBurroughsandPennistonbeingirradiatedisanissueonwhichthechainofcommandispotentiallyextremelyvulnerable.ButwouldthisfailurerestwiththeMoDor the USAF?While there's no documentary evidence that theMoD briefed the USAF on a potentialradiation hazard to their men (which would have been a catastrophic failure in of itself), Burroughscannotconceivethatthisinformationwouldnothavebeenbriefed,atsomelevel:

"I'mnotsurethey[theMoD]didn'tbrieftheUSAFonthis."

Eitherway,he'sclearonthefailuretoalertthosemostdirectlyinvolved:

"The fact that they[theMoDand/or theUSAF]heldback information thataffected thepeoplewhorespondedoutthereiscriminal."

SomeskepticsintheUFOcommunityhavesuggestedthattheradiationlevelsmightnotbeassignificantas theMoDsuspected, arguing that theGeiger counterusedwasnot appropriate for the task andevenspeculatingthatthedialmighthavebeenmisread.I'mwarywhenufologistsstarttryingtosecondguessthemeasurements taken by the trainedmilitary personnel whowere actually there, or questioning thecontemporaneousscientificassessment.Nevelsusedtheequipmentavailabletohim(therebeingnosuchthingasaUFOradiationdetector!)andtheDISassessmentusedthereadingsreportedtotheMoD.Wecanonlyusethedatawehave,notthedatawe'dliketohaveorthinkweshouldhavehad.That'sthewayscienceworks.Inanycase,suchspeculationmissesthekeypoint;theradiationlevelspeakedinthethreeindentationsfoundwherethecraftwassaidtohavelanded.It'slikeusingametaldetectorandhearingableep;inasense,itdoesn'tmatterwhatmakeormodelofmetaldetectoris,orwhetheritsdialreads7outof10or8outof10;thekeypointisthatitbleeped–thattellsyouthere'ssomethingthere!Despite theUSAF'sdelayintellingtheMoDaboutthesightings,despitethefactthattheincorrectdateswerenotified,anddespitetheproblemswiththeradarcamerarecorders/films,matterswerestillretrievable.Asaresultof theMoD's initial investigation, threefollow-upactionswerenowappropriate-onewasamatterofcommonsense,whiletheothertwohadbeenthesubjectofspecificsuggestionsandoffers.

The common sense action was for someone at the MoD to pick up the phone and speak to DonaldMoreland,askinghimtofacilitateameetingwithHaltand–perhaps–someofthekeywitnessessuchasBurroughsandPenniston.ThisiswhatHalthadexpectedandhewassurprisedwhenitdidn'thappen.

The twoareaswherespecific suggestions/offershadbeenmade related toHalt'saudio tapeand to theradiationreadings.

Firstly,SquadronLeaderBadcock'sFebruary16lettertoDS8hadconcludedbysaying:

"Perhapsitwouldbereasonabletoaskifwecouldhave[these]taperecordingsaswell."

Readers may sense a certain frustration in Babcock's words. Given the unwritten "Don't criticize theAmericans" rule that theMoD, and arguably the UK government as a whole, operated to (the UK issometimes dubbed "America's poodle") and given the understated and diplomatic language that UKgovernmentofficialsoftenuse,itshouldbeclearthatthecasualsentencequotedabovemaskstheabsolutefurythattheMoDfeltattheUSAFforhavingremovedevidencefromthecountrywithoutbriefingthem.

Secondly, the DI52 letter containing the scientific assessment of the radiation levels included thefollowingoffer:

"IfyouwishtopursuethisfurtherIcouldmakeenquiriesastonaturalbackgroundlevelsinthearea."

Whywerethesethreeactionsnottaken?Inrelationtothefailuretofollow-upwithHalt,itmaybethatastheMoD subsequently claimed, his initial delay in reporting sent (wrongly) the message that the USauthoritieshadmattersinhandand/orwerenotoverlyconcernedbytheevents.

Sofarasthetaperecordingsareconcerned,theissuewasraisedagainin1983andtheADGEdivisionexplainedtoDS8whynoactionhadbeentaken,stating:

"AtReferenceyouaskifthesuggestionthattheUSAFbeaskedforthetaperecordingswasfollowedupby thisDeputyDirectorate. Itwasconsidered that the tapeswouldrevealnobetterreport than thatalreadyreported,andnofurtherrequestwasmade."

WhileitmaybethecasethattherewassomeconfusionoverwhetherDS8ortheAGDEdivisionshouldhavebeentakingthisaction,thisisasorrystateofaffairs,tosaytheveryleast.

AsforthefailuretotakeupDI52'sofferconcerningtheradiationreadings,thisisequallybaffling.Onepossibility has to do with the MoD's consistent policy of downplaying their involvement with UFOinvestigationsandconstantlypushing the"nodefensesignificance" linewhen thesubjectwas raised inParliament, or by the media and the public. This led to a natural defensiveness on the part of someofficials,worried thatanyproactivity in relation toUFOresearchmightsomehowcompromise the"nodefensesignificance"publicline.Butthisisweak.TheUKdidn'tgetaFreedomofInformationActuntilmanyyears laterandofficialswriting in1980knew–orshouldhaveknown– thatunder the lawas itstoodatthetime,documentstheywrotewouldn'tbemadeavailabletothepublicforatleast30years.

Finally,it'salsosurprisingthatnointernalMoDmeetingseemstohavetakenplace.Variouspartieswerewritingtoeachother,butthere'snoevidencethatstaffinDS8evercalledameetingwiththevariousDISandADGEstaffswhohadbeenlookingintotheevents.Ifanything,theMoDhasa‘cultureofmeetings',manyofwhicharesuperfluousoroflimitedvalue.Herewasaninstancewhereameetingcouldgenuinelyhaveaddedvalueandhelpedthoseconcerneddecidehowbesttoproceed.Sofaraswe'reaware,nosuchmeetingevertookplace.

JimPennistonisscathingabouttheMoD'shandlingofallthis:

"IdobelievetheMoDthoughttheyweretheofficeofprimaryresponsibility.Theyeventuallywisheditwas anAmerican problem, because they had a lot to answer for. So silencewas their defense; saynothingandhopefullyitwouldgoaway.WhatmadeitevenmoreimperativenottotalktotheUSwasthediscoveryofthehighradiationlevel,nottomentiontheradartapes,whichhadgonemissing.TheMoDwasconfrontedwiththestarkrealityofanunknowncraftwhichwasrecordedonradarandnowthehigh levelsof radiationon thegroundshowed it landed too.Now therewasnoroom fordebatewithin theMinistry.The reality is thatover thecourseof threenights inDecember1980,while the

populationofEnglandslept,ithasbecomeapparenttheMoDwassleepingaswell.Theairspacewasopenover theUK for the threenights in question. Sohowdo they explain the incompetenceof theMoD?A craft of unknown origin enteredUK airspace twice and left in the samemanner over thecourse of the three day period. They were detected by radar and now there was clear evidence atouchdown and take off occurred, while the MoD slept, leaving the population of England quitepossiblyunprotectedanddefinitelyunaware.Theydidnotevengenerateaphonecall,orgenerateanaircraft response flight. They were clearly asleep at the wheel. As for us and the other personnelaffectedbythisphenomenon,wewerethrownunderthebusbytheMoD."

Beforemoving on, we should summarize briefly the areas dealt with above. A combination of delay,confusionoverjurisdiction/primacyandpoorinformation-sharingledtoafatallyflawedinvestigation–orrather,investigations.USandUKauthoritieswerebothstrugglingtodealwithasituationnotcateredforbyanySOPsorotherofficialguidance.Nobodywasclearwhowas inoverallchargeandnobodyseemedwillingtotakeownershipofthesituation;quitetheopposite,infact:theUSwasoverlykeentoportraythisas"aBritaffair",whileMoDofficialstooktheoppositeview.

Asfor therestof it, it reads likeacomedyoferrors: theUSgave theMoDthewrongdates; theMoDforgottocheckthefirstdateandfindthattheradarswereswitchedoffduringthesecond.Whentheydidmanagetocheckadate,theyfoundthatthefilmhadn'tcomeout.

Whentakencollectively,noneofthismakeshappyreading.Tobefair,whatlookslikeconspiracyoftenturnsout tobebureaucracy.However,at thevery least, themistakesmaderepresentacolossalmissedopportunity.Somewoulddoubtless suggest that thewhole catalogueof errors is so unlikely that someotherhiddenhandmusthavebeeninvolved,conspiringtoensurethattheofficialinvestigationturnedupnothingandthattheinitialinvestigatorswere‘setuptofail'.

ChapterNine–SkepticalTheories

The time has come to examine the various theories that have been put forward over the years. Thesetheories fall into two categories, which might broadly-speaking be labeled "believer theories" and"skepticaltheories".Sometheoriescanbedismissedmoreeasilythanothers,butreadersmayormaynotagreewith thevariousassessmentshere, so thepurposeof thesenext twochapters isnot toattempt topushanyoneparticulartheory,butsimplytoexposeallthevariouspossibilitiesthathavebeendiscussedanddebatedovertheyears–alongwithafewnewideas.

Firstly, somewords of warning.Many of the witnesses have their own views onwhat they saw andexperienced.Forexample,aswehaveseen,CharlesHalthasclearlystatedthathebelievestheUFOhesawwasextraterrestrial inorigin.It's temptingforbelieverstosaythingslike"Well,hewasthere",assupportforthistheory.Fairenough.Butthisdoesn'tinvalidateothertheoriesandindeedthere'sacounter-argumentthatsayswitnesses,inasense,aretooclosetotheseeventstotakeanobjectiveview;theyhavetoomuch‘emotionalinvestment'andareincapableoftakingastepback,lookingatthebiggerpictureandcomingtoamoredispassionateassessment.Bothargumentshavemeritsothere'snorightorwronghere,butit'sworthbearingthesepointsinmind.

Anotherproblemwithgivingtoomuchweighttothewitnesses'theoriesisthatthereweretwomainbutentirelyseparateeventsandnumerouspeoplewhowereinvolvedinone,theother,orboth–tovaryingdegrees. So it's no surprise that different people have different experiences and therefore differenttheoriesaboutwhatactuallytookplace.

We should be similarly wary of what the UFO community thinks of the Rendlesham forest incident.Ufologists(astheylabelthemselves)fallintotwobroadcamps:truebelieversanddie-harddebunkers.Justasfascistandcommunistregimesareactuallyverysimilar,despitetheapparentdistanceimpliedbyphraseslike"left-wing"and"right-wing",sotruebelieversanddie-harddebunkersareactuallychiseledfrom the same block, united by their dogma. Both groups seize on the Rendlesham Forest incident tosupport theirpre-existingbeliefs– a classic caseofwhat the scientific community calls "confirmationbias".TruebelieverswantRendleshamtogivethemdefinitiveproofofextraterrestrialvisitation,whiledie-harddebunkerswantanexplanation thatwill leavehumanity reassuringlyaloneandunvisited.AnyresearchorinvestigationtheUFOcommunityundertakestendstobeconclusion-led.Thus,boththetruebelieversandthedie-harddebunkersseewhattheywanttoseewhenlookingattheseevents,asopposedto taking a truly scientific approach and goingwhere the data take them - even if this confounds theirpersonalbeliefsandexpectations.

Withthesewarningsinmind,let'srunthroughthemainskepticaltheories.

DrinkandDrugs

Themostseriousallegationabouttheincidentisthatalcoholand/ordrugswereinvolved.It'sdifficulttoseehowthiswouldtranslateintothedetailed,multiple-witnessaccountsthatwehavefromtwoseparatenights,involvingnotjustjuniorranks,butseniorofficersincludingtheDeputyBaseCommander.Alcoholsimplydoesn't generatehallucinationsof thiskindand itwouldbe strainingcredulitybeyondbreakingpointtosuggestthatdrugs–evenhallucinogenicones–wouldresultinasharedhallucinationinvolvingsomanypeopleatsomanytimes.

Few people have seriously suggested this possibility and ironically, the idea of a hallucination seemsinadvertentlytohavebeenplantedbyoneofthemainproponentsforanextraterrestrialexplanation,theUK'sformerChiefoftheDefenseStaff,LordHill-Norton.Inasoundbiteonthecasewhichhedeployed

inanumberofsimilarversions,LordHill-Nortonoftensaidthingslikethis:

"Eitherlargenumbersofpeoplewerehallucinating,andforanAmericanAirForcenuclearbasethisisextremelydangerous,orwhattheysayhappeneddidhappen."

ItwascertainlynotLordHill-Norton'sviewthat"largenumbersofpeoplewerehallucinating"andinfacthe deliberately chose an alternative that he regarded as absurd, tomake the point that in his view thesecondpossibility(i.e.thattheeventstookplaceasthevariouswitnessesclaimed)wascorrect.

It would be foolish to suggest that excessive drinking and illegal drug-taking never occurred atBentwatersandWoodbridge.Thefact that theUSmilitaryhadandstillhasprogramstodealwithdrugandalcoholabuseshowsthere'saproblem.However,there'snoevidencetosuggestanyofthewitnesseswhosetestimonywe'vehighlightedweredrunkorhadtakenillegaldrugs.

It's also worth bearing in mind that most of the witnesses were security police and law enforcementpersonnel,whomightwellhavetodealwiththeoccasional‘drunkanddisorderly',butarelesslikelythanmosttobeabusingdrugsandalcoholthemselves.Severalotherfactorsmakethetheoryunlikely.

Firstly, there's the‘buddysystem',wherebypeopleoftenoperate inpairsso that theycanmonitoreachother'sbehavior,withone takingaction if theotherhasaproblem.This isboth informaland formal–someareasofthetwinbasescouldonlybepatrolledinpairs,astherearestrictrulespreventingsingleindividualsfrombeing inproximity to themostsensitive locations,suchas theWeaponsStorageArea.Secondly, most of the witnesses were in positions where they would be routinely checked for anyindications of drink or drugs before going on duty. "We were checked prior to going on duty fordrugs/alcohol,sonotpossible",asBurroughsputit.Thirdly,thoughforsecurityreasonswecan'tgointothedetails,manyof thekeywitnesseswerepartof theNuclearWeaponPersonnelReliabilityProgramandwere thusvetted, trainedandmonitored toanextent thatdidnotapply toothermilitarypersonnel.Any sign of drug or alcohol abuse (or indeed any other signs of instability)would have been quicklynoticedandwouldhavehadimmediateconsequences.

HallucinogenicMushrooms

Stayingforawhilewiththetheoryaboutsomesortofhallucination,isitpossiblethathallucinationswerecausedby‘shrooms'inRendleshamForest?Giventhattheforestiscentraltothekeyencounters,couldallof the witnesses somehow have been exposed to psychedelic mushrooms? Clearly mushrooms withpsychoactive properties can cause mystical experiences and many people deliberately take them forpreciselythisreason.Throughouthumanhistory,people–oftenshamans–haveusedcertainmushroomstofacilitateavisionarystate.Peopletalkabout"theshamanicjourney"andsomepeoplebelievethatthehumanmind is capable of accessing some other, hidden realm. Such speculation, which raises widerissues on the nature of consciousness, is outside the scope of this book, but the question of whethermushroomsplayedapartintheRendleshamForestincidentisafairone.Theshortanswertothequestionisno.TherearecertainlyplentyofmushroomsandfungiinRendleshamForest,butwe'renotawareofany‘magicmushrooms'.Andeveniftherewere,it'ssimplynotpossibleforpeopletoinadvertentlyingestthehallucinogen,e.g.viasporesblowingonthewind,inawaythatwouldhaveanydiscernibleeffect.

AvariationonthistheoryhasbeenputforwardinrespectofanotherfamousBritishUFOsighting.On9November,1979,foresterRobertTaylorencounteredalargecircular-shapedUFOonDechmontLaw–awoodedhill inWestLothian,Scotland.Asheapproached,twosmallerspikedspheres(likeseamines)cameoutoftheUFOandattachedthemselvestohistrousers,dragginghimtowardsthecraft.Thesmallprobesweremakingahissingsoundandseemedtobeemittingnoxiousgas.Taylorcoughed,chokedand

passed out. When he regained consciousness and went home, his wife was so shocked by hisdisorientatedstatethatsheassumedhe'dbeenattacked.Shecalledthepoliceandacriminalinvestigationwas launched. The incident was classed as an assault and Taylor's damaged trousers were examinedforensically. The results were inconclusive and the case remains unexplained. One of the skepticaltheories put forwardwas thatTaylor had somehow ingested somedeadly nightshade (belladonna) andhallucinated thewhole affair. It seems highly unlikely that an experienced forester likeRobert Taylorwouldbeunfamiliarwithdeadlynightshade,letalonethathecouldsomehowinadvertentlyingestit.

Delusions,HallucinationsandMassHysteria

Before completely setting aside the idea of a hallucination, is it possible that some other sort ofhallucination – i.e. one not involving drugs – occurred? There are a wide range of psychiatric andpsychologicalconditions(andothermoreprosaicfactorssuchasphysicalstressandsleepdeprivation)thatcanresultindelusionsandhallucinations.Neurologistandbest-sellingauthorDrOliverSackswritesabout a range of them in his book, Hallucinations, in which he briefly mentions alien abductions.Fortunately,wedon'tneedtodrilldownintotheFifthEditionofDiagnosticandStatisticalManualofMentalDisorders, published inMay 2013, to find an answer here. Rather, we need to ask themorefundamentalquestionas towhetheranyhallucinationormentaldisordercouldcauseseveralpeople toexperiencethesamething.

Asithappens,thereisonepossiblecandidate:SharedPsychoticDisorder.Thisnewtermcoverscaseswherethedelusionissharedbytwoormorepeopleandreplacesamultitudeofmoretraditionaltermssuchasfolieàdeux,thelesser-knownfolieàplusieurs(madnessofmany)andothers.Therearealsoacoupleofsub-categoriestomentionhere,ifonlytoplaydevil'sadvocate.Foliesimultanéeisasituationwhere two people suffer independently from psychosis but then influence the content of each other'sdelusionssotheybecomesimilarorevenidentical.Folieimposéeisasituationwhereadominantperson(sometimesknownasa'primary','inducer'or'principal')developsadelusionalbeliefduringapsychoticepisodeandthenimposesitononeormorepeoplewhomightnototherwisehavebecomedelusional.Inrelation to the first night's events, could John Burroughs and Jim Penniston fall into any of thesecategories? In relation to the secondnight,mightHalt (perhapsbyvirtueofhis seniority)havebeena‘primary'?

Aseverintheworldofpsychiatry,there'scontroversyaboutalotofthesetermsandinparticular,wheretheboundarieslie.Atsomepoint,forexample,ashareddelusiongetscategorizedasmasshysteria,whichisn't classified as a psychiatric disorder at all. This leaves us with the rather odd position that if adelusionbecomessharedbyenoughpeople it somehowacquiresa ‘criticalmass' that takes thosewhobelieveinitoutofanypsychiatriccategory!

ThewiderproblemwiththistheoryinrelationtoRendleshamisthatsuchpsychologicalconditionswoulddoubtlessmanifestthemselvesinallsortsofotherways.Intheunlikelyeventthattheyweren'tpickedupin the recruitment and vetting process, they would doubtless have become apparent soon thereafter.There'scertainlynoway,forexample,thatsuchpeoplecouldfailtobepickedupbytheNuclearWeaponPersonnelReliabilityProgram.

And in all of the skeptical theories being examined in this chapter, we have to consider not just thewitnesstestimony,butevidencesuchastheradardataandthephysicaltracesatthelandingsiteincludingthe treedamageand the radiation readings.Andwhilenoneof theseelementsareexempt fromcriticalscrutiny,weneedtoconsiderhowlikelyitisthatalltheseparateandextraordinaryelementsofthisstory– thewitness testimony, the radarevidence, thephysicalevidenceat the landingsite, theextraordinary

wayinwhichthewitnessesweretreatedafterthesightings–wouldhaveresultedifwhathappenedhadsomeprosaiccause.

PoliceCarsandPracticalJokes

There'scertainlyacultureofpranksandpracticaljokesinthemilitary.Couldsomepracticaljokehavegotoutofhand?Isitpossiblethatone(ormore)ofthewitnessessomehowfakedthewholething,overtwoseparatenightsandunderthenosesoftheotherwitnesses?It'sdifficulttoseehowthiscouldhavebeendonewithout itbeing fairlyobviousand it'sdifficult toconceive that theguiltyparty (orparties)would thengoalongwith thestorywithoutconfessing, to thepointwhere theaffairwasbriefed to theWingCommander, theUKMinistryofDefense, the seniorUSAFofficer in theUKand then the seniorUSAF officer in Europe. Even if faking the events on both nights were possible (and it's almostimpossibletoconceivehowthiscouldbedone)itseemslikelythattheguiltypartywouldhaveconfessedatanearlystage,nippingthesituationinthebud.Afterall,thereprimandfromashiftcommandermightbyawrysmileandawarningnot todoitagain.Thepenaltyforknowinglymakingandsigningafalsestatementand/orescalatingtheissuetothelevel itactuallyreachedwouldhavebeenfarmoreserious.AndfromeverythingweknowaboutHaltandtheotherwitnesses,theyaresimplynotthesortofpeoplewhowouldhavedonethis–evenifsuchathingweresomehowpossible.

EvenifwearetobelievethatonthefirstnightBurroughsandPennistonconspiredtoconcoctastory,theywouldeitherhaveneededtoincludeseveralotherparticipants,ormaketheirstoryconvincingenoughtofoolthem.ThesamewouldapplyifHalt,Englund,Ball,Nevelsandothersconspiredtopullaseparatebutrelatedprankonthesecondnight.Andwhilethemarksatthelandingsitecouldhavebeenfaked,theradiation and radar data would be difficult – if not impossible – to manufacture. We are stretchingcredulitywellbeyondbreakingpointhere.

Couldsomeoneelse(i.e.notoneofthewitnesses)havepulledoffaprankofthisnature?Thiswouldatleastgetaroundtheobjectionthattheotherwitnesseswouldhaveseenthem.Itwouldalsogetaroundthepointaboutconfessing,astheunknownpartywouldnotbeputtinghisorhernametoanythingandiftheyweren'tseen,therewouldbenoadversecomeback,howeverhightheaffairwasescalated–unlesstheysubsequentlydecidedtoconfess.

In fact, there'sonlybeenoneclaimofapractical joke thatmighthavehadabearingon thiscase.Thestory was published in 2003 in a UK newspaper, the Daily Mail. Kevin Conde, a former USAFpoliceman,claimedthatin1980heplayedaprankontheguardattheeastgate.Hestated:

"Therewas thisoneguyat thebackgate,andhewasknownasabitofaproblem–hewasalwaysseeingthings.Hehadseenlightsbeforeandreportedthem.Italwaysturnedoutthatitwasastarorsomething.SoIdecidedtoplayapracticaljoke.IhadnoideawhatIhadstartedbydoingthis"

It'snotcleartowhomCondewasreferring.Hewenton:

"Idrovedownthetaxiwayinmycar.Istuckthespotlighton,afterstickingredandgreenlensesonit.Ithendroveroundincircles,inthefog,withthePAloudspeakergoing,flashingmylights.Itwasjustapracticaljoke;wewerealwaysplayingpracticaljokes.ThenIturnedmylightsoffanddroveaway"

HesaysthathethoughtnomoreofthisuntilyearslaterwhenhesawmentionoftheRendleshamForestincidentonaninternetsiteforex-militarypersonnel,puttwoandtwotogether,andfiguredthathisprankhadbeenthecauseofallthetrouble.

There are, however, numerous problemswith this story. Firstly, by his own admission, Conde cannotrecallexactlywhenheplayedhisprank.Hesubsequentlysaid that itwasduringanexercise,but therewasnoexerciseunderwayatthetimeoftheUFOsightings.Secondly,Condeclaimsthatthereweretwootherpeoplewithhimwhenhecarriedouthisprank,butcannotrecallthenamesandnobodyhascomeforwardtocorroboratehisstory.Thirdly,thecolorsofthelightshetalksaboutdon'tmatchwhatwasseenandfourthly,thedirectioniscompletelywrong.

Even if Conde's claim of having pulled this prank is true, it was a one-off event, not something thatspanned two nights. And again, it doesn't explain the radar data or the physical marks and radiationreadingsatthelandingsite.

NoneofthewitnessesrecallCondebeingondutyatthetimeoftheincident.CharlesHalthassaid:

"JustforinformationIknewCondewell.Iwouldn'thaveputitpasthimtoclaimwhathedoes.HewasnowheretobeseenthenightIwasout.OnepossibleexplanationisseveralnightslaterhemayhaveopenedthebackgatewhileonpatrolatWoodbridgeanddrivendownthepavedroadanddisplayedhislightstomocktheearlierincidents."

Burroughsisabsolutelyclearonthisissue:

"KevinCondewasnotondutysohecouldnothavebeeninvolved"

There's no independent evidence that this prank even took place. If it did, it's just possible, as Haltsuggests,thatittookplacesometimeaftertheUFOsightings,inanattempttomakepeoplethinktheUFOhadreturned.

Tractors,TrucksandManure

InSeptember2009anewclaimemergedconcerningthe1980UFOsightings.PeterTurtill,fromIpswich,claimedthathehadbeendrivingatruckfilledwithfertilizerdownaroadclosetothetwinbases,havingpickeditupfromafriendtowhomhe'dlentit.Hewentontosaythatthetruckbrokedownandatthispointherealizedthatthefertilizerwasstolen.HeandafriendtoweditofftheroadandintoRendleshamForest,wheretheyallegedlysetfiretoitinanattempttodestroytheevidence.Hesaysthatacombinationof themetal from the truckand the fertilizer created someoddlycovered flamesandbelieves that thisburning truck, being towed through the forest (before being towed back to the road to avoid furtherspooking some soldierswith guns, as the story goes on!)waswhat caused theUFO sightings. Turtillsummedupthesituationthus:

"Therewasnorealfussatthetimeanditwasonlylaterpeoplestartedsayingitwasaliensandthisstoryspiraled."

Heevenclaimedthattheburned-outvehicleremainedintheforestfor20yearsafterwards,untilitwasfinally removed.Wehave been unable to verify this or locate any police records or contemporaneousnewspaperstoryrelatingtotheallegedtheft.

To say that all this is an exceptionally unlikely chain of events is an understatement.As it transpires,Turtill is a well-known local character who campaigns on issues such as rights of way/access to thecountrysideandwhooncestoodforelectionasanindependentMemberofParliament–butpolledonly93 votes.We include his claim only for the sake of completeness and to show that such is themediafascination with the Rendlesham Forest incident that these completely unsubstantiated claims stillmanagedtomakeatleastthreeUKnationalnewspapers.

Enteringthename"PeterTurtill"intoanysearchenginewillthrowupinformationthatcertainlypaintsapictureof a controversial and colorful character.Thisdoesn't automatically invalidatehisRendleshamclaim,ofcourse,butitshouldcertainlyraiseafewredflags.TheproblemwithRendleshamisthatthecase is sonewsworthy,any tall taleor speculative remarkcanbecomeaviable theory in themindsofsomepeople.

Asimilarlyunlikelystoryhadsurfacedafewyearsearlierwhenaskepticalufologistmadeathrowawayremarkabouthowthecolorsandconfigurationof the lightson theUFOseenon thefirstnightsoundedsimilartothearrayoflightscarriedatnightonatractor.Itwasn'tevenclearifthecommentwasseriousortongueincheek,butnextthing,UFOdiscussionsforumswereabuzzwiththe‘theory'.

In evidential terms, the burning truckload of fertilizer story – as with the police car tale – hang onunsubstantiated claims from a single individual. There's no independent evidence that such a crime orprankeveroccurred,letaloneevidencethatsuchevents(eveniftheydidtakeplace)hadanythingtodowiththeRendleshamForestincident.Anyintelligenceanalystwillcautionagainsthangingadecisionona"single,unverifiedsource".

MeteorsandFireballs

AstronomicaleventssuchasmeteorsandfireballshavebeenknowntogenerateUFOreportsfrompeoplenot used to seeing such things.Meteors are causedwhen small rocks or dust particles burn up in theEarth's atmosphere. They streak across the sky in a straight line and are generally visible only for asecond or two. They are a relatively common site for anyone accustomed to looking at the night sky,thoughtheyaremoredifficulttospotfromcities,inviewoflightpollution.Afireballisessentiallyjustavery brightmeteorite and indeed the InternationalAstronomicalUnion defines a fireball as "ameteorbrighterthananyoftheplanets".Theterm"bolide"isalsousedonoccasion,todescribeaparticularlybrightfireball.

The British Astronomical Association keeps records of such activity and their Meteor Section'snewsletter for the time period in question reports that three fireballs were observed on the night ofDecember 25/26 1980: one at around 5.20pm, another at around 7.20pm and the final one at around2.50am.ThisfinaloneoverlapswiththetimeperiodwhenBurroughs,PennistonandotherswereseeingtheUFO.However,thecriticalpointhereisthataccordingtotheBritishAstronomicalAssociation,eachofthesefireballswasvisibleforatimeperiodofonlyafewseconds.

ARocketRe-Entry

At around 9.07pm or 9.08pm on the night of December 25, 1980, a considerably brighter and longerlastingaerialphenomenonwouldhavebeenvisibleintheskiesofnorth-westEurope.ItwastheBritishAstronomicalAssociationthatfirstdocumentedthisandindeedthefirstreportssuggestedthatwhathadbeenseenwasaparticularlybrightfireball.However,researchconductedbyJohnMasonandHowardMilesoftheBritishAstronomicalAssociationdeterminedthatwhathadactuallybeenseenwaspartofaSovietrocketre-enteringandburningupintheEarth'satmosphere.

Thedebrisconcernedwas identifiedaspartof the rocket thathad launched(in1975) theCosmos749satellite.MasonandMilescollatedreportsfromasfarafieldasMorocco,Spain,Portugal,FranceandtheUK.Inall,around100reportswerereceived,butit'shighlylikelythatdespiteextensiveappealsinthemediaandinastronomicalpublications,thereweremanyotherwitnesseswhonevercameforward.MasonandMilesplottedthelikelytrackofthedebrisasitbrokeupanditseemsthatitmightjusthavebeen visible from parts of the county of Suffolk, though the best estimate is that the debris had either

burneduporlostitsluminositybythispoint.

Toobservers,thesightwouldbesomewhatlikeabrightfireworkdisplay,athighaltitude,withclustersofdifferentcoloredobjectsmovingslowly, inastraight line.Again,however, thissimplydoesn't fitwhattheRendleshamForestincidentwitnessessaw.AbouttheonlyUFOconnectionisthefactthatsomethingunusualwasseeninthesky.Butofcourse,thefirstsightingwasofsomethingontheground,notinthesky–andtherocketre-entrytookplacesomehoursbeforetheinitialsightingofthelightsonthegroundintheforest.Evenifthere-entryofpartoftheCosmos749rocketmayjusthavebeenvisiblefromthearea,ittookplacebeforethestartoftheRendleshamForestincidentanditseemsunlikelyitplayedapartintheevents.

TheApolloCommandModule

OneoftheunitsbasedatBentwaters/Woodbridgewasthe67thARRS(AerospaceRescueandRecoveryService)–nowredesignatedasthe67thSpecialOperationsSquadron.Itsprimarymissionisdescribedas"providingworldwideclandestineaerial refuelingofspecialoperationshelicopters",withasecondarycapabilitythatincludes"infiltration,exfiltration,andresupplyofspecialoperationsforcesbyairdroporairland tactics".Oneother specialistmission that this unit trained forwas recoveryoperations for theApollo and Skylab programs. Part of the training for this mission included an object known asBoilerplate,CommandModule,Apollo,#1206.Thisobjectweighed9000lbsandresembled–externally–anApolloCommandModule.

ThoughtheApolloprogramendedin1972andtheSkylabprogramin1979,the67thARRScertainlystillpossessed the boilerplate at the time of theRendleshamForest incident.Could the roughly triangular-shapedobjecthavebeenaccidentallydropped in the forestwhilstbeing transportedbyhelicopterasaslungload?Alternatively,couldtheboilerplatehavebeenplacedthereasaprank?

Aswithsomeofthepreviouslydiscussedtheories,whatwehavehereisonefactor(thesizeandshapeoftheboilerplate) thatmatches in some respects aparticularpartof the story–BurroughsandPennistonencounteringatriangular-shapedcraftintheforest.Butlookbeyondthissinglematchandthetheorysoonbreaks down. If therewas a helicopter flying that night (and the consensus is that therewas no flyingactivity at all at the time of the incident), the witnesses would have seen and heard it. Even If weeliminatethehelicopterandimaginetheboilerplatebeingplacedintheclearinginadvance,asapracticaljoke,thefactssimplycan'tbemadetofit.Whiletheboilerplatewasheavyenoughtoleaveanimpressionon the ground, the underside had no features capable of having produced the three indentations in thetriangularpattern.Eveniftheholesweremadeseparately,thetheorycompletelyignoresthemovementofthe craft Burroughs and Penniston saw ("speed impossible" was how Penniston described the suddenaccelerationinhispolicenotebook)andistotallyatoddswithwhatHaltandhismensawonthesecondnight,withtheUFOfiringbeamsoflightdownattheground.

Finally,thereisnotasingledocumentoreyewitnessthatwouldsupportthetheory.

ALighthouseandaLightship

AnothertheoryisthatthewitnessesmisidentifiedthenearbyOrfordNesslighthouse(and/ortheShipwashlightvessel).ThisideawasfirstproposedbylocalforesterVinceThurkettle.

The first question that arises is the extent to which the witnesses were or weren't familiar with thelighthouse.Whileitwasawell-knownlocalfeature,someofthemorerecentarrivalsmaynotnecessarilyhaveknownaboutit, thoughpersonnelwhohadbeenthereforanylengthoftimewoulddoubtlesshave

encounteredit.

Amorefundamentalobjectionisthefactthatthelighthousesimplyisn'tvisiblefrommostofthelocationsfrom which the witnesses saw the UFO. That said, it's difficult to be definitive about this, becauseRendleshamForestwashitextremelyhardbytheGreatStormof1987(whennearhurricaneforcewindshittheUKonOctober15/16,1987,killingatleast22people)andalargeproportionofthetreeswereflattened.Theforestwasre-plantedandwhilethetopographyhasn'tchanged,theheightandlayoutofthetreeshas,makingcomparisonswith1980verydifficult.

Thekeypointaboutthelighthouseisthatitcropsupinfourofthefivewitnessstatementscitedinchapter7.Therelevantextractsareasfollows:

Buran:"SSgtPennistonreportedgettingnearthe"object"andthenallofasuddensaidtheyhadgonepastitandwerelookingatamarkerbeaconthatwasinthesamedirectionastheotherlights.Iaskedhimifhecouldhavebeenmistaken,towhichPennistonrepliedthathadIseentheotherlightsIwouldknowthedifference."

Chandler:"Heeventuallyarrivedata"beaconlight",however,hestatedthatthiswasnotthelightorlightshehadoriginallyobserved."

Burroughs: "Oncewe reached the farmer's housewe could seeabeacongoingaround, sowewenttowardit.Wefolloweditforabout2milesbeforewecouldseeitwascomingfromalighthouse."

Cabansag:"Whilewewalked,eachoneofuswouldsee the lights.Blue,red,white,andyellow.Thebeaconlight turnedout tobe theyellowlight.Wewouldsee themperiodically,butnot inaspecificpattern.Asweapproached,thelightswouldseemtobeat theedgeoftheforest.Wewereabout100metersfromtheedgeoftheforestwhenIsawaquickmovement,itlookvisibleforamoment.Itlookedlikeitspunleftaquarterofaturn,thenitwasgone.IadvisedSSgtPennistonandA1CBurroughs.Weadvised CSC and proceeded in extreme caution. When we got about 75-50 meters, MSgtChandler/FlightChief,wasonthescene.CSCwasnotreadingourtransmissionsverywell,soweusedMSgtChandlerasago-between.Heremainedbackatoutvehicle.Asweenteredtheforest,theblueandredlightswerenotvisibleanymore.Onlythebeaconlightwasstillblinking.Wefiguredthelightswerecomingfrompasttheforest,sincenothingwasvisiblewhenwepassedthroughthewoodyforest.Wewouldseeaglowingnear thebeacon light,butaswegotcloserwe foundIt tobea litup farmhouse.Afterwehadpassedthroughtheforest,wethoughtithadtobeanaircraftaccident.SodidCSCaswell.Butweranandwalkedagood2milespastout thevehicle,untilwegot toavantagepointwherewecoulddeterminethatwhatwewerechasingwasonlyabeaconlightoffinthedistance.Ourroutethroughtheforestandfieldwasadirectone,straighttowardsthelight.WeinformedCSCthatthelightbeaconwasfartherthanwethought,soCSCterminatedourInvestigation."

There are, as we have seen, serious problems with these five witness statements, with some of thewitnessesclaimingthatthesewere‘sanitized'versionsofeventsthattheyweremadetosign.Mightitbethatthelighthousewasselectedasaconvenientcoverstory?Cabansag'sbriefstatementmanagestousethephrase"beaconlight"or"lightbeacon"anextraordinaryfive times. It'ssimilarlyodd that theword"beacon" cropsup in fourof the statements, though this couldwell be a consequenceof thewitnessesdiscussingtheirsharedexperienceandpickinguponeachother'sterminology.Butit'salsooddthattheword"lighthouse"onlyappearsonce.

Thoughwemention thepossibilityof the lighthousebeingselectedasacover story, thisdoesn't reallywork,as the five statements–whatever their trueprovenance–mention the lightbeacon,butgoon to

makeitclearthatwhilethiswasvisibleattimes,itwasaseparatelightfromtheunusuallightsthattheywerefollowing.

Aswithmostofthetheoriesdiscussedtodate,anideathatstartsoutasbeingsuperficiallyattractiveintermsofexplainingasmallpartofthecasesoonbreaksdownifonetriestoshoehorninthewiderfactsofthetwonights'encounters.ThelighthousecannotpossiblyexplainCharlesHalt'ssightingofaUFOfiringbeamsdownathimandhismenfromdirectlyoverhead("Lighthousesdon'tfly"washisterseresponsetothesuggestion–acommentechoedbyBurroughs,whostated"Thelighthousedoesnotland,orhoveronthe ground and take off at a high rate of speed. Remember, we got close to whatever it was"), orhoveringover thebaseatWoodbridge. Indeed,Halthasgoneon the record to say that atonepointhecalculatedthebearingoftheUFObycomparingittothepositionofthelighthouse–illustratingthepointthattheyweretwoseparateobjects.Andyetagain,thistheoryfailstotakeaccountoftheradarevidenceorthephysicaltraceevidenceatthelandingsite.

Whilstnotthemostcompellingoftheskepticaltheories(a‘topthree'follow),thelighthousetheoryhasbecometheonemostfavoredbyTVdocumentariesthathavecoveredthiscase.Therearefourreasonsforthis.Firstly,thetheoryhas–inVinceThurkettle–aninformed,localproponent.Secondly,itsoundssoabsurdandissoinsultingtothewitnessesandthebelievers,thatitprovokesastrongreaction.Thirdly,it'saveryvisualtheorythatlendsitselftobeingre-createdandcanbetested.Allthesethreefactorsmakeforgood,dramaticTV.ThefourthreasonisthattheMoDgavethetheoryasubtlepush,aspartofawidercampaignto‘spin'theRendleshamstorybydownplayingtheevents.

Anothernail in the lighthouse coffinwasprovidedby the lighthousekeeper himself, in a conversationwithauthorandinvestigativejournalistGeorginaBruni,whenhesaid:

"The skepticshavebeenpesteringme inanattempt toget to support their theory. I cannotdo it. Iknowwhatmylighthouselookedlikefromtheforest.Ihaveseenitinallweathers.ItjustcouldnotdowhatthoseairmenandlocalpeopledescribetheUFOasdoing."

Infact,wherethelighthouseisvisiblefromtheforestatall,itappearsinthedistance,asatinypinprickoflightonthedistanthorizon.Thisisnotsufficient,however,tocompletelyeliminatethelighthouse,asitwasbrighterin1980thanitwasinlateryears.Additionally,whilethelighthousewasfittedwithashadethatprevented it illuminating the townofOrford, thiswasn'tpositioned in suchawayas to render theglareinvisiblefromsomepartsoftheforest.VinceThurkettlehasmadeitclearthattherewereplentyoflocationsfromwhichitwasvisible.

As a final observation on this theory, I was filming with Vince Thurkettle in Rendlesham Forest inNovember 2010, along with Charles Halt.We discussed the matter at great length and while he stillmaintained that itwaspossible that the lighthousecouldhaveplayedasmallpart inevents,hedidnotbelieveitcouldfoolpeopleovertwonightsorforsolongaperiodoftime.SowhilesomeUFOskepticshaveappropriatedthelighthousetheoryastheirown, itsoriginalproponenthaseffectivelyruleditout.Discussinghis theorywithGeorginaBruni,Thurkettleexpressed irritationwithUFOskepticswhohadhijackedhisspeculativemusingsonthelighthouseanduseditastheirowndefinitiveexplanation:

"Theytakeaclusteroffactsandonlypickuponthosethatsuitthesituation."

GuardForceTests,GhostGunsandMindControl

Is itpossible that theRendleshamForest incidentwasattributable toahighlyunusualguardforce test?There are several versions of this theory, but the general thrust of the idea is that the various UFO

sightingsweredeliberatelystagedbysomeelementsofthechainofcommandtoseehowtheguardforcewould react. The thinking is that if exercise planners could devise a scenario where the guard forcewouldreact(orfailtoreact)insuchawayastoleavecriticalsystemsvulnerable,ahostilepowercoulddothesame.Thus,thepurposeofsuchatestwouldbetoseeifaweaknessexistsandifso,toplugthegap. Suggestions as to how such an exotic test could have been accomplished include hallucinogenicdrugs,mindcontrol,orholographictechnology.Thelatteridea,inparticular,hasbeenthesubjectofsomeconsiderablespeculationinnotjusttheUFOcommunity,butinthewiderconspiracytheorycommunity.

Holographic technology exists and it's known that various defense contractors, among others, haveexperimentedwiththis.Phrasessuchas"ghostgun"havebeenusedtodescribetheequipmentnecessarytocreate images.But thereare twoproblemshere.Firstly,suchprograms tend tobeclassifiedand theextent towhich this technology exists in any usable form is unknown. Secondly, thewaters have beenmuddied by the existence of a conspiracy theory known as "Project Blue Beam", which suggests thatholograms/projections(perhapscombinedwithmoreconventionalHollywoodspecialeffects)of thingssuchasanalieninvasionortheSecondComingmightbeusedtocreatemasspanicaspartofa‘falseflag'eventthatwouldallowthepowersthatbe(e.g.theIlluminati)tocreatea‘NewWorldOrder'.Thisis,tosaytheleast,somewhatfar-fetched.

It's undeniable that the military wants to know how its guard force is going to react in certaincircumstances,especiallyatthemostimportantmilitaryfacilities.Realistictrainingunderpinsthis,asitunderpinsmuchinthemilitary,andregularexercisesareheldtogaugetheresponsetovariousdifferentscenarios.IsittoomuchofastretchoftheimaginationtosuggestthatguardsatBentwaters/Woodbridgewerehoodwinkedintothinkingtheyfacedsomeunknown–perhapsextraterrestrial–phenomenon,toseehowthey'dreact?Butisthereanyrealevidence,asidefromspeculation,tosupportsuchatheory?

AUSdocumententitledTheRoleofBehavioralScienceinPhysicalSecurity–ProceedingsoftheFifthAnnualSymposium,June11-12,1980hasputthistheoryinthespotlightintheUFOcommunity.ThefactthatthiswasameresixmonthsbeforetheeventsinRendleshamForesthasaddedadditionalpoignancy.Thesymposiumwasorganizedbyanofficial in theNuclearSuretyDirectorateof theDefenseNuclearAgency. Enhancement of nuclear weapons storage was a key aim. Sponsors included the LawEnforcement Standards Laboratory. A paper entitled Security System Operational Recording andAnalysis (SSOPRA) described a plan to evaluate security at aWeapons StorageArea at anAir Forcebase,usingavarietyoftechniquesincluding"activeprocedures"totestthesystem.ItisclearwhymanypeoplebelievethisisrelevanttoBentwaters/Woodbridge.

Theproblemisthatnoneofthissuggeststhatthe"activeprocedures"shouldbeexotic.Indeed,thepaperstatesthat"initiatingeventswillbeofthetypescommonlyemployedbyevaluationteams".AndneitheristhereanyevidencethatBentwaters/WoodbridgewasselectedfortheSSOPRAtrial.Moreover,whenthepaperwasconsidered,adiscussiontookplaceaboutthepossibilityof"blackhatassaultsasatestofthesystem".The response prettymuch rules this out as a potential explanation for theRendleshamForestincident:

"…everybodyearlyinthegameknowsitisanexercise…whatyoucannotdoasfarasIcanseeatthe present time is to actually initiate an event that will result in the call out of a fire team, forexample,withoutthewholesystemknowingitisanexercise.Thatsimplyisbeyondthescopeofwhatwemightbeabletodo".

Notwithstandingtheabove,thereareafewaccountsofUKSpecialForcesbeingcalledupontolaunchunannounced incursions into various military installations, including Bentwaters/Woodbridge. Such

incursions–asonemightexpect,withelitetroopssuchastheSAS(SpecialAirService)–wereoftensuccessful,resultinginhugeembarrassmentforthosechargedwithsecurityatthelocationsconcerned.

If'guineapigs'wereneededforatesttoseehowsecuritypersonnelwouldrespondtoanexoticscenario,conductingthetestintheUKwouldhavebeenanunnecessarycomplicationandusingabaseintheUSwouldhavebeenfarmorepreferable.ButeveniftheRendleshamForestincidenthadbeenattributabletoa trial along these lines, we strongly suspect that someone would have taken those concerned asideafterwards,toldthemthatthey'dbeentakingpartinatrial,saidthatthedetailswereclassifiedandtoldthemnottosayanything.Asloyalmilitarypersonnel,theywoulddoubtlesshavecomplied.Theremighthavebeensomeprivatechat,butweverymuchdoubtanyonewouldhavegonepublicinthewaythattheydid.

ANuclearAccidentorIncident

TheUSDODhasa listofcodes tocovernuclearweaponsaccidentsor incidents.Theseare,with themost serious first, "Broken Arrow", "Bent Spear", "Empty Quiver" and "Faded Giant". A previousexampleofa"BrokenArrow"incidentataUSbaseintheUKhadreportedlyoccurredonJuly27,1956,whenaB-47bombercrashedandexplodedintoanuclearweaponsstoragefacilityattheLakenheathairbase. According to various reports in the public domain, the initial report to the Commander of USStrategicAirCommandendedwiththestatement:

"PreliminaryexambybombdisposalofficersaysamiraclethatoneMarkSixwithexposeddetonatorssheareddidn'tgo[off]".

Could theUFOstoryhavebeenadeliberatelyconcoctedpieceof fictiondesigned todistract attentionfromanother"BrokenArrow"typeofevent?Mightthis,forexample,explaintheradiationreadingstakenatthelandingsite?

Again,we are constrainedhereby theUSandUKGovernmentpolicyneither to confirmnordeny thepresenceofnuclearweaponsatanyparticulartimeorplace.However,commonsensedictatesthattheUSGovernmentwouldeitheradmit to the incidentordecline tocomment.Concoctingaboguscover storyseemshighlyunlikely,butevenifoneacceptedthepossibility,aUFOstorywouldbetheworstpossibleidea,givenmediaandpublicfascinationwiththesubject.Suchastorywouldinvariablyresultinthelastthinganycoverstoryshouldgenerate:attentionandpublicity.

Arelatedtheoryisthattheeventwasinsomewayrelated(again,perhapsasacoverstory)toanuclearincident (e.g. a leak) at thenearbySizewellAorSizewellBnuclearpower stations.Again,however,there'snowitnesstestimonyordocumentaryevidencetosupportsuchatheory.

SecretPrototypeAircraftandDrones

At any given time there will be various aircraft and drones being developed, test flown and evendeployed operationally, but aboutwhich no public announcementwill have beenmade. In some casessuchtechnologiesarenotpublicallydeclaredforperhaps10or15years.TheF-117stealthfighterandtheB-2 stealthbomberare twogoodexamples.The stealth fighterwaspubliclydeclared in1989buthadbeenflyingformanyyearspriortothat.

CouldtheRendleshamForest incidenthavebeencausedbythewitnessesmisidentifyingsomenewspyplane or –more likely, given the small size of the objectBurroughs andPenniston encountered in theclearing–drone?Andinsuchcircumstances,isitpossiblethatthewitnesses(andevenperhapsthechain

ofcommand)neverdiscoveredtheexplanation,oriftheydid,deployedaUFO-relatedcoverstorytohidethe truth? Intriguingly, there is somehistorical precedent for this.TheCIAarticleADie-Hard Issue –CIA'sRole in the Study ofUFOs, 1947-90,makes it clear that it suited theCIA and theUSAFwhensightingsof theU-2spyplaneor theSR-71reconnaissanceaircraftwerereportedasUFOs,asforeignmilitary intelligenceanalystswere less likely topayattentiontoUFOstories thanstoriesaboutstrangeaircraft.MightsomethingsimilarhavehappenedinRendleshamForest,notwithstandingourearlierpointabouttheapparentunattractivenessofaUFOcover-story,inviewofpublicandmediainterestinUFOs?

At first glance, if a secret aircraft or dronehad been involved and if rumors of thiswere circulatingamong USAF personnel and the local population, it might have made sense to launch a counter-intelligenceoperationand‘rebrand'theeventasaUFOsighting.Butthere'snosuggestionthatanysuchrumorshadstarted,sotherewasnoneedforacoverstory.

Furthermore,eveniftherehadbeenasecretaircraftordroneinvolved,acoverstorywouldhavebeenunnecessary;militarywitnesseswouldsimplyhavebeentoldthatthey'dseensomethingclassified(theyareunlikelytohavebeengivenanyfurtherdetails,inlinewiththeneedtoknowprinciple)andorderednottodiscusswhatthey‘dseen.Itishighlyunlikelythattheywouldhavedisobeyedsuchanorder.

Moreover,whileaUFOcover-storymayhavebeeneffectiveintheearlydaysoftheU-2andtheSR-71programs,asImentionedinrespectofthetheoryconcerningatestoftheguardforce,aUFOcover-storyin the UK in 1980 would have done the one single thing that any effective cover-story must not do:attractedmediaandpublicattention.

Furthermore,it'shighlyunlikelythatHaltwouldhavesenthisfamousmemototheMoDifheoranyoneinthechainofcommandhadknownthatasecretaircraftordronewasinvolved.SomeoneinUSintelligencewouldhavehadaquietwordwithsomeoneinUKintelligenceandthewholebusinesswouldhavebeenforgotten.

Thereis,however,onevariationonthistheorythatmightmakealittlemoresense.WhatiftheaircraftordronehadbeenSoviet?MightthestrangesymbolsthatPennistonsawonthesideofthecrafthavebeenCyrillicscript?Thiswascertainlya timeofhigh international tension, related to the riseof thePolishtrade unionSolidarity, and theBentwaters/Woodbridge baseswere two of themost importantmilitaryfacilitiesintheUK–andindeedinNATO.DidaSovietdronecrash?Wasitshotdown,inadvertentlyordeliberately?This latter actioncouldhave startedWorldWarThreeand in that scenario,might coolerheadsonbothsideshaveprevailed,andburiedtheincident?

Critically, all three governments involvedwould have had a good reason for saying nothing, or evendevelopingacover-story.TheSovietswouldnotadmittohavingbeenconductingespionageactivityofthissort,whiletheUSandtheUKwouldhavebeenhorrifiedthattheUK'sAirDefenseRegionhadbeenpenetratedwithsucheaseandwouldnotwishanyknowledgeofsuchasecuritybreachtocirculateamongjuniormilitarypersonnel(formoralereasons),ortobecomepublicknowledge.PerhapsasmallgroupofSoviet, American and British military intelligence personnel conspired to keep this event from theirpoliticalmastersandmistresses,awarethatthiscouldquicklyescalatematterstoadangerouslevel.Suchacover-upwouldprobablyhavebeentherightthingtodo.

All this,however, ispurespeculation.There'snota singleshredofdocumentaryevidenceorpersonaltestimony thatwouldsupport this interpretationand it'soffereduponlyasahypothetical scenario that,frankly,makesmoresensethanmostofthetheoriesbandiedaroundbyskepticsintheUFOcommunity.

Havingrunthroughthepossibleskepticaltheoriesandfoundthematbest,unsupportedbyanyevidence

andatworst,demonstrablyfalse,it'stimetoconsiderothermoreexotictheories.Followusnowonatripintothereal-lifeTwilightZone.

ChapterTen–ExoticTheories

Havingconsideredbutprettymucheliminated theskeptical theoriesabout theRendleshamForestUFOincident,wemustnowat least consider somemoreexoticpossibilities. In thischapter,we'regoing tolookat threesuchpossibilities:extraterrestrialvisitation, interactionwithcurrentlyhiddendimensions,andtimetravel.Whyshouldweevenconsiderconceptsthatmanyregardassciencefiction?Thereareseveralreasons.Firstly,vastnumbersofpeoplebelievethesethings.Admittedly,lotsofpeoplebelievethingsthataren'tnecessarilytrue,butanywidely-heldbeliefisinterestinginofitself,evenifonlyfromapsychologicalperspective.Secondly,severaloftheRendleshamwitnessessupportthesetheories,andastheyweretheoneswhowentthroughtheseevents,itseemsentirelypropertohighlighttheirviewsandseewhytheybelieveintheseexplanations.Thirdly,it'saswelltosay"neversaynever"withsomethingsthatsoundhighlyunlikelybutmighthaveabigpayoffiftheyturnedouttobetrue.It'swhatthebusinesscommunitycallslowprobability/highimpact(orsometimeslowprobability/highconsequence).Indeed,it's thisverymindset thatexplainswhygovernments look(as they indisputablydo)at things likeUFOsandremoteviewing(amorerespectable-soundingtermforpsychicspying)inthefirstplace.Finally,wedosoforthesakeofcompleteness.Anybookonthisincidentneedstoexamineallthetheoriesthatareeither tenable and/or widely-held.Many of the skeptical theories turned out to be somewhere on thespectrumbetweenhighlyunlikelyandimpossible,butitwasunfairtoomitthemandthusmissthechancetosubjectthemtosomedegreeofscrutiny.Soitiswiththemoreexotictheories.Somepeoplemaythinkthey'resciencefiction,butlet'satleasttakealook,ifonlytosatisfyourselvesonthispoint.

We intend to look at the three aforementioned exotic theories in a slightly differentway to theway inwhichweexaminedtheskepticaltheoriesinthelastchapter.Becauseofthecontroversialnatureoftheconceptsinvolved,weintendtotakeastepbackandasknotwhetherthingslikeextraterrestrialvisitationcouldexplaintheRendleshamForestincident,butwhethersuchthingsareevenpossibleinthefirstplace.Believersmaysaythisisalittleunfairandsetsthe‘evidencebar'alittlehigher,butit'safareasierwayofattacking theproblem,because ifextraterrestrialvisitation is impossible inof itself,clearlywecaneliminate the theory straight away. And in any case, "extraordinary claims require extraordinaryevidence",asthefamousquotefromthecosmologistandauthorCarlSagangoes.

ExtraterrestrialVisitation

Theterm"UFO"standsforunidentifiedflyingobject,butinpopularculturehasbecomesynonymouswithalien spacecraft. This leads to nonsensical questions such as "Do you believe in UFOs?" where theanswer"no" ispatentlyabsurd if the term isusedcorrectly.The fact remains,hugenumbersofpeoplebelievenotjustintheexistenceofextraterrestriallife,butthinktheEarthisbeingvisitedbyintelligentextraterrestrialsandthatelementswithintheUSgovernment(andperhapsothergovernments)areawareofthisbutareactivelyconspiringtocover-upthistruth.Howlikelyisanyofthis?

Before addressing thequestionofUFOs,weneed to takea stepbackandask somemore fundamentalquestions?ArethereanyscientificobjectionstotheexistenceoflifeelsewhereintheUniverseandifnot,isitscientificallypossiblethatanyofthislifecouldbevisitingus?

One often hears phrases along the lines of "itwould be arrogant and ridiculous to assume that in thisinfiniteUniverse,we'retheonlylife".Whilethisargumentundoubtedlyhasacertainattractiveness, it'snotonethatusessciencetocometoitsconclusionandassuch,wemustsetitaside.

Fromapurelyscientificpointofview,observationaldatasuggeststhatthelawsofphysicsandthelawsofchemistryareconstantintheUniverse.Thisbeingthecase,giventhesheernumberofstarsand(aswe

arenowin theprocessofdiscovering)planetarysystemsin theUniverse, it isa reasonablehypothesisthatthefactorsthatgaverisetolifehereonEarthshouldarisemanytimes.

Therearehowever,problemswiththishypothesis.EvenifwesetasidereligiousbeliefsaboutCreation,there's no scientific consensus on exactly how life arose on Earth, or even on the more fundamentalquestionofwhatconstituteslife–onthislatterpoint,seeforexamplethescientificdebateoverwhetheror not viruses constitute life, or the more speculative debate over artificial intelligence, which soonsegues from science to philosophy. Moreover, there are some who believe that life may not haveoriginatedonEarth,butmighthavebeenseededhere–notinthewaythatweseeinsci-fimovieslikePrometheus or UFO TV shows like Ancient Aliens, but through the mechanism of organic materialarrivingthroughcometaryimpact.

Eveniflifehasarisenmanytimesinthecosmos,isanyofitintelligent,oristheresomethinguniqueaboutcomplex life and – perhaps – intelligence? The so-called Rare Earth hypothesis (postulated byastronomerDonaldE.BrownleeandpaleontologistPeterWard)suggeststhatwhilemicrobiallifeintheUniversemightbecommon,advancedlife(i.e.animals)israre.Theydonot,however,quantifytheterm"rare"!Another counter-argument to the idea that intelligence is unique is the fact that in evolutionaryterms,beingsmartseemstobeaprettygoodsurvivalstrategy.

TheRareEarthhypothesisisseenasaresponsetotheviewsofscientistssuchasCarlSaganandFrankDrake,whohaveexpressed theview that intelligent life is likely tobewidespread in theUniverse. In1961astronomerFrankDrakedevisedanequation(nowknownastheDrakeEquation)whichattemptedtocalculatethenumberofdetectableextraterrestrialcivilizationsinourowngalaxy(theMilkyWay)bycalculatingthevaluesofanumberofrelevantvariables.Toputthingsinperspective,theMilkyWayisestimatedtocontainsomewherebetween100billionand400billionstars.EstimatesforthenumberofgalaxiesintheUniversevarybetween100billionand200billion.TheDrakeEquationisasfollows:

N=R*xfpxnexf1xfixfcxL

Intheaboveequation:

N = the number of civilizations in The Milky Way Galaxy whose electromagnetic emissions aredetectable.

R*=therateofformationofstarssuitableforthedevelopmentofintelligentlife.

fp=thefractionofthosestarswithplanetarysystems.

ne=thenumberofplanets,persolarsystem,withanenvironmentsuitableforlife.

fl=thefractionofsuitableplanetsonwhichlifeactuallyappears.

fi=thefractionoflifebearingplanetsonwhichintelligentlifeemerges.

fc=thefractionofcivilizationsthatdevelopatechnologythatreleasesdetectablesignsoftheirexistenceintospace.

L=thelengthoftimesuchcivilizationsreleasedetectablesignalsintospace.

Theproblemwiththisisthatwhilesomevaluescanbeestimatedwithsomedegreeofaccuracy,mostcanonly be guesses. At the front end of the equation, for example, it seems reasonable to make somecalculationsaboutstarformation,basedonobservationaldata.Andwhileafewyearsagotheexistence

of any planetary systems aside from our own was speculation, by the end of November 2013, 1055extrasolarplanetshavebeendiscovered (ANovember2013studybasedondata fromNASA'sKeplerSpaceTelescopeestimatedthatoneinfivesun-likestarsinourgalaxywouldhaveanearth-likeplanetinitshabitablezone),meaningthatavalueforfpcanbebetterestimatedthanwaspreviouslythecase.Butthelastfourvaluescanreallyonlybeguessesintheabsenceofthediscoveryofextraterrestriallife.Thus,whileFrankDrakeestimates that therearearound10,000detectablecivilizations inourgalaxy,criticshavesaidthattheconstituentpartsoftheequationcanvarysomuchthattheactualfigureofNcouldbeanywherebetweenzeroandseveralbillion!

How close arewe getting to discovering the existence of extraterrestrial life?We've had a couple ofclose-calls already. In 1996,NASA scientists announced that ameteorite that had originated onMars(ALH84001)seemedtocontainfossilizedtracesofbacteria.Thedatahavesincebeendisputedandtheissue remains unresolved. More recently, in 2009, other NASA scientists expressed the belief thatmethaneonMarsmightbeaby-productofmicrobiallifeundertheground.Inasense,thisdoesn'thelpus.We know that through the impact ofmeteors,material can be thrown up into theMartian atmosphere,escape from the planet'sweak gravitational field and arrive onEarth – preciselywhat happenedwithALH84001.Thisbeingthecase,howwecanbecertain thatanylifefoundonMarsdidn'toriginateonEarth?Indeed,howcanwebesurethatlifeonEarthdidn'toriginateonMars?Thislatterideawastheheadline-grabber at the prestigious Goldschmidt Meeting held in Florence in August 2013, whereProfessorStevenBennersuggested thatconditionsfor thedevelopmentof life in theearlysolarsystemwereactuallymorefavorableonMarsthanEarth,andthatlifelikelydevelopedontheRedPlanetbeforebeingtransportedtoEarthviameteorites.

The search for extraterrestrial life continues and encompasses a number of different locations andmethodologies.AgenciessuchasNASAwouldlike to launchmissions tofindlife(probablymicrobiallife) onMars orEuropa.Other scientists are focusingon the aforementioned extrasolar planets and inparticularon the search forEarth-likeplanetsorbiting sun-like stars.The firstSuper-Earthshavebeendiscoveredandthere'sagrowingsensethatit'sonlyamatteroftimebeforewefindwhatsciencedubs"Earth 2.0". The longer-term goalwill be to use the next generation of space telescopes to undertakespectralanalysisoftheatmosphere'sofexoplanets,lookingforoxygen,ozone,waterandotherpotentialchemicalindicatorsoflife.Anothersearchstrategyinvolvestheuseofradiotelescopestosearchforasignalfromothercivilizations.FrankDrakewasafoundingfatherofthiswork,dubbedSETI(SearchforExtraterrestrial Intelligence). In2024a radio telescopeordersofmagnitudebiggerandmorepowerfulthananyexistingarraywillbecomefullyoperational.Scientistsclaimthat theSquareKilometerArraywillbesopowerful,itwillbeabletodetectanairportradaratadistanceof50lightyears.Iftherearedetectablecivilizationsinoursmallcornerofthegalaxy,theSKAshouldbeabletofindthem–providedSETIscientistsgetsufficienttelescopetimeonthearray!

Howseriouslyisanyofthistaken?It'sclearlyscience,butwheredoesitlieonthespectrum-mainstreamormaverick?A fewyearsago theanswerwouldhavebeen the latter.However, in2010 the scientificestablishmentsentastrongmessage that thesearchforalien lifewasnowrespectable.TheprestigiousRoyal Society (founded in 1660, itsmembers have included legendary figures such as IsaacNewton,Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking) hosted two discussion meetings, entitledrespectively"TheDetectionofExtraterrestrialLifeandtheConsequencesforScienceandSociety"and"TowardsaScientificandSocietalAgendaonExtraterrestrialLife".Thesetwomeetingsconsiderednotjusttheprogressofthesearchforalienlife,butmorespeculativequestionssuchaswhetherornotpeoplewouldpanic,andwhateffectthediscoverywouldhaveonreligiousbelief.

Inanothersignthatthequestionofalienlifeisnolongertaboowithmainstreamscience,NASAnowhasaformalastrobiologyprogram.Themission statementon the relevantpartofNASA'swebsitebeginsasfollows:

Astrobiologyisthestudyoftheorigin,evolution,distribution,andfutureoflifeintheuniverse.Thismultidisciplinary field encompasses the search for habitable environments in our Solar System andhabitableplanetsoutsideourSolarSystem,thesearchforevidenceofprebioticchemistryandlifeonMarsandotherbodiesinourSolarSystem,laboratoryandfieldresearchintotheoriginsandearlyevolutionoflifeonEarth,andstudiesofthepotentialforlifetoadapttochallengesonEarthandinspace.

NASA'sAstrobiologyProgramaddressesthreefundamentalquestions:Howdoeslifebeginandevolve?IstherelifebeyondEarthand,ifso,howcanwedetectit?WhatisthefutureoflifeonEarthandintheuniverse? In striving to answer thesequestionsand improveunderstandingof biological, planetaryandcosmicphenomenaandrelationshipsamongthem,experts inastronomyandastrophysics,Earthand planetary sciences,microbiology and evolutionary biology, cosmochemistry, and other relevantdisciplinesareparticipatinginastrobiologyresearchandhelpingtoadvancetheenterpriseofspaceexploration.

Beforeleavingasidethequestionofwhetherornotthere'sintelligentlifeelsewhereintheUniverse,weshouldmentiontheFermiParadox.NamedafterthephysicistEnricoFermi,theparadoxisusuallywrittenas "Where is everybody"?Fermi's pointwas that if – as scientists such as FrankDrake suggest – theUniverse is teemingwith life,whyhasEarthnotbeenvisitedandwhy is therenootherobservableordetectable evidence of extraterrestrial life?The numerous responses to the Fermi Paradox include thesuggestionthatevidenceexistsbutisbeingcoveredup,alongwiththeoriesthatothercivilizationsarise,butarewipedoutbythesortofcalamitiesthatmightyetwipeusout:nuclearwar,climatechange,plague,theriseofartificialintelligence,asteroidstrikes,gammaraybursts,etc.OthershavespeculatedthattheEarth is being deliberately avoided, perhaps by advanced civilizations that choose to let humanitydevelopnaturally,withoutexternalinterference.Thisidea–broadlysimilartothe"PrimeDirective"intheStarTrekfranchise,isknownastheZooHypothesis.Asimilartheory–thePlanetariumHypothesis,suggeststhatwe'rebeingdeliberatelyisolatedbyadvancedcivilizationsandthattheobservableUniverseis actually a simulation, designed to look empty. There are numerous other theories and counterarguments,buttheyarelargelybeyondthescopeofthisbook.

As it happens, there's oneway that the question ofwhether or not alien life existsmight be resolved,withoutouractuallyneedingtofindit!ManyscientistswilltellyouthatlifearosealmostasquicklyaswaspossibleonPlanetEarth(theEarthisaround4.5billionyearsoldandlifeseemstohavearisenabout3.5 billion years ago, only shortly after massive planetary impacts ceased), suggesting life developseasily,meaningitshouldbecommoninthecosmos.Yetsofarasweknow,alllifeonEarthcanbetracedback to a single "UniversalCommonAncestor". So if life arises so easily,why – apparently – has itarisenonlyonce?Whynotseveral times?The"shadowbiosphere"(sometimesdubbed"Genesis2") isthenamegiventoatheoreticalsecondstrandoflifeonEarth.Becauseiflifearosenotoncebuttwice(ormultiple times)on this singleplanet, itwould indeed suggest that life isnot somecosmicmiracle,butariseseasily.Theclearandlogicalfollow-onwouldbethattheUniverseisteemingwithlife.

Thesearchforashadowbiosphere isarguablymucheasier than thesearchforextraterrestrial lifeandthere has already been some controversy about this. On December 2, 2010, NASA held a pressconferencewithbiochemistFelisaWolfe-Simon.Wolfe-Simonhas beendoing research atMonoLake,California,andthepressconferencewasusedtoannouncethediscoveryofmicrobesthatcanapparently

usearsenicinsteadofphosphoroustobuildtheirDNA.Thisfundamentallychangeshowwedefinelifeand even though thiswasn't announced as proof of the shadow biosphere, it came tantalizingly close.Wolfe-Simon'sresultshavesincebeenchallengedandthedebateisongoing.

InrelationtotheRendleshamForestincident,thequestionofwhetherornotextraterrestriallifeexistsisfundamental,becausethishaslongbeenafavoredtheoryofmanypeopleinrelationtotheevents.Withsomepeople,thisisaquestionofpassionatebelief.Withothers,it'sbecausethisistheoneUFOcasethatseemstodefyanyconventionalexplanation.NoneoftheskepticaltheoriesstanduptodetailedscrutinyandnowthatRoswellissofarinthepast,Rendleshamisthecasethat'sbecomethestandard-bearerforwhattheUFOcommunitycallstheETH(ExtraterrestrialHypothesis).However,there'safurtherhurdlethat needs to be cleared ifwe're to seriously entertain the idea that theRendleshamForest incident isattributabletoextraterrestrialvisitation.Becauseevenifweacceptthattheremaybeothercivilizationsoutthere,iftheycan'tgethere,it'scaseclosed.

The clear scientific consensus is that faster-than-light travel is impossible. Under Einstein's SpecialTheoryofRelativity,aninfiniteamountofenergywouldberequired(aclearimpossibility)toacceleratea particle to the speed of light. It's worthmaking a few points about this. Firstly, there are plenty oftheoreticalphysicistswho–whiletheyacceptthatanobjectcan'tbeacceleratedto,orpast,lightspeed–think that there might be viable workarounds, including using wormholes, or warping space-time.Secondly,there'snothingintheSpecialTheoryofRelativitythatprecludestheexistenceofparticlesthatalwaystravelfasterthanlight.However,whiletheexistenceofsuchparticles(calledtachyons)hasbeenpostulated, no significant evidence has been found thatwould support their existence. In any case, it'sdifficult toenvisageaway inwhich theexistenceofsuchparticleswouldhelp in theconstructionofaspaceshipcapableofinterstellartravel.

The good news here is that even if faster-than-light travel is impossible, interstellar travel is not.Theoretical physicists have speculated about the possible development of spacecraft powered bypropulsionsystemsbasedonnuclearfissionormatter-antimatterannihilation.Noneofthiswouldoffendagainstthelawsofphysics(andevenifitdid,weshouldrememberthatourunderstandingofthelawsofphysicsisconstantlychangingandevolving).WritingintheFebruary1999issueofScientificAmerican,Stephanie D. Leifer, manager of advanced propulsion concepts at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory inPasadena,wroteaboutsuchtechnologies.Shesaidaboutthem,"Forthesewillbethetechnologieswithwhichhumanitywillfinallyandtrulyreachforthestars".Morerecently,ajointNASA/DARPA(DefenseAdvancedResearchProjectAgency)initiativecalledthe100-YearStarshipStudyledtothecreationof"a viable and sustainable non-governmental organization for persistent, long-term, private-sectorinvestment into the myriad of disciplines needed to make long-distance space travel possible". Theirmissionstatementreadsasfollows:

"100 Year Starship will pursue national and global initiatives, and galvanize public and privateleadershipandgrassrootssupport,toassurethathumantravelbeyondoursolarsystemandtoanotherstar can be a realitywithin the next century. 100Year Starshipwill unreservedly dedicate itself toidentifyingandpushingtheradicalleapsinknowledgeandtechnologyneededtoachieveinterstellarflightwhilepioneeringandtransformingbreakthroughapplicationstoenhancethequalityoflifeonearth. We will actively include the broadest swath of people in understanding, shaping, andimplementingourmission."

Apropulsionsystemcapableofevenasmallishfractionofthespeedoflightcouldputthestarswithinourreach–andputuswithinreachofanyspacefaringcivilizationsinourlocalpartofthegalaxy.

Forpuristswhothinkthisgoestoofar(orforengineers,whorightlypointoutthatthesuchspeculationfromtheoreticalphysicistswillonlycometofruitionifengineerscanactuallybuildsomething),let'slimitourselves to the technology we already have. Our Pioneer 10 spacecraft will reach the red giantAlderbaran(68lightyearsaway)inabout2millionyearsfromnow.Pioneer11willpassclosetooneofthestarsintheconstellationofAquilainaround4millionyears.Pioneer10andPioneer11carryplaqueswithmessagesforanyintelligentextraterrestrialswhomayonedayencounterthem.PartofthemessagesontheseplaquesusedbinarycodetogivethelocationofPlanetEarth.

TheVoyager1spacecraftisn'theadingforaparticularstar,butinaround40,000yearswillpasswithin1.6lightyearsofastarthatliessome17.6lightyearsfromEarth.TheVoyager2spacecraftisn'theadingforaparticularstareither,butwillpasswithinabout4lightyearsofSiriusinaround296,000years.BothVoyagercraftcarrymessagesforanyextraterrestrialswhomightfindthem.Thepointofallthisistoshowthat given enough time, our own technologywill reach the stars. In fact, hadVoyager 1 been pointedtowardsProximaCentauri,theneareststartousasidefromourownsun,thejourneywouldtakearound76,000 years. If this sounds so long a timescale as to render interstellar travel impractical, here's thepoint: the Universe is around 14 billion years old and some civilizations could have a head start ofmillions,orevenbillionsofyearsonus!Thisbeingthecase,evenifalientechnologyneverexceededthelevel of our own, the cosmos could be full of extraterrestrial probes similar to our own Pioneer orVoyager craft. This was the thrust of a scientific paper entitledOn the likelihood of non-terrestrialartifactsintheSolarSystem,byJacobHaqq-MisraandRaviKumarKopparapu,publishedin2011inthe International Academy of Astronautics journal Acta Astronautica. This isn't a one-off paper bymaverickscientists.Volume431,Number7004of theprestigiousscience journalNature, publishedonSeptember 2, 2004, contained two features on the same theme, titled Inscribed matter as an energy-efficientmeansofcommunicationwithanextraterrestrialcivilizationandAstrobiology:Messageinabottle.Thelatterbeganbystating:

"Extraterrestrialcivilizationsmayfind itmoreefficient tocommunicatebysendingmaterialobjectsacrossinterstellardistancesratherthanbeamsofelectromagneticradiation."

Noneofthematerialsetoutsofarinthischapterprovesthatwe'vebeenvisitedbyaliens,butitshowsthat interstellar travel is innowayincompatiblewith the lawsofphysics,andrequiresonlya leveloftechnologythatwealreadypossess.

It'sanoddpartofthestorythatwhiletheUFOcommunitymightseeBurroughsandPennistonasstandardbearers for their theories about alien visitation, the two keywitnesseswon't play ball. Indeed, in onesensePenniston is as cynical about aliens as he is about police cars, lighthouses, or burning trucksofmanure.InamirrorimageofmostUFOconspiracytheories,hetalksaboutalienvisitationnotintermsofwhatwasbeingcoveredup,butittermsofitbeingthecoverstory:

"WellitisasmuchasIwouldhaveguessed.WiththecoverstorygoingoutaboutUFOsandlightsinthesky,alienspacecraftbeingfixed,andalltheotherrubbish.ItwasjustanotherUFOstory,tobedisbelieved.So thedebunkersandpeople,whowerenot in the know,wentonabout suchnonsense.Simple as that it is. It is easy to see who was not in the know and who was, following thedisinformationthatwasputout.Evenpeoplewhohavetried towrite themselves into thestorywentwithpartsofthecoverstory.Amazing."

Burroughstootalksaboutaliensintermsofacoverstory:

"I believe the alien partwas planted by both governments at the beginning, to cover upwhatwas

reallygoingon;bothbypeoplewhoknewwhattheyweredoingandpeoplewhodidnot".

Pressed for a definitive view on the twin questions of the existence of extraterrestrial life and thepossibilityofalienvisitation,Pennistonsaysthis:

"Ibelievetheoddsarethattheuniverseisbrimmingwithlife.Ievenbelievetherecouldbelifewithself-awarenessintheuniverse.DoIbelievethatwearebeingvisitedbyextraterrestrials?No,Idonotseeanyevidenceofthat."

OtherDimensionsandParallelUniverses

Paralleluniversesandhiddendimensionsmaybesci-fistaples,butisthereanysubstancetosuchideas?Theanswer,surprisingly,isthatthereareplentyoftheoreticalphysicistswhotakesuchthingsseriously.Indeed, a particular branch of theoretical physics – string theory – actively requires that hiddendimensionsbeconsidered,inordertobeviable.

Weareusedtoperceivingthethreedimensions(length,widthanddepth)ofspaceandthefourthoftime.However,themathematicsofstringtheorysuggeststhatinadditiontothethreespatialdimensionsandthefourth dimension of time, there should be an additional six spatial dimensions.An extension of stringtheorycalledM-theorysuggeststhatthereareatotalof11,ormaybe26dimensions.Intriguingly,inthistheoreticalmodel,somedegreeofinteractionbetweenuniversesispermitted.

The likelihoodis thatwecannomoreperceiveofsuch things than the inhabitantsof thefictional two-dimensionalworldofFlatlandcanperceiveathirddimension.InFlatland,writtenin1884,thenarrator(a square, who lives alongside other shapes on the two-dimensional Flatland) is visited by a three-dimensionalentity,asphere.Hecannotconceiveofthetruenatureofthesphereuntilheseesthethree-dimensionalworldfromwhichithascome(Spaceland)forhimself.

Closelyalliedtotheideaofhiddendimensionsistheconceptofaparalleluniverse,multipleuniversesorevenan infinitenumberofparalleluniverses– sometimesdubbed themultiverse. In such theories,ouruniverseisjustoneofmanyuniverses:"onebubblefloatinginaseaofbubbles".

It'simportanttoaddthatatthetimeofwriting,theexistenceofanyextradimensions–whileanessentialpartofstringtheory–isunproven.ButwiththeoreticalphysicistssuchasMichioKakuspeakingoutonsuchmatters andwith scientists at the LargeHadronCollider (theworld's largest andmost powerfulparticleaccelerator)lookingseriouslyatsuchthings,weshouldatleastconsiderthepossibilitieshere.

Muchoftheliteraturerelatedtoparalleluniversesandhiddendimensionsishighlytechnical,speculative,or pseudoscientific. For that reason,we do not propose to delve further into this subject, but readerswantingashortprimerfromareputablesourceshouldreadtheessay"AreThereOtherDimensions?"ontheLargeHadronColliderwebsite.Indeed,it'stheLargeHadronColliderthatprovidesourbesthopeofdiscoveringtheexistenceofhiddendimensions.Butuntiltheexistenceofparalleluniversesandhiddendimensionsisproven,theoriesaboutsomethingfromsuchrealmsinteractingwithourownworld,e.g.inRendleshamForest,canonlybespeculation.

TimeTravel

Thefinalexotic theoryconsidered in thischapter is timetravel.Aswithparalleluniversesandhiddendimensions, what might at first sound like science fiction is taken rather more seriously by sometheoreticalphysiciststhanmanymightsuppose.

As we explained in the section on hidden dimensions, time is actually the fourth dimension. It isinextricablyboundwiththethree(or11,or26!)spatialdimensions,whichiswhyphysiciststendtousethe term "spacetime".Definitionsof timevary, but a goodwayof thinkingof it is that it's the "rateofchange"oftheuniverse.Thisreinforcestheinextricablelinkage,becausetimecannotexistwithoutspaceandviceversa.

Wearealltimetravelers.Thatistosay,allofusaremovingforwardintime.However,timedoesn'tflowataconstantrate;it'srelative.Thereareacoupleofreasonsforthis.Firstly,gravitypullsonspace,butbecausespaceandtimeareinextricablylinked,italsopullsontime.Thecloseraclockistoasourceofgravitation, the slower it runs (gravitational time dilation).Additionally, time passesmore slowly, thefasteryoutravel(relativevelocitytimedilation).ItwasAlbertEinsteinwhofirsttheorizedaboutthisinhis Theory of Relativity. Einstein's theories have since been verified by experiment, most famouslyinvolvingcomparisonsofatomicclocksatdifferentheightsandspeeds.Atomicclocksrunfasterathigheraltitude(becausethere'slessgravitationalpull)andrunslowerathighervelocities.Experimentally,thedifferencesweremeasuredinnanoseconds,butit'spossibletoenvisagesucheffectsbecomingprofoundlynoticeable.Thebestexampleofthisistheso-calledtwinparadox,whereonetwintakesaroundtriponafast-movingspaceship.SuchatwinwouldreturnyoungerthanthetwinwhohadremainedonEarth.

Ifweall travel forward in time (albeitatdifferent rates),canwe travelback in time?Firstofall, it'sworthmakingthepointthatwecanseeintothepast.Infact,wedosoallthetime.Thespeedoflight,inavacuum,isaround186,000milespersecond(or671millionmilesperhour!).Thismakesnodifferencein livingourday today lives,but isprofoundly importantandnoticeablewhen it comes toastronomy.Whenyoulookatthemoon,youareseeingitasitwasaround1.3secondsago,becausethat'showlongittakeslighttotravelfromthemoontotheEarth.Thelightfromthesuntakesalittleovereightminutestoreachus.Thelightfromtheneareststartousasidefromoursuntakesalittleoverfouryearstoreachus.Thedeeperintospaceweprobe,thefurtherbackintimewego.SomestarsinourowngalaxyaretensofthousandsoflightyearsawayandifyoulookatAndromeda(aneighboringgalaxy)youareseeingitasitexistedover twomillionyears ago!TheHubbleTelescope is able to seeobjects so far away that it'seffectivelylookingbillionsofyearsintothepast,seeingtheUniverseasitwasonlyashorttimeaftertheBigBang.Bizarreasitmaysoundatfirst,whatthismeansisthatmanyofthemostdistantstarsvisibletothe Hubble Space Telescope no longer exist. Some red giants will have exploded and becomesupernovae; other variable starswill have becomewhite dwarves.Hubble is a sort of timemachine,showingustheuniversenotasitis,butasitwas.

Isanyformofmorepracticaltimetravelpossible?There'sawealthofspeculativematerialoutthere,butmuchofitispseudoscienceand/orNewAgemumbo-jumbo.However,amongthenoise,theredoseemtobe a few signals worthy of further attention. Theoretical physicists have come up with a number ofsuggestions as to how time travel might be possible. These range from rotating black holes andwormholes, throughtocosmicstringsandfaster-than-lighttravel.Wedon'tproposetodelvetoodeeplyintoanyofthesetheorieshere,asit'sbeyondthescopeofthisbook.Theimportantpointhereissimplythatwhilethere'salotofsci-fiandpseudoscienceabouttimetravel,therearesometheoreticalphysicistswhogivecredencetotheideathatitmaybepossible.RonaldL.Mallettisonesuchindividual.Professorof Physics at theUniversity ofConnecticut,Mallett is actively researching time travel.On his facultywebsite he includes "time travel" on his list of "primary research interests" alongside (slightly)moreconventionaltopicssuchasblackholesandquantumcosmology.

SomescientistslookwithskepticismnotjustatresearchsuchasMallett's,butatthefieldoftheoreticalphysicsmoregenerally.Afterall,acentraltenetofscienceisthattheoriesmustbetestedandvalidatedby

experimentation.Moreover,theymustberepeatable.Anytheorythatfailsthesetestsmustbediscarded–thoughthevalidityofanexperimentthatappearstodisproveatheorycanitselfbechallenged.Butmuchof theoretical physics is – well – theoretical. Saying something like "We could test that by flying aspaceshipatnearlight-speedinthevicinityofablackhole"doesn'tcutitwithsomescientists,becauseitsimplycan'tbetested.Mallett,atleast,istryingtoaddresssuchconcernsandhis"Space-TimeTwistingbyLight"projectis,despitethetechnical-soundingname,aprojectaimedatconstructingatimemachine.

In a particularly fascinating twist, Dr.Mallett has speculated on the only practical way of sending amessagebackintime:usingbinarycode;tousebinarycodethroughtimeusingcircularpatternsoflighttotwist space-time, using light to manipulate time. The energy of the light beams will produce agravitationalfieldstrongenoughtodragaspinningneutronthroughtime.Dr.Mallettsays:

"Let's say I'll call the spinupaone (1)and I'll call a spindowna zero (0). So imagine sendingastreamofneutronswithspinup,spinup,spindown,spinup…whatdoyoucallthat?It'sbinarycode!SobyusingthespinofneutronsIcansendthebinarycodewhichcanbetranslatedintoamessage."

Dr Mallet believes that the first transmission of information to the past would be done via thetransmissionofbinarycode.Itwouldbegiventoareceiverinthepast.It'sinterestingthatbinarycodehasalreadycroppedupinrelationtothePioneer10andPioneer11spacecraft,astheconsensusseemstobethatthiswouldbealogicalwayforeitherextraterrestrialsortimetravelerstocommunicatewithus.

Canwecomeattheproblemtheotherwayaround?Inotherwords,insteadofaskingwhethertimetravelispossible,canwelookforevidenceofit?Thereare,inevitably,anumberofcasescitedontheinternet,purporting to show ‘outofplace' individualswhomightbe time travelers from the future.Perhaps thebest-knownexampleisaclipfroma1928filmaboutthepremiereoftheCharlieChaplinfilmTheCircus,inwhichawomanappears tobeusingacellphone. Inanotherexample, aman inwhatappears tobedesignersunglassesandamodernt-shirtisvisibleina1941photograph.Butinallsuchcases,eithertheprovenanceofthephotoorfilmisindoubt,ortheapparentanomalyisdisputed.Mypersonalfavoriteistheclassifiedadvertisementthatappearedina1997issueofBackwoodsHomeMagazine,whichread:

Wanted:Somebodytogobackintimewithme.Thisisnotajoke.P.O.Box322,Oakview,CA93022.You'llgetpaidafterwegetback.Mustbringyourownweapons.Safetynotguaranteed. Ihaveonlydonethisoncebefore.

Longsinceexposedashavingbeenajoke‘filler'writtenbyoneofthemagazine'sstaffers,JohnSilveira,theadvertisementbecameaninternetsensationandinspired–amongotherthings–a2012moviecomedyentitledSafetyNotGuaranteed.

TheapparentabsenceoftimetravelersfromthefuturevisitingusleadstoatemporalversionofFermi's"Whereare they?"paradox.Butaswith theFermiparadox, thereareseveralpossibleresponses to theapparent absence of time travelers among us. These include the fact that time travel may be strictlycontrolled and that any time travelers among uswill not interferewith events andwill disguise theirpresence.Thiswouldbenecessarytoavoidsuchthingsasthe"grandfatherparadox",whensomeonegoesbackintimeandkillstheirgrandfather,beforehehadmarried.Butiftheydidthis,theywouldneverhavebeenborn–sohowcould theygoback in time in thefirstplace?Ironically,apossiblesolution to thegrandfatherparadoxinvolvesparalleluniverses,butthismixingofspeculationsisaboutasfaraswecandelveintothissubjectwithoutgettingboggeddowninconceptsthatstartintheoreticalphysicsbutsoonendupasphilosophicaldebates.

None of the speculative discussion in this chapter has delivered a definitive explanation for the

Rendlesham Forest incident. But in relation to exotic theories about extraterrestrial visitation, inter-dimensional intrusion and time travel, it was important to at least ask the question "Are such thingspossible?"

ChapterEleven–TheStoryGetsOut

Forallourmodernobsessionwithopengovernmentand freedomof information,we sometimes forgetthatthereare(usually)goodreasonsforsecrecy.Examplesofsecrecyintheshadowyworldsofdefenseandintelligencemightincludeinformationaboutnuclearweaponsecurity,ortheidentityofaninformantinal-Qaeda.Thepotentialconsequencesofsuchinformationfallingintothehandsof thewrongpeopleareobviousandcatastrophic.

In 1980, when the Rendlesham Forest incident took place, military secrecy was very different whencomparedtothesituationtoday.WhiletheUSFreedomofInformationActwasenactedin1966andcameintoeffectonJuly5,1967,exemptionscoveringdefenseandnationalsecuritywerewiderthantheyaretoday. So far as the UKwas concerned, thematter was a complete non-issue. The UK's Freedom ofInformationActwasnotenacteduntil2000anditwasJanuary1,2005beforethefullprovisionscameintoforce.

BackintheEightiestheMoDwasaninherentlysecretiveorganization.Thedefaultpositionwastosaynothing,andonlyaveryfewpartsoftheorganizationinteractedwiththepublicorthemedia.Legislationsuchas thePublicRecordsActdidmakeprovisionfor thereleaseof information to theUK'sNationalArchives,buttheruleofthumbwasthatthemostrecentdocumentinafilewouldhavetobe30yearsoldbeforeafilecouldbereleased.Eventhen,therewasampleprovision,withparticularlysensitiveissues,toextendthisto50years,100years,orindeedtoensurethatfilesneversawthelightofdayatall.

Aside fromlegislation, the lackofseveral things thatwe take forgranted todaymade iteasier tokeepsecrets in1980 than is thecasenow.The internet (at least asweknow it)didn't exist andneitherdidsocialnetworkingsitessuchasFacebookorTwitter,orwhistle-blowersiteslikeWikiLeaks.Moreover,thecellphonewasyettobetheubiquitousitemthatitistoday.Peoplewerefarmoreinsularandwhenthe Rendlesham Forest incident occurred, the chain of command must have felt that the events wereunlikelytobecomepublicknowledge.Theywerewrong.

It'snotpossibletobecertainexactlyhowsoonknowledgeoftheRendleshamForestincidentfirstleakedout,but theseedsseemstohavebeensownonNewYear'sEve1980,meredaysafter theevent,byanindiscreetUSairmanwhohasbeengiventhepseudonym"SteveRoberts",butwhoseidentityisknowntous.RobertstoldaversionofthestorytoalocalmusiciancalledChrisPennington.Pennington'spartner,BrendaButler,hadalong-standinginterestinUFOsandtheparanormalandwassoononthecase.Norwas"SteveRoberts"theonlypersontalking.SeveralUSairmenwerediscussingtheincidentwithfriendsin the local community. Some of these people had been directly involved and others had not. Someaccountswererelayeddirectlyandotherswereoverheardconversations,whereonlya fewwordsandphraseswerecaught.Tofurtheraddtotheconfusion,anumberoflocalcivilianshadseenUFOstooandthesepeopleweretalking.Muchofthisinteractionwastakingplacesocially,inahandfuloflocalbarsfrequented by both off-duty military personnel and local civilians. Inevitably, tongues were at theirloosestwhenalcoholwasinvolvedandthenetresultofallthiswasthatadecidedlygarbledversion–orrather,versions–ofthestorybegantoleakouthereandthere,withanumberofdifferentpeoplehavingdifferentpiecesofthepuzzle.Justabouttheonlythingsthatwereclearwasthatsomethinghighlyunusualhadoccurred;thataUFOsightingwasattheheartofit;andthatnumerousmilitarypersonnelatthetwinbasesofBentwatersandWoodbridgehadbeeninvolved.

There were several independent sources for all this information. One of the most prolific was LarryWarren,ayoungairmanbasedatBentwaters/Woodbridge,whowasoneof the firstwhistleblowersonthiscaseandwas–intheearlyyears–giventhepseudonymofArtWallace.

LarryWarrenisoneofthemostcontroversialfiguresassociatedwiththeentireincident.Warrenhadonlyrecentlycompletedhistrainingandarrivedatthebaseonlyveryshortlybeforetheincidenttookplace.HeclaimsthatonthesamenightasHalt'sencounter,hewasorderedoffhisregularguardingdutiesandassignedtoamakeshiftgrouptaskedwithfuellingthelight-allsandtakingthemoutintotheforest.Warrenthen recalls that they dismounted the vehicle,made their way through the forest and emerged into thefarmer'sfield.There,hesaysthattherewasanilluminatedpatchofmistorfogthatseemedtopulsate,asif therewasan indistinctobjectofsomesortpresent.Warrensates that therewereperhapsasmanyasfortymeninthefield,someAmericanandsomeBritish.Atthispointhesaysthatheheardavoiceovertheradiosay"Here itcomes–here itcomes",atwhichpointasmall redballof lightcame inathighspeedfromthedirectionofthecoastandhoveredabovetheilluminatedareaofthefield.Theredballoflightthensilentlyexplodedwithaflashthatwassobright,ithurthiseyes.Whenhelookedagain,theballoflightandtheilluminatedareahaddisappearedandinitsplacewasastructuredcraft,perhaps30feetacrossand20 feethigh.Theobjectwas roughlypyramid-shaped,pearl-white incolorwith somebluelightson theunderside. Itwas translucentandWarren says thathe saw indistinct figures inside,whichappeared to be floating. Various personnel were taking photographs and filming the event, whichappearedtohavebeenexpected.Therewerevariousotherlightsintheskyandbeamsbeingfireddownattheground.

Warrengoesontoclaimthatatthispointaseniorofficer,possiblyHaltbutmorelikelyWilliams,steppedforwardandbegantospeaktothefigures,perhapsnormallyorpossiblytelepathically–hewasn'tcloseenoughtobesure.Detailsoftheallegedcommunicationaresketchy,butovertheyearsoneclaimthat'ssurfacedisthatthephrases"electronicsdivision"and"apartfromanotherworld"wereused,promptingUFObelieverstocomeupwiththeoriesrevolvingaroundadamagedalienspacecraftbeingrepairedbytheUSAF,presumablyaspartofsomealienliaisonprogram(whichisactuallyquiteacommonbeliefintheUFOcommunity).

Warrenclaims that somemenhad fled inpanicby thenand thatothers–himself included–were thenordered to leave thescene.Hesays that lateronhewassubjected toapost-incidentdebriefingduringwhichwitnesseswerecheckedwithaGeigercounter,shownfilmsofUFOsand told that therewasanalienpresenceonEarth, ofwhich thegovernmentwaswell aware.The assembledairmenweregivenwatered down statements of the event to sign and the two briefers implied there would be adverseconsequences ifanyof thewitnessesdiscussedwhat they'dseen.Warrenapparentlyaskedwhatwouldhappen."Bulletsarecheap",onemanreplied."Yeah,they'readimeadozen",hiscolleaguechippedin.

Inlateryears,Warrenwastoclaimthathehadbeensnatchedbysinister‘MeninBlack'typeindividuals,takentoamassiveundergroundfacilitybelowtheBentwatersfacilityandinterrogated.

What are we to make of all this? In some respects, Warren's story contains elements that we haveencounteredintheaccountsofotherwitnesses.Butmanypartsofthestory,includingtheUFOinthefield,communicationwith aliens and the underground facility, are unique toWarren's account. In evidentialterms, Warren's story is problematic for several reasons. Most importantly, none of the other keywitnessesrecallseeinghimatanystageduringthevariousencounters.Conversely,justaboutalltheotherwitnessesareable topoint toone, twoormorepeoplewhowerewith themat the time,sothat there'scorroboration:BurroughsencounteredtheUFOwithPenniston;HaltencounteredtheUFOwithEnglund,etc.Another problem is that there's nowitness statement fromWarren and neither do any of the otherwitness statements mention him. Additionally,Warren's story has changedmany times over the years.Thesepoints alonewouldnotbe showstoppers (we've seen that severalkeyplayerswrotenowitnessstatementsandtherehavecertainlybeensomediscrepanciesinotherwitnesses'accounts)andonewould

expectrecollectionsandopinionstochangeandevolveoverthirtyyears,butWarren'sstoryhaschangedmore thanmost.Thekeyproblem, though, is the firstone.Warren's story isessentiallya ‘stand-alone',whereastheaccountsofeveryoneelsemeshtogethertocreateabiggerpicture.

Atfirst,HaltandotherssuggestedthatWarrenhadnotevenbeenpostedtoBentwaters/Woodbridgeatthetimeoftheincident,butthiswasnotcorrectanddocumentaryevidenceshowsthatWarrenhadarrivedonor around December 11, 1980. However, even by Warren's own admission, parts of his story wereapparentlynothis,buttheexperiencesofanotherwitness–SergeantAdrianBustinza–whodidnotwishtogopublicatthetime,butwhoenlistedWarren'shelptogethisstoryout.

It'sperfectlypossiblethatWarrenisentirelysincereinhisrecollections.Hehas,byhisownadmission,undergoneregressionhypnosisinanattempttoprobehismemories.Butthere'sstrongevidencetosuggestthatfarfromhelpingtorecoverlostmemories, thistechniquecanimplantfalseones.AndbearinmindHalt's statement that "Drugs such as sodiumpentothal, often called a "truth serum"when usedwithsomeformofbrainwashingorhypnosis,wereadministeredduringtheseinterrogations,andthewholething has had damaging, and lasting, effects on themen involved".Now,Haltwas discussing "fiveyoung airmen"who he doesn't name butwho are clearly the fivewhose statements are reproduced inchapter7, i.e.Buran,Penniston,Burroughs,ChandlerandCabansag.However, ifsomewitnesseswereinterrogatedinthisway,canwereallysaythatWarren'sstoryisthatoutrageous?Itwouldbeeasytofallback on the "You can't prove a negative" defense, though Sagan's "extraordinary claims requireextraordinary evidence" view is arguably applicable here. Alternatively, we can fall back on theassessment used by intelligence analysts the world over, when confronted with an intriguing butuncorroboratedpieceofintelligence:"interesting,iftrue".

WhateverthescopeofWarren'sinvolvement,mostofthewitnessesacknowledgethathewasoneoftheinitialwhistleblowers–maybeeventhefirstone–andthathewasthereforeresponsibleforgettingthestoryoutbeforetheotherwitnessescoulddoso,duetotheiractivedutystatusintheUSAF.Mostoftheotherkeywitnessescouldonlydiscusstheeventsopenlyaftertheirretirementintheearly1990s,whereasby1983,WarrenhadlefttheUSAF.

We previously mentioned another whistleblower, ‘Steve Roberts', (another pseudonym), who wasactuallythefirsttogopublicinandaroundthepubsinthearea.AccordingtoPenniston,Burroughsandotherkeywitnesses,‘SteveRoberts'wasactuallyaSergeantnamedJ.D.Ingalls,whoworkedinthe81stSecurityPoliceSquadron,Reports andAnalysisSectionwithinSecurityPoliceAdministrationbranch.ThesectionthatheworkedinhadaccesstoallLawEnforcementandSecurityPoliceblotters,statements,incidentandcomplaint reports.HealsoknewPenniston(whoassumeddutiesasNCOIC,81stSecurityPolicePlansandProgramsinFebruary1981)quitewell,ashisofficewasonlyahundredfeetfromtheReportsandAnalysisoffice.PennistonrecallsthatIngallswasalwaystryingtopumphimforinformationandopenlyadmittedhehad read theblottersand incident reports rightafter theywerepulled from theCentralSecurityControlandtheLawEnforcementDesk.

Anadditionalwhistleblowerwas‘DavidPotts'(yetanotherpseudonym).‘DavidPotts'wasaUKradaroperatorbasedatRAFWatton,whospoketoseveralUFOresearchersandstated thatan"uncorrelatedtarget"hadbeentrackedoverBentwaters/WoodbridgeatsometimeinthelastweekofDecember1980.He went on to say that shortly afterwards, a group of US military officials visited the radar base,confirmedsomebasicdetailsoftheUFOencounterandaskedtoseetheradarreports.Thereisastrongsuggestionthatsomeradartapesand/ordocumentationwerethenremovedandreaderswillrecallfromchapter8thattheMoDandRAFdocumentsstatethatthecamerasandfilmswerefaultyonthenight(s)isquestionandthatnodataexists.

Into all of this confusion stepped a small but dedicated group of individuals who would describethemselves either as ufologists or as paranormal investigators. Such people are often regarded aseccentrics,andwhiletheUFOcommunitycertainlyhasmorethanitsfairshareofcrackpots,charlatansand cultists, there are some highly intelligent, diligent and level-headed characters involved too. Anumber of such people – Paul Begg, Bob Easton, HarryHarris, IanMrzyglod, NormanOliver, JennyRandles,MikeSacks,PeterWarringtonandothers–playedapartinallthis,butitwasBrendaButlerandher research partnerDot Streetwhowere to domost of the legwork in trying to piece togetherwhathappened.Many of these people were either members of, or closely involved with, the British UFOResearchAssociation(BUFORA).Formed in1962,BUFORAdescribes itselfasoneof theoldestandconsistently active UFO research and investigation groups in the world. In October 1981 BUFORAdiscussed thecaseatoneof their regularmeetings.As it transpired, themost important thingabout themeetingwasn'tthediscussionitself,butthefactthatDotStreetmetJennyRandles,whohadrecentlybeenappointedatBUFORA'sDirectorofInvestigations.Fromthispointonwards,JennyRandleswouldworkmorecloselywithBrendaButlerandDotStreetonpiecingtogetherwhathappened.

Forallofthis,therewerefewtangibleresults.JennyRandlespulledtogetherthevariousdisparatepiecesofinformationandwroteupanaccountofthecasewhichwascirculatedtothe40orsoreadersofaUFOnewsletter. This article was subsequently published in the magazineFlying Saucer Review, in 1982,whereitreachedaslightlylargeraudience.Anotherarticle(summarizingthecollaborativeresearchesofaparanormalresearchgroupcalledProbeandagroupcalledtheSwindonCenterforUFOResearchandInvestigation)appearedinasmallpublicationcalledProbeReport.Butthiswassmall-scalestuff–thesesorts of newsletters and magazines only reached a very specialist audience and weren't available onnewsstands. A more significant piece of publicity came in March 1983 whenOmni (a now-defunctmagazinethatcarriedfeaturesandnewsitemsonscience,sci-fiandtheparanormal)printedanaccountofthestory.Butallofthesestorieswereamixtureoffactandfiction,andwhiletheOmnistorycontainedaquoteabouttheincidentfromtheBaseCommander,ColonelTedConrad,therewerenodocumentsthatwouldsupportthestory.Everythingrestedonanonymous(orpseudonymous)hearsay.

ThepersistenceofBrendaButlerandDotStreetwasbeginningtocausesomeconcernintheMoD.OnOctober25,1982,SquadronLeaderDonaldMoreland(whohadspokentoCharlesHaltintheimmediateaftermath of the 1980 sightings andwho advisedHalt towrite up a report for theMoD)wrote to theMoD'sUFOprojectasfollows:

1. Under cover of reference A I forwarded you a copy of the Deputy Base Commander's reportconcerning some unexplained lights and sighting on 27/29 December 1980. Some time after theincident I was approached by two women who claimed to be UFO investigators, but I refused toconfirmordenytheirclaims.AweekagoIwastelephonedfromNewYorkbyaMrEricMisharafromOmniMagazine.HeclaimedhewasseriousUFOinvestigatorandwantedtowriteanobjectivearticleabouttheincident.Itoldhimthatwhoeverwrotethearticlehedescribedtomemusthavehadavividimagination.

2.Ihavenowmanagedtoobtainacopyofthearticleandencloseacopyforyourinformation.Themagazineiscalled''TheUnexplained''publishedweeklyby:

ORBISPublishingLtdOrbisHouse20/22BedfordburyLondonWC2N4BT

ThearticlewasinVolume9IssueNo106.

3. I now anticipate a flood of enquiries and would be grateful for some guidance onMOD policyconcerningUFO's.

ThearticleinTheUnexplainedhadbeenwrittenbyJennyRandles.

PeterWatkins at theMoD responded toMoreland onNovember 9, 1982.He started out by providingsomegeneral‘linestotake'ontheMoD'sUFOpolicy,asMorelandhadrequested.Hewentontoprovideaspecific line to takeonRendlesham,stating that theywereawareofa reportbut that ithadnotbeenjudged to be of "defense interest". Butwhat clearly alarmed PeterWatkinsmostwas the fact that thearticleinTheUnexplainedhadmentionedthepossibility that theeventshadbeenacover-storyfor thecrash of an aircraft carrying nuclearmaterial.Watkins referredMoreland to previous denials that hadbeengivenintheUKParliament,bothinrelationtothegeneralissueofnuclearweaponsaccidentsonUKsoilandinrelationtothespecificcaseofthe1956accidentatLakenheath,mentionedinchapter9.

JennyRandles,too,waspressuringtheMoD.Inoneletter,datedFebruary28,1983,shesetoutherownimaginativeviewoftheRendleshamForestincident:

"I would add that the story behind these events indicates that there was contact between militarysourcesandanotherintelligence(whichisnotalienspaceshipsinthenutsandboltssense)butwhichisanindigenousintelligencetoplanetearthwhichinfactiswaybeyondusintermsofmostcapacitiesandthereforerepresenttherealrulersofourworld."

ButshehadalsoaskedforacopyofanyreportontheincidentheldonfileandwhiletheUKdidnotyethaveaFreedomofInformationAct,andwhilegovernmentfilesonanysubjectwerenormallyclosedfor30 years,MoDofficials correctly surmised that pressurewas growing. PamTitchmarsh fromDefenseSecretariat8(thesectioninwhichtheUFOprojectwasembeddedatthetime)wrotetotheSeniorRAFLiaisonOfficer(SRAFLO)atHQThirdAirForce,RAFMildenhall.Inherletter,datedMay13,1983,shewrote:

"Youwillsee thatshe[JennyRandles]hasnowwrittenagainseeking further informationabout theincidentandinparticularhasrequestedacopyofthereportheldonourfiles.TheonlyreportwehaveisthatpreparedbyLtColHalt theDeputyBaseCommanderatRAFWoodbridgeandIamthereforewritingtoaskyoutoseektheviewsofUSAFtothedisclosureofthatreportorasanitizedversionofit.IftheUSAFwouldonlybepreparedtoallowreleaseofasanitizedversionitwouldbehelpfultoknowwhichpartstheywouldwishmetodelete.Inaddition,IwouldbegratefultoknowwhethertheUSAFwouldbewillingformetosaythattheydidinvestigatetheincident."

It'seasytoseehowconspiracytheoristswouldinterprettalkofsanitizedversionsofreportsanddeletionof text, especially givenwhat happened in the case of the fiveUSAFwitness statements fromBuran,Chandler,Penniston,BurroughsandCabansag.

PamTitchmarshandtheSRAFLOdiscussedthisonthetelephoneonMay17,buttheprecisedetailsofthisconversationareunknown.Nonoteofthisconversationwaskept,thoughitisreferredtoinaMay18letterfromtheSRAFLO,WingCommanderJ.R.Davies,toPamTitchmarsh:

1.Thank you for your letter atReferenceAand enclosures. I said in the telephone conversationatReferenceBthatitwillbesomelittletimebeforewecangetadecisiononthereleaseofthereportbyLtColHalt. In fact, thedecision toallow thereleasemayhave tocome fromSecretaryofState for

Defense's office, particularly if any security or intelligence implications are read into the reportedsighting.

2.Iwillletyouknowofdevelopmentsastheyoccur.

Wecannotoverstatetheimportanceofthisbriefstatement.It'satellingindicationofwhatwasgoingonbehind thescenes, thatexchangesof lettersbetweenmiddle-rankingcivilservantsandmilitaryofficerssuddenlywarrantanescalationtotheSecretaryofStateforDefense!

Infact,developmentswereoccurringrapidlyandthestormwasabouttobreak.

Forall theeffortsofBritishufologists, thekeybreakthroughcameasaresultofAmericanresearchers.Several of the people who played a key part in bringing the Rendlesham Forest incident out of theshadows were US researchers Ray Boeche, Scott Colborn, Lucius Farish, Larry Fawcett, BarryGreenwoodandRobertTodd.Fawcett,GreenwoodandToddwereallmembersofanorganizationcalledCitizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS). US researchers had an advantage over their UK oppositenumberswhen it came to their research and investigations - and specifically, their interactionwith thegovernmentandthemilitary.ItwastheFreedomofInformationAct.

Onthebasisofthebitsandpiecesofinformationthatwerealreadyinthepublicdomain,CAUShadmadeanumberof carefullywordedFreedomof InformationAct requests relating to the case.Unlike askingopenquestions(whichthey'dalsotried,butwhich–aswiththeUKresearchers'experience–tendedtomeetwithblanketdenials),suchrequestsalsocovereddocuments.Therewasnotmuchofapapertrail,butwhatdidexist,ofcourse,wasCharlesHalt'sone-pagereporttotheMoD.

Halt,aswesawinchapter8,hadbeenordered to liaisewithRAFCommanderDonaldMorelandandsendareportoftheeventstotheUKMoD.Thoughworriedthatsuchareportwouldeffectivelyendhiscareer, hewas beginning to think that he had heard the last of thematter. The probing of people likeButler,RandlesandStreethadbeenanuisance,buthehaddealtwiththisinapolitebuteffectivemanner,givingthemlittletogoon.TheCAUSFOIrequestsweretochangeallthis.

TheinitialCAUSFOIrequestsfailed.AresponsesenttothemonApril23,1983,byColonelHenryJ.CochranatBentwatersreadasfollows:

"Referenceyour letterdatedApril14,1983, requesting informationaboutunknownaircraftactivitynear RAF Bentwaters. There was allegedly some strange activity near RAF Bentwaters at theapproximate time in question but not on land underU. S. Air Force jurisdiction and, therefore, noofficialinvestigationwasconductedbythe81stTacticalFighterWing.Thus,therecordsyourequestdonotexist."

This responsewas inaccurate, in that an official investigationhad taken place (two, if one counts theUSAFandMoDinvestigationsasseparate)andrecordsdidexist.

CAUS tried again onMay 7, but this time sent their request to theHeadquarters of the 513th CombatSupport Group – a unit that provided document management support services to 3rd Air Force, RAFMildenhall.

HaltrecallsreceivingacallfromColonelPeterBentatHQ513thCSG,informinghimthatasaresultoftheFOIrequest,theyhadlocatedacopyofhismemoandweregoingtohavetoreleaseit.Bent(whowasafriendofHalt's)wasforewarningHalt,bothoutoffriendshipandprofessionalcourtesy.

Ironically,theUSauthoritieshadinitiallybeenunabletolocateacopyofHalt'smemointheirownfilesand it was Wing Commander Davies, the SRAFLO at HQ 3rd Air Force, who provided the copy,followinghisearlierdiscussionswithPamTitchmarshattheMoD.

HaltrecallsaskingBentto"burnit",sayingthathislifewouldneverbethesameagain.Bentdidn'tburnit,butHalt'spredictionturnedouttobecorrect.

On June 14, 1983Bent responded to the FOI request in a letter toRobert Todd ofCAUS. The lettercontainedthefollowingphrase:

"ItmightinterestyoutoknowthattheU.S.AirForcehadnolongerretainedacopyoftheJanuary13,1981letterwrittenbyLt.Col.CharlesI.Halt.TheAirForcefilecopyhadbeenproperlydisposedofinaccordance with Air Force Regulations. Fortunately – through diligent inquiry and the graciousconsentofHerMajesty'sgovernment,theBritishMinistryofDefense,andtheRoyalAirForce,theU.S.AirForcehasprovidedacopyforyou."

The catwas out of the bag.There had certainly been a rather fortunate (or unfortunate, for some) andconvoluted chain of circumstances: US service personnel had leaked information to British UFOresearchers.ThisgaveAmericanUFOresearchersenoughofaleadtosubmitasufficientlywell-targetedFOIrequest.TheUSauthoritiescouldn'tlocateacopyofHalt'smemo,butacquiredonefromtheBritish.

NowtheUFOresearchershadacopyofHalt'smemo,itwasmucheasiertointerestthemainstreammediainthestory,asithadsuddenlybeenelevatedfromhearsaytoanofficially-confirmedaccount.Itwasonlyamatteroftimebeforethestorybroke.

TheCAUSteamthathadacquired theHaltmemothought itonlyfair that theypassacopy to theirUKcounterparts, on the basis that it was their initial legwork that led to the acquisition of sufficientinformation for CAUS to craft their FOI request. Despite the rivalries that exist within the UFOcommunity, therecanbeacertaincamaraderie too,and theCAUSteamwasdetermined todo therightthing.However,oncetheHaltmemohadbeenacquired,therewasnorealsenseofwherenexttotaketheinvestigation.TheCAUSteamand thevariousUKresearchershadnorealstrategicvisionorplanandinevitablythisledtopeoplegoingtheirownway.

BurroughsandPennistonhavemixedviewsaboutufologists.Whileadmiringthededicationandtenacityofsomeoftheindividualresearcherswhoworkedsohardtouncoverdocumentsontheincident,theyaremorecriticaloftheUFOcommunityasawhole.Pennistonputsitthisway,indescribingtheirconclusion-ledwishfulthinking:

"Ibelieve that ingeneral, theUFOcommunityasawholewantsanswers. Ialsobelieve thereareasignificantportionofthemwhodealinwishfulthinking.TheyaretheoneswhocantakeapictureofacloudandcallitanUFO,ortheoneswhoseelightsintheskyandthefirstwordsoutoftheirmouthsarethatitisaUFO(ET/Alien),wheninactualityaninformedobservercouldeasilyidentifyit.TheirUFO is an observation of one of the following type of possibilities: a manmade object, astar/planetarybody,orothernaturaloccurringphenomena-allcompletelyidentifiablebyatrainedobserver.Buttheirneedtonotbealone[intheuniverse]seemstooverwhelmtheirownjudgment."

At thispoint, severalmembersof theUKteam(or loosealliance,as itmightbemoreaccurate tosay)sold thestory to thepress.This irrevocablysplit theUS/UK‘alliance'ofUFOresearchersand indeedcausedcontroversyandbitternessamongtheUKresearchers(andthewiderUFOcommunity)thatlingerstothisday.TherearedebatesanddisputesaboutwhetheroneoftheUKresearcherscontactedthemedia

orwhether themediahadbecomeawareof the storyand reachedout to theUFOcommunity;disputesoverhowmuchwaspaid;disputesoverwhichresearchersreceivedpayment(andhowthemoneywasdivided)andwhichdidn't;andevenadisputeoverwhethertheHaltmemowassold,orwhetherthestorywassoldandtheHaltmemowasfreelygivenaspartofthisstory.Whilethefactsareknowntous,they'renotreallyrelevanthere.Whatreallymattersiswhogotthestory.ThepaperconcernedwastheNewsoftheWorld.

TheNewsofTheWorldwasapopularUK tabloid that cameoutonSundays. ItwasownedbymediamogulRupertMurdoch and famously closed in 2011, following a notorious phone hacking scandal. In1983itwastheUK'sbest-sellingSundaypaper.Itcertainlyhaditscritics–itwasnicknamed"NewsoftheScrews"or"ScrewsoftheWorld",duetothenumberofsexscandalstoriesitpublished.Thatsaid,itactually broke some major stories, exposed corruption, fronted several high-profile public interestcampaigns(e.g.a2000anti-pedophilecampaignthatledtothepublicgainingaccesstodataontheSexOffendersRegister – ‘Sarah'sLaw') andwon theBritish PressAward's prestigiousNewspaper of theYearawardin2005.

The journalistwhobroke the storywas veteran reporterKeithBeabey.Beabeyhad spoken to variousmembersoftheUKteam,butwasdesperatetospeaktowitnesses,notufologists.Likethegoodjournalistheis,hehoundedHaltresolutely,

ThestorywaspublishedonOctober21983.TheNewsoftheWorldeditortookthedecisiontomakethestory themain story on the front page – one of perhaps only two or three occasions onwhich a UKnational newspaper had made a UFO story their main, front-page headline. "UFO Lands in Suffolk"screamedthemainheadline."Andthat'sOFFICIAL"ranasmallerheadline,underneath.Atthetopofthepagewerethreenewsybulletpointsthatread"Colonel'stopsecretreporttellsthefacts","Mysterycraftinexplodingwallofcolor"and"Animalsfleefromstrangeglowingobject".Thebestwaytocharacterizethestoryistosaythatpartsofitweretrueandpartswerenot.ThepartsbasedontheHaltmemoweregenerallypretty factual, butby focusingon someof themore sensationalist claims, the accountveeredfromfactintofiction.

The chain of command seemed totally unsighted. There's no evidence to suggest that senior USAFcommandersknewthestorywasabout togopublic, letalone tookanyaction to forewarnanyof thoseinvolvedwhatwasabouttohappen.Thewitnessesthemselvescertainlyhadnoadvancewarningofanyofthisandwerefarfrompleased.Burroughsdescribeshisfeelingsthus:

"Iwasnothappythatthestorygotout.ItwassomethingIdidnotunderstandandwasnotpreparedtodealwith." In themedia, therearefewprizesforsecondplace.Competitionovermajorstoriescanbebrutalandwhenonepaper‘scoops'everyoneelsebybreakingabigstory,thosewholostoutonthestoryeitherquicklyjumponthebandwagon,ortrashthestory.Thepaperthatfirstgetsthescoopcanfightback,butifit'saSundaypaper,thisismuchlesslikely,becausethedailynewspapershavesixwholedaysinwhichtorunstories,whileaSundaypapersuchastheNewsoftheWorldcomesoutjustonceaweek.Soifthemediatrashtheirstoryintheearlypartoftheweekfollowingpublication,theywon'thaveachanceto respond for several days, by which time the whole story will be looking rather dated: "Today'snewspaperistomorrow'sfishandchippaper",astheoldUKsayinggoes.

And that's preciselywhat happened.A couple of Sunday papers actually got sufficientwarning of theNewsoftheWorldstorytostopthepressesandslipintheirownaccountofeventsonthesameday.Butforthemostpart,itwasthenationaldailypapersthatpickeduptheballandranwithit.Intheirattemptstogetanewangleonthis,journalistscontactedtheForestryCommissionandsentreporterstotheareato

knockondoorsandstoppeopleinthestreets.Andthat'showthemediafoundVinceThurkettle.Aswesawinchapter9, localforesterVinceThurkettlewas theoriginalproponentof the theory that theUFOsightingresultedfrommisidentificationoftheOrfordNesslighthouse.Althoughhiscurrentpositionisthatthelighthousemighthaveplayedapartineventsbutcouldn'tpossiblyexplaineventswhichlastedseveralhoursandspannedtwonights,thelighthousetheorywasseizeduponbysomeofthemediawhohadlostout to the News of the World on breaking the story. Much of the ‘anti-UFO, pro-lighthouse' mediacoverage thatwas published theweek after theNews of theWorld storymay be attributable to ‘sourgrapes'onthepartofnewspaperswhowerescooped,butcouldtherehavebeensomethingelseatplay?

OneclueisthefactthattheMoDwassotight-lipped.WhiletheDefensePressOfficereceivednumerousqueriesfollowingpublicationoftheoriginalstory,theyatfirstdeniedevenhavingacopyofHalt'sreport,wheninfact, itwastheMoDthathadprovidedthecopysenttothenewspaper!Whilethismaysimplyhavebeenacaseofthelefthandnotknowingwhattherighthandwasdoing(amorecommonproblemingovernmentthanthepublicmightsuppose),ithadtheeffectofpreventinganyawkwardquestionsbeingaskedanddrovethemediatofocusontheonlyotherplacetheyhadtogo:alocalmanwhosespeculationabout the lighthouse became – in some people's minds – a certainty. Was the MoD's evasivenessdeliberate,oranattempttodirectthemediainaparticulardirection?

It'sworth lookingindetailat theMoDresponse.OnOctober3, theMondayafter thestorybroke,PamTitchmarsh from the MoD's UFO project wrote an assessment of the News of the World story. Therelevantpartsreadasfollows:

"TheNewsoftheWorldstoryappearstobeonefabricationafteranother.Lt.Col.HalthasnotspokentoanyonefromtheNewsoftheWorld…theallegedinterviewwithSqn.Ldr.DonaldMorelandisalsoafabrication.Hestatedthat"tothebestofmyknowledgeLt.Col.Haltisaverygenuinepersonbutgavenodetailsofanyconversationhehadhadwithhaltnordidhesay"whateveritwas,itwasableto perform feats in the air which no known aircraft is capable of doing"…The unfortunate pointabout thearticle is thatMoDrefused tocommenton thegrounds that itwasamatter for theUSAFwhileUSAFweresayingitwasamatterforMoD"

Itwasn'tuntilOctober6 that theMoD'sUFOprojectsent theDefensePressOfficeanyformal,writtenguidance.Thisconsistedofabriefstatementandsome"defensivelinestotake",i.e.responsestospecificquestions,whichcouldbeusedifthosequestionswereeverasked,butwhichwerenottobevolunteered.Thestatementreadasfollows:

IcanconfirmthattheMinistryofDefensedidreceiveareportfrombasepersonnelofaUFOsightingnearRAFWoodbridgeon27December1980(ThiswasthereportpublishedbytheNewsoftheWorldon2October1983).Thereportwasdealtwithinaccordancewithnormalproceduresi.e.itwaspassedtostaffconcernedwithairdefensematterswhoexaminesuchreportstosatisfythemselvesthatthereare no defense implications. In this instanceMoDwas satisfied that there was nothing of defenseinterestintheallegedsightings.Therewasnoquestionofanycontactwith"alienbeings".

This is either extraordinarily inept, or a clever sleight of hand. The very first statement iswrong andrepeats the incorrect date given in Halt's memo. The reference to "staff concerned with air defensematters"isareferencetoRAFradarexpertswhoareroutinelyconsultedonallUFOinvestigations,butthe"nodefenseimplications"assessmentisweaktosaytheleast.There'snomentionatalloftheDefenseIntelligence Staff and their assessment that the radiation readings were "significantly higher than theaveragebackground".ThisisbecausetheinvolvementoftheDISinUFOresearchandinvestigationshadnotyetbeenpubliclyacknowledged,butitalsoallowedtheMoDtoignoreaddressingtheradiationissue

altogether.

ThedefensiveQ&Amaterialwasevenmoreilluminating.

Q1.DidtheUSauthoritiesinvestigatetheincident?

A1.No.OncethereporthadbeensenttotheMinistryofDefensetheUSauthoritiescarriedoutnofurther investigations. [Investigations ofUFO reports in theUKare carried out by theMinistry ofDefense;theUSAFhasnoresponsibilityinsuchmatters].

Thefirststatement("No")isdemonstrablyfalse,asevidencedbythevariouspost-incidentdebriefsand–even if the precise circumstances of these are unclear – the five witness statements given by Buran,Chandler, Penniston, Burroughs and Cabansag. The second part is possibly true, but disingenuous, asaroundthreeweekshadelapsedbeforetheUSauthoritiesformallynotifiedtheMoD.

Q2.WasColHalttoldtostayquiet?

A2.No.LtColHalthasnotbeentoldtokeepquietabouttheincidentnorhashebeeninformedthathiscareercouldbeinjeopardy.

Thisseemstobetrue.WhileHaltwasnoteagertodiscussanyofthiswiththemediaorthepublic(andindeedwenttosomelengthstotrytopreventthestorygettingout),there'snoevidencethathewastoldtokeepquiet.Similarly,whileHaltbelievedthathiscareerwouldbeinjeopardyshouldthestorybemadepublic,there'snoevidencetosuggesthewasevertoldthis.Itwassimplyhispersonalview,whichturnedoutnottobecorrect.

Q3.Wastheobjecttrackedonradar?

A3.No.Nounidentifiedobjectwasseenonanyradarrecordingsduringtheperiodinquestion.

Thiswasnotcorrect.

It'snotclearifthevariousfalse,partiallyfalseormisleadingstatementsweremadebecausethepeoplecompilingthematerialweren't fullybriefed,whether itwas theconsequenceofadeliberatestrategytoputthemediaoffthescent,orwhetheritwasduetosomecombinationofthesetwofactors.

In the final analysis, the long-running game of cat and mouse between the UFO community and thegovernmenthadreacheditsclimax.Butwhohadwon?TheUFOcommunityundoubtedlythoughttheyhad.Afterall,inthefaceofrepeateddenialandobfuscation,ufologistshadnotonlyobtainedtheHaltmemo,butgotoneoftheUK'sbest-sellingnationalnewspaperstorunthestoryonthefrontpage.Itseemedtomanyasifafamousvictoryhadbeenachievedandthattheyhad‘gottenoneover'onthepeoplewho–asmany more conspiratorially-minded ufologists believed – knew all about UFOs and were activelycoveringitup.Onthesurface,itdidindeedseemasiftheUFOcommunityhadwonthisround.

Therealityissomewhatdifferent.There'snodoubtthattheUSandtheUKgovernmentstriedtostopthisstory comingout. It's self-evident that theymade it extremely difficult for theUFOcommunity. It's notclearifliesweredeliberatelytold,becausedenialsthattheincidenthadtakenplaceorthatapapertrailexistedmayhavebeengiveningoodfaith,bypeoplenotbriefedontheseevents.Butat theveryleast,they had dissembled. However, once the Halt memo had been released to CAUS, the British andAmerican authorities must have realized that it was only a matter of time before the story hit themainstreampress.After all, some aspects of the story had already been published in small, specialistUFOandparanormalmagazinesandnewsletters.Accordingly,theymusthavebeendelightedthatitwasa

tabloidthatbrokethestory,asopposedtoabroadsheet.Theymustalsohavebeenpleasedthatthestorygaveweight to someof themore sensational (and false) claims, at theexpenseofprobingpartsof thestorywheretheauthoritieswerevulnerable–particularlyinrelationtotheradiationlevelsrecordedatthelandingsite.Finally,theauthoritiesmusthavebeenexceptionallypleasedthat–perhapsasaresultofthe bitterness that comes from having lost out on a major story – the rest of the media gave suchprominencetoskepticaltheoriesabouttheevents.

The MoD would have regarded this outcome as the best they could have expected, given thecircumstances.TheproblemfortheUFOcommunitywasthattheyhaveaverylimitedunderstandingofthemediaandtendtoregardanypublicityasgoodpublicity.Butwhiletheygotthestoryout,itwas‘spun'insuchawayastobeatbestsensationalist,andatworst,ridiculous.Andwithin24hoursthesecondarymedia coveragewas such that the agenda had subtly shifted. There were certainly some obvious andpotentiallyawkwardquestionstoask:"Howdotheradiationlevelsrecordedatthelandingsitecompareto background level?", "What radar data exist for the nights in question?" or "What other officialdocumentsexist?"Worsestill,themediamighthavediscoveredthatHalt'smemogavethewrongdates,makingtheUSmilitarylookeitherincompetentordisingenuous.Critically,theymighthavehighlightedthefact that the senior US officer in Europe, General Gabriel, had removed evidence back to his HQ inEurope without even informing the UK authorities that this evidence even existed. Similarly, againhighlighting something that could have driven a wedge between the US and the UK, they might havediscoveredthattheDIShadassessedtheradiationlevelsasbeing"significantlyhigherthanbackground",buthadfailedtopassthisall-importantassessmentbacktotheUSauthorities,inasituationwhereseveralpersonnelhadspentconsiderabletimeatthelandingsite.Butnoneofthishappened.Theonlyquestionsthat lingered were "Did all these highly-trained US military personnel manage to misidentify alighthouse?" and the (unstated) followup: "Are these guys nuts?" – for the government, itwas indeedvictoryfromthejawsofdefeat.Thequestionthatthenarisesisthis:weretheauthoritiessimplylucky?Didaseriesofeventsunfoldthatresultedinthispotentialtickingtimebombbecomingadampsquib?Orwasittheresultofacarefullythoughtoutmedia-handlingplan?

ChapterTwelve–RendleshamRumors

InthelastchapterwesawhowthereleaseofCharlesHalt'smemoandthesubsequentpublicationofthestory(oraversionofit)endednearlythreeyearsofsecrecyandrumor.Atfirst,itseemedasiftheUFOcommunityhadwonafamousvictory.Butperhapsbyaccidentorperhapsbydesign,thetruthwasverydifferent. The story that had actually been published was a mixture of fact and fiction. Some of thewitnesseswhohadspokenoutweretherealdeal,whileotherswerewannabes.Thislattercategoryhadundeniably been based atBentwaters/Woodbridge, but had either been very peripherally involved andhadembellishedtheiraccounts,orhadnotbeeninvolvedatall,buthadpickedupthestorywhileonbaseand attempted towrite themselves into it.With some of these people themotivationmight have beenfinancial.Journalistsdopayforstoriesandthere'smoneytobemadeoutofbooks,TVappearancesandlectures–thoughittakesacombinationofluckandgoodbusinesssense.Withothers,egomayhavebeenthe reason.Butmore sinister possibilities abound.Given the statementsmade about theuseof threats,drugsandhypnosisinsomeofthepost-incidentdebriefings,couldsomeoftheaccountsbeaconsequenceofwitnesseshavingbeen‘messedwith'–assomepeopleintheUFOcommunityputit?Orcouldoneormoreofthewitnessesbea‘plant'?Ineitherofthesetwolatterpossibilities,theaimwouldbetomuddythewaters, hoping that the bogus storieswould detract attention from the real ones, or be seen as sofancifulthattheentirestorywouldberidiculedanddiscredited.

Thiswasthedownsideofthepublicity.IfthesituationbeforetheNewsoftheWorldbrokethestorywasconfusing,afterwards,itwasanightmare.TheUFOcommunityhadanumberofaspirations,somemorerealistic thanothers.Somehoped that thiswouldmark some sort of ‘tippingpoint'; that the frontpagestorymeantthat"seriousufology"hadattainedacriticalmassandthatwhatinlateryearsbecameknownas"Disclosure"wouldcometopass."Disclosure"iswhatonemightcalltheultimatefantasy,sofarasufologistsareconcerned:ThePresidentof theUnitedStatesgoeson televisionandannouncesanalienpresence,apologizesforthegovernmentcover-upandEarthjoinssomesortofStarTrek-styleGalacticFederation.Everyone liveshappilyeverafter,especiallyufologists,whopeople lookatadmiringly,astheyrealizethepersontheypreviouslythoughtwasnutshadbeenrightallalong.Fantasiesaside,theUFOcommunityatleasthopedthatthepublicationofthestorywouldleadtotheUFOphenomenonbeingtakenmore seriously. This might have happened had the story that appeared concentrated on the radiationreadingsat the landingsite,whichwasprobably thestrongestaspectof thestoryandwascertainly thepart of the story that was best evidenced by the paperwork available to the News of the World –essentially just the Halt memo at this stage, as the DIS assessment of the radiation levels had yet toemerge.Butbyleadingwiththestoryofcontactwithalienbeings,thepaperhadoverplayeditshand.Atthe very least, ufologists hoped that the storywould have the effect of encouraging otherwitnesses tocomeforward.Thiscertainlyhappened,over theyears,butonce thestorywas in thepublicdomain, italsobecameamagnet for fantasists trying towrite themselves into the story, either aswitnessesor asexperts.Gettingthestoryintothemainstreammediawasindeedatwo-edgedsword.

Withtheabovehealthwarninginmind,inthischapterwe'regoingtolookatsomeofthemostinterestingrumorsthatemergedovertheyearsinrelationtotheRendleshamforestincident.Thesearenotunitedbyanyparticulartheme,sothischapterissomethingofamiscellany.ButsomeofthesestorieshavebecomeinextricablylinkedwiththeRendleshamstory,soit'simportanttoexaminethemcarefullytoseewhetherornotthey'retrue.

JetsScrambledtoInterceptRendleshamUFO

Oneof themost intriguingrumors in relation to thecasewas that jetswerescrambled inanattempt tointercept theUFOseenatRendleshamForest.The story involves a formerRAF radaroperator called

Malcolm(sometimesabbreviatedtoMal)Scurrah.In1980hewasstationedatRAFNeatishead,whenanuncorrelated target was detected at a height of around 5000 feet. The target was not carrying an IFF(IdentificationFriendorFoe)radiotransponderandwasperformingextraordinarymaneuversatspeedsthat seemed to exceed the capability of anyknown aircraft.APhantom fighter/interceptor aircraftwasvectoredtoinvestigateandthepilotreportedthathesawabrightlightwhenheclosedtoadistanceofaroundhalfamile.ButtheunidentifiedcraftbegantoclimbandwhiletheRAFPhantompilotattemptedto follow, the object's rate of climb was extraordinary and when it hit a height of over 90,000 feet(significantlybeyondthemaximumceilingofaPhantom)thepilotbrokeoffhispursuit.Atthetime,theonly aircraft capable of flying at such heights, so far as RAF personnel were aware, was the SR-71Blackbird.

The following day some senior RAF officers visited and debriefed those who had been involved intrackingthemysterycraft.Radartapeswereconfiscatedinawaythatnormallyonlyhappensintheeventofanaircraftaccidentoranear-missbetweentwoaircraft.

While this incident occurred in 1980, it is not, in fact, linked with the Rendlesham Forest incident.Scurrah isnotcertainof thedate,butbelieves itwasOctoberorNovember.HeemphaticallydoesnotbelieveitwasaslateasDecemberandindeedwasirritatedwhensomeresearcherstriedtoshoehornhissightingintotheRendleshamstory.ThereareclearlysimilaritiesbetweenScurrah'sstoryandthewayinwhichit'sallegedthatradar tapeswereconfiscatedintheaftermathof theRendleshamForest incident,butthat'swherethesimilarityends.TherewasnoflyingoneithernightoftheRendleshamForestincidentandnoneofthewitnessessaworheardanyaircraft,orsubsequentlyheardaboutanyattempttointercepttheUFOwithmilitaryaircraft.

Whilethisincidentisfascinatinginitsownright,theredoesnotseemtobeanydirectconnectionwiththeRendleshamForestincident.

Post-IncidentPostings

It has sometimes been claimed that in the aftermath of the incident, onemethod used by the chain ofcommandtocoveruptheincidentwastoseparatethewitnesses.Afterall,there'sstrengthinnumbersandifthoseinvolvedfeltthattheyhadastorytotell,butwerebeingletdownbythechainofcommand,theywouldperhapsbemorelikelytoactiftheywereco-located.It'sbeenclaimedthataftertheincident,thosewitnessesmostcloselyinvolvedwitheventsweredeliberatelyseparatedandpostedtovariousdifferentUSAFestablishmentsallaroundtheworld,makingitmuchmoredifficult(inthosepre-internetandpre-Facebookdays)forthemtostayintouch.

Thisisatrickyone,becauseUSAFpostingpolicycanbeByzantineandwithoutknowingtheexacttourlengthsofallthewitnessesanddoingacomparativeanalysiswithbasepersonnelwhowerenotinvolved,it'sdifficulttobecertainonthispoint.Needlesstosay,peoplearepostedinandpostedoutofmilitaryestablishmentsallthetime,eitheronleveltransferoronpromotion.AtthetimeoftheRendleshamForestincident,somewitnesseswillhavebeenatthebeginningoftheirtour,someinthemiddleandsomeattheend.Inthemonthsafterwards,asteadystreamofthoseattheendoftheirtourswillhaveleft,butwhetherthe flowwas faster than usual,with people being postedwhowould normally have been expected toremainforlonger,wecan'tbesure.Someofthewitnessescertainlyhavetheperceptionoftherebeingapost-incident exodus. Staff Sergeant David Coffey, the Senior Security Controller on the first night,working in Central Security Control, though skeptical about some elements of the Rendlesham Forestincident(andthereforesomebodywithnodogintherace),hasthistosay:

"MyBlotterwaspulledandclassified"SECRET"by theBaseCommanderandalmostallpersonnelthat were involved in that incident and were PCSing that year had their PCS's moved up. I wassupposedtoPCSinJuneanditwaspusheduptoMarch,noreasongiven."

PCSistheabbreviationforPermanentChangeofStation.

Pennistoncertainlyagreestherewassomethingdecidedlyoddhere:

"Asfarasacceleratedtimelineswithassignments,Idothinkthatwasunusuallyhighoverthenextsixtoeightmonths.Keywitnesseswereallrotated,withtheexceptionofColonelHaltandI-webothleftthesummerof1984.Ifindthatstrangerthanwholeftthebase,thatwetwoaloneremained.Higherthan the normal, not including discharges for reason of inadaptability to the USAF, or criminalactivity.Thenofcoursesomewerejustduetorotatewithanotherassignment."

Thereis,therefore,someevidencetosuggestthatthereweresomeunusualpostingsintheaftermathoftheincident,thoughit'snotpossibletoproveacausallink.

Post-IncidentSuicides

OneofthemostdisturbingrumorsinrelationtotheincidentisthatayoungsecuritypolicemannicknamedAlabama(apparentlyonthebasisthatthiswashishomestate)committedsuicideaftertheevents,becausehewasunabletohandlewhathadhappened.

ThestoryaboutthepossiblesuicidewasbroughttotheattentionofLordHill-Norton,theformerChiefoftheDefenseStaffwhohad taken an interest in theRendleshamForest incident and indeed in theUFOphenomenonmore generally. He decided to probe further by asking a formal, written question in theHouseofLords.APQcanbeaskedineithertheHouseofLordsortheHouseofCommons,dependinguponwhetherthepersonaskingthequestionisaPeeroftheRealmoraMemberofParliament.Ineitherevent,PQsaretakenextremelyseriouslyandbeforewordprocessorswerewidelyavailable,PQsusedtobehand-deliveredwithinMoDMainBuildinginmenacing-lookinggreenfolderswithredtagsandwerestamped"Ministerialbusiness–tobegivenpriorityatalltimes".Itwasa‘dropeverythingelse'scenarioandeveryoneinthechaintookthisseriously,fromthedeskofficerresearchingtheanswer,totheHeadofDivisionwhosignedoff theanswer, to theMoDMinister(either theSecretaryofStateforDefense,oroneoftheUnderSecretariesofState)whowouldactuallygivetheanswer.Ifananswerturnedouttobewrong,theSpeakercouldsummontheMinistertoParliamentwhereaformalapologyhadtobedelivered.Despite the cynicismof conspiracy theoristswhobelievegovernments routinely lie, if aMinisterwasever found tohavedeliberatelymisledParliament, itwouldbe a resignation issue.Here is the formalrecordofthequestionandtheanswerconcerningtheallegedRendlesham-relatedsuicide,printedintheHansarddatedOctober28,1997:

LordHill-NortonaskedHerMajesty'sGovernment:WhatinformationtheyhaveonthesuicideoftheUnited States security policeman from the 81st Security Police Squadronwho took his life at RAFBentwaters in January 1981, and whether they will detail the involvement of the British police,Coroner'sOffice,andanyotherauthoritiesconcerned.

Lord Gilbert: MoD has no information concerning the alleged suicide. Investigations into suchoccurrencesarecarriedoutbytheUSForces.

While saying that theMoD has no information about the suicide is not a denial that it occurred, theresponse is fairup toapoint.However,whileBentwatersandWoodbridgewere indeedUSAFbases,

theywereonBritishsoilandiftherewasasuicideatsuchabase,theMoDshouldcertainlyhavebeenawareandconcernedaboutit.Again,wecomebacktocomplexquestionsofjurisdictionandprimacy.Asa further complication, police guidanceon suddendeaths atmilitary establishments in theUK ismorerobust now than it was in 1980, largely as a result of the controversy over four apparent suicidesinvolvingyoungBritishArmyrecruitsatDeepcutBarracks.Thepresumptionnow(butnotin1980)isthatanysuddendeath,evenifitappearedtobeaclear-cutcaseofaccidentorsuicide,wouldbepassedtothelocalpolicetoinvestigate,andnothandledbythemilitarypolice.

In relation toBentwatersandWoodbridge, someofficershavepersonal recollectionsof theoccasionalsuicideattheestablishment(theguesstimateofoneeveryotheryearhasbeengiven),butit'sasadfactofmilitary life that suicides in theArmed Forces do occur, not least because of the comparatively easyaccesstofirearms.ItmightbeexpectedthattheproblemwouldbemostacutewithyoungpeoplepostedawayfromtheUnitedStatesforthefirsttime.Pennistonsumsitupthisway:

"Thereare,Isuppose,anynumberofthingsthatcanhappenwith10,000peopleassignedtoandlivingat the twin bases at the time.A number of crimes and things can happen at the bases, as they canhappentothegeneralpublic.Withthatsaid,Ihavenorecollectionsofanysuicidesatthatbasewhileassignedtherefrom1980-1984."

Burroughsisevenmoreblunt:

"NosuicidesthatI'mawareof."

Notwithstandingtheabove,wehavenoevidencethatwouldsubstantiatetheclaimofanysuicidesbeingdirectly attributable to the Rendlesham Forest incident, and neither dowe have any evidence that thesuiciderateatBentwaters/Woodbridge(oramongpersonnelpostedatBentwaters/Woodbridgeatthetimeof the incidentandsubsequentlypostedelsewhere)washigher thanmightbeexpectedwhen lookingatsuicidesintheUSAFasawhole.

CobraMist

In chapter 6wementioned that themilitary facility at Bawdsey later became home to a secretUSAFresearchprojectcode-namedCobraMist,designedtodevelopanover-the-horizonradarsystem.Overtheyears, somepeople in theUFOcommunityhave tried to linkCobraMistwithRendlesham,but it'snotentirelyclearthattheperceivedlinkhasanysubstance,otherthanthefactthatBawdseyisgeographicallyclosetoBentwaters/Woodbridge.ExoticprojectssuchasCobraMistcertainlyattractconspiracytheoriesallthetime.TheHighFrequencyActiveAuroralResearchProgram(HAARP)isonesuchexample.Thefacility studies the ionospherewith aview to enhancingcommunications, andhas spawnedconspiracytheoriesthatmainlyinvolveweathercontrolbutalsoincludemindcontrol.MontaukAirForceStationonLongIslandisanotherfacilityatthecenterofnumerousconspiracytheories.TheseincludetheclaimthataUSNavyship,theUSSEldridge,wasmadeinvisibleaspartoftheso-calledPhiladelphiaExperiment.They also include the allegation that the facility was the location of a secret US time travel project.Collectively,theselatterallegationsareknownastheMontaukProject.

CobraMistcertainly fitted thepattern:avast, spooky-lookingfacility,builtamidstgreatsecrecyat theheightoftheColdWar.Constructionbeganin1967andthefacilitywascompletedin1971.Butthesystemwasplaguedbyastrangenoise(unidentified,butpossiblytheresultofSovietjamming)thatrenderedthesystemuseless.TheUSAFbrought inscientists fromtheprestigiousStanfordResearchInstitute tohelplocate the problem, but without success. The project was abandoned on June 30, 1973, without everhavingbeenformallyoperational.Unlessthisclosurewasaruse(andthere'snoevidencethatthiswasthe

case),it'sdifficulttoseethattherecouldbeanyconnectionwiththeRendleshamForestincident–unlessonesubscribestotheviewthat–liketheMontaukProject–CobraMistwasafacilitywheretimetravelexperimentswerecarriedout.

PossibleInvolvementofHMSNorfolk

Another rumor is that betweenDecember 24 andDecember 30, 1980 theRoyalNavy destroyerHMSNorfolkhadbeenanchoredoffOrfordNessandthatthecrewhadbeenorderedtostaybelowdecksatalltimes,withalltheship'ssystemspowereddown.Inrelatedrumors,fishermanwereallegedlytoldtostayawayfromtheareabetweenBawdseyandOrfordNessbetweenDecember27andDecember30,whileaSovietTu-142maritimereconnaissanceaircrafthadapparentlybeensightedflyingjustoffthecoast.

The point about fishermen being warned away from the area might seem to corroborate the theory(mentionedbrieflyinchapter9)thatanuclearleakhadoccurredatthenearbySizewellAorSizewellBnuclearpowerstation.However,despitewhatconspiracytheoristsbelieve,theUKGovernmentandthenuclearpowerindustrytendtoplayarelativelystraightbatwhenitcomestorespondingtonuclearleaks.

TheseclaimsweremadebyBrendaButler,butwearenotawareofanycorroborativeevidence.Indeed,inaletterdatedSeptember3,1987,theMoD'sNavalHistoricalBranchrespondedtoaqueryaboutthelocationofHMSNorfolkduringthetimeperiodconcernedasfollows:

"Between6December1980and14January1981HMSNORFOLKwasatPortsmouthforanAssistedMaintenanceperiodcombinedwithleave."

WeatherWeapons

Inchapter9wementionedthatRendleshamForesthadbeenhardhitbytheGreatStormof1987,makingit difficult for anyone to compare the forest nowwithwhat it looked like in 1980. LarryWarren hasclaimedthatwhenstationedatBentwaters/Woodbridge,hesawwhathasbeendubbeda‘cloudbuster'–adevice aimed at creating rainfall. This device was based on the controversial theories of thepsychoanalystWilhelmReich.

It's amatter of historical record that theUSand theUKgovernments have conducted experiments andoperationalmissionsinweathermodification.ThemostfamousUSexampleisprobablyProjectPopeye,intheVietnamWar.Thisinvolvedseedingcloudswithsilveriodide,withtheaimofmakingitrainontheHoChiMinhTrail,thusboggingdownthemainVietcongresupplyroute.IntheUK,RAFcloudseedingexperimentshavebeenlinked(thoughthereisnodefinitiveproofofthis)totheLynmouthFloodofAugust15/16, 1952, in which 35 people died. There have also been rumors that weather modificationexperimentswerecarriedoutatOrfordnessintheFifties.Butwhilethistechnologyandrelatedprogramsundeniablyexist,WilhelmReichwasamaverickandhistheorieshavebeenwidelydiscredited.Soevenifweathermodification technologywas based atBentwaters/Woodbridge, it seemsdifficult to believethatcloudbusterswouldbeinvolved,wheneventhedatedOperationPopeyetechnologywouldhavebeenfarmoreeffective.

Thisisallrathertenuous:amixtureofhistoricalrumorandfactaboutweathermodificationexperiments,mostofwhichpredatestheRendleshamForestincident;aclaimbyLarryWarren;andthefactthat(yearsaftertheRendleshamForestincident)RendleshamForestwashardhitbyafreakstorm.

UnusualTree-Felling

Thereisarumorthatalargenumberoftreeswerefelledaftertheincident,perhapsbecausetheyhadbeen

irradiated.Undeniably,manytreeswerefelledbytheGreatStormof1987andanumberofdamagedoneswerecutdownimmediatelythereafter.Asidefromthis,theForestryCommissionfelledtreesfromtimetotimeaspartofnormalforestryprocedures(e.g.ifatreebecamediseasedorwasdamagedinastorm)andtheUSAFhad an interest in ensuring that treeswere felled around the twinbases, so they couldn't beapproached covertly. LordHill-Norton asked a ParliamentaryQuestion about this and the exchange isrecordedintheHansarddatedApril30,2001:

LordHill-NortonaskedHerMajesty'sGovernment:WhethertheyrequestedorinstructedtheForestryCommission to fell any trees in Rendlesham Forest or Tangham Woods in the aftermath of theRendleshamForestincident;and,ifso,onwhatgrounds.

Baroness Hayman: The Forestry Commission was not instructed to fell any trees after the allegedincidentinRendleshamForestinDecember1980.Mostofthetreesintheareahadbeenselectedandmarkedforfellingwellbeforetheallegedincidentandwerefelledseveralmonthsafterit.

Thisanswerseemstoconfirmthattherewasanoticeabletree-fellingintheaftermathoftheincident,butthatitwasroutine,pre-plannedanddidnottakeplaceuntilsomemonthsaftertheincident.

WereLocalPrisonsonEvacuationAlert?

OneofthemostbizarrestoriesinrelationtotheRendleshamForestincidentcomesfromretiredprisonofficerGeorgeWild.WildwasaseniorprisonofficeratHMPrisonLeeds(alsoknownasArmleyJail)andsometimebeforehisretirement,attendedaseminarwithotherprisonofficersatwhichtheevacuationstorywasrelayedinthemarginsoftheformalbusiness.AnofficerbasedatHighpointPrisoninSuffolktoldWildthatonDecember27,1980,thestaffattheprisonwereputonalertandtoldtoprepareforapossibleevacuation.Nofurtherdetailsweregiven,asidefromavaguestatementthatthereasonforthiswas"nationalsecurity".Intheevent,noevacuationtookplace.

Wild later confirmed that not only Highpoint Prison, but Hollesley Bay Youth Correction Center hadreceivedawarning thatanevacuationmightbenecessary.NorwasWild theonlysourceof this story.BrendaButlerhadheardfromalocalpoliceofficeraboutthepotentialevacuationoftheHollesleyBayfacility,andhadalsoreceivedaletterfromaprisoneratathirdlocalinstitution,BlundestonPrison.Thisletter referred toaUFOsightingonDecember27 (whichwould tie inwith the secondnight's sightinginvolvingHaltandhismen)andalsomentionedthefactthattheprisonwasonstandbyalert,thoughthedetails were not given and it wasn't clear whether or not an evacuation had been ordered. Despite apromisetocontactButleragainonhisrelease,nothingfurtherwasheardfromtheindividualconcerned,andonemightreasonablysupposethataprisonerwaslesslikelytoknowwhetherornotanevacuationhadbeenorderedthanwouldaprisonofficeroralocalpoliceofficer.

LordHill-NortondecidedtoprobethisissuebyaskingaseriesofwrittenquestionsinParliament.Theinitialquestionandanswer,onOctober23,1997,readasfollows:

Lord Hill-Norton asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether staff at Highpoint Prison in Suffolkreceivedinstructionstoprepareforapossibleevacuationoftheprisonatsometimebetween25and30December1980,andifso,whytheseinstructionswereissued.

LordWilliamsofMostyn:IregrettoadvisethenobleLordthatIamunabletoanswerhisQuestion,asrecordsforHighpointPrisonrelatingtotheperiodconcernedarenolongeravailable.Thegovernor'sjournal is the record in which a written note is made of significant events concerning theestablishmentonadailybasis.Ithasnotprovedpossibletolocatethatjournal.

LordHill-NortonreturnedtothissubjectonJanuary23,2001,probingthesituationwithregardtothetwootherlocalprisonsthathadbeenmentioned:

LordHill-NortonaskedHerMajesty'sGovernment:WhetherstaffatBlundestonPrisonorHollesleyBayYouthCorrectionCenterreceivedany instructions toprepare forapossibleevacuationatsometimebetween25and30December1980;andifso,whytheseinstructionswereissued.

TheParliamentaryUnder-SecretaryofState,HomeOffice(LordBassamofBrighton):Wecanfindnorecordofanysuchinstructions.

There was another question on April 26, 2001, in which Lord Hill-Norton probed the issue of thegovernor'sjournalsforthelocationsconcerned:

LordHill-NortonaskedHerMajesty'sGovernment:FurthertotheWrittenAnswerbyLordBassamofBrightonon23January(WA8),whethertheirsearchforevidenceofanyinstructionsconcerningthepossibleevacuationofBlundestonPrisonandHollesleyBayYoungOffender Institution includedanexaminationofthegovernor'sjournalsforthesetwoestablishments;andwhetherthesejournalshavebeenretained.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton): Governors'journalsarethemostlikelysourceofthisinformationsolongaftertheevent.Thegovernor'sjournalatBlundestonremainsinexistenceandwasexamined.Therelevantgovernor'sjournalforHollesleyBay could not now be found, and in the absence of any other written record, long-serving staff,includingthegovernor'ssecretary,wereconsulted.Theydidnotrecallanyinstructiontoprepareforanevacuationalthoughtheywellrememberedthelocaleventsofthetimewhichpromptedspeculationaboutsuchaninstruction.

ThereweretwofinalquestionsonOctober4,2001:

LordHill-NortonaskedHerMajesty'sGovernment:FurthertotheWrittenAnswerbyLordBassamofBrighton on 26 April (WA 240), whether the examination of the governor's journal at Blundestonprisonrevealedanydetailsofanalertduring25 to30December1980;andwhether in thisperiodtherewasanymentionofRAFBentwaters,RAFWoodbridgeorRendleshamForest.

Lord Rooker: The governor's journal revealed no such details and there was no mention of RAFBentwaters,RAFWoodbridgeorRendleshamForest.

Lord Hill-Norton asked Her Majesty's Government: What is their response to the absence of thegovernor'sjournalscoveringtheperiod25to30December1980inrespectofHollesleyandHighpointprisons;andwhether,intheabsenceoftheserecords,theywillconsultthethengovernorsaboutanyalertorwarningtoevacuateduringthatperiod.

LordRooker:Thegovernor'sjournalisarecordofday-to-dayevents,andtheabsenceofjournalssolongaftertheeventisnotacauseforconcern.ThegovernorsofHollesleyBayandHighpointprisonsinDecember1980arenolongerintheserviceandIamnotpersuadedthattheeffortrequiredtotracethemisjustified.

Thefactthatgovernor'slogsthatmightjusthavegivenaclueastowhathappenedhadgonemissingwassuspicioustoLordHill-NortonandreminiscentofanotherUFOincidentinwhichLordHill-Nortonhadtakenaninterest.Itisallegedthatonanunknowndatein1999,severalhundredpersonnelonBritishandNorwegianwarshipstakingpart inaNATOexercisesightedaUFO.It'sfurtherclaimedthatoneofthe

shipstrackedtheUFOonradar.LordHill-NortonwrotetooneoftheMinistersattheMoDonSeptember24,2002,askingthattheship'slogbesearchedforreferencetotheUFOencounter.

ThereplythatLordHill-NortonreceivedwasdatedOctober21andreadasfollows:

You asked that HMS MANCHESTER's log for the periods 26 October to 6 November 1998 and 8February to 3March 1999 be scrutinized for references to unidentified aerial craft sighted by theship'scompany.Nosuchreferenceshavebeenfoundinanyofthelogentrieswhichareavailable.

Unfortunately,IhavetoaddtheriderthatHMSMANCHESTER'slogcoveringtheperiod1Febuntilsunrise on 13 February 1999 was lost in Bodo, Norway, during the deployment. The log waspositioned,asisthecustom,attheheadofthegangwaywhenthevesselwasalongsideinport,andanunusually strong gust of wind carried it overboard. The circumstances are properly recorded andcertifiedbyHMSMANCHESTER'sCommandingOfficerinthelogopenedon13Februaryfollowingthisloss.Inlightofthemissingdocument,myofficialshavecontactedtheCommandingOfficeroftheMANCHESTER at the time. He has stated that nothing which could be remotely construed as anunusual event or sighting involving unidentified aerial craft occurred during this or any other ofMANCHESTER'sdeploymentswhilehewasincommand.

LordHill-NortonwasastoundedbythisresponseandhisOctober29,2002reply,drippingwithsarcasm,readasfollows:

ThankyouforyourletterofTrafalgarDay(didyouknow?Didanyofyourofficials?).

Iamgratefulforthetroubleyou,andthey,havetaken,weshallnowreturntoourinformant,amemberoftheship'scompanyattherelevanttime,andpresshimfurther.IamalsointouchwithNorwegianNavalpeopleabouttheincident.

Ihavetotellyouthatin49yearsintheRoyalNavy,whichincludedmorethan30yearsatseainmorethan 25 different ships, I have never heard of a rough deck log being blown over the side, moreparticularly inharbor(wedonotsayport in theRoyalNavy- twonewpiecesof information inoneletter).

Some less charitable persons than myself, might even consider it odd that this unique occurrenceshould have surrounded a perfectly legitimate enquiry aboutUFOs.Evenmy charitablemind findsthatcredulityistherebystrainedprettyclosetothelimit.Ihopeyourownhasstoodtheremarkablestrainsowell.

Iwillreturntothechargeafterwehavebeenintouchwithoureye-witness.

In the meantime your letter will be an unusual and perhaps useful addition to the dossier we arecompiling.

SettingasideLordHill-Norton'sexperienceofthedisappearingship'slogandgovernors'journals,whatcould the significance be of the possible evacuation of the local prisons, assuming that this story iscorrect?Twoscenarioscometomind.Thefirstpossibilityisthattheauthoritieswereawareofsomethingthat might pose a danger to people at the prison(s), and put them on standby in case this dangermaterialized.However, if thiswas thecase,onewouldhaveexpectedother locations in thearea (e.g.hospitalsandprivateresidences)tobeincludedtoo.Thesecondandfarmorefrighteningpossibilityisthatsecurelocationswererequiredforpeoplewhomightwanttoleavetheareaagainstthewishesoftheauthorities.Runningthroughascenarioanalysis,thesortofsituationthatspringstomindiswherelarge

numbersofpeople(thecapacityofHighpointPrisonisaround1300)hadbeenirradiatedorexposedtoachemicalorbiologicalagent.

BiologicalHazard

When undertaking hypothetical discussions about the extraterrestrial hypothesis, few issues are morechilling than thepotentialbiohazard.The issuehadfirstarisen in1960when theSpaceScienceBoardadvised NASA that a quarantine procedure should be established to ensure that any spacecraft andsamples returned toEarth following spacemissionswere freeofanyorganisms thatmight threaten theEarth'sbiosphere.NASAusesthephrase"backcontamination"todescribethisandtheissuereallycameinto focus in the run-up to theApollo11moonmission.TheSpaceScienceBoardhadsummedup theissueinthisway:

"TheintroductionintotheEarth'sbiosphereofdestructivealienorganismscouldbeadisaster…wecanconceiveofnomoretragicallyironicconsequenceofoursearchforextraterrestriallife."

AmoredetailedSpaceScienceBoardstatementontheissuereadasfollows:

The existence of life on themoon or planets cannot . . . rationally be precluded.At the very least,present evidence is not inconsistent with its presence . . . Negative data will not prove thatextraterrestrial lifedoesnotexist; theywillmerelymean that ithasnotbeen found.Tocontainanyalien life forms, astronauts, spacecraft, and lunarmaterials coming back from themoon should beplacedimmediatelyinanisolationunit;theastronautsshouldbeheldinrigidquarantineforatleastthree weeks; and preliminary examination of the samples should be conducted behind absolutebiologicalbarriers,underrigidbacterialandchemicalisolation.

Intheevent,theLunarReceivingLaboratorywasconstructedinordertoensurethatasecurequarantinefacilityexistedforlunarsamplesandfortheastronautsthemselves.

Theissueremainsacomplicatedonetothisday,firstlybecauseofthequestionofwhetheralienlifeexistsin thefirstplace(self-evidently, ifyou think itdoesn't,noriskarises)andsecondly,becauseeven if itdoes,worryingaboutathreatfromalienmicrobesmakesonesoundasifonehasbeenwatchingtoomuchsci-fi. The scientific debate about whether extraterrestrial life could ever pose a threat to Earth'sbiosphereisbeyondthescopeofthisbook,butintheUS,theissueistheresponsibilityofNASA'sOfficeof Planetary Protection. TheUnited Nations has responsibilities here too and the UN's Committee onSpaceResearch(COSPAR)hasaPanelonPlanetaryProtection,aswellasaformalCOSPARPlanetaryProtectionPolicy.

In theabsenceofany formalcontingencyplan todealwithapotentialbiohazard resulting fromaUFOincident,COSPARandNASAplanetaryprotectionpolicywouldbelittleuse,becauseitconsistslargelyofpreventivemeasures.Ofmoreusewouldbeexistingplansforachemicalorbiologicalincident(e.g.aterroristattackoraninadvertentleak),ortheHomeOfficedocument"SatelliteAccidents"(ofwhichtheMoD'sUFOprojectwasaware),whichincludesconsiderationofthemeasurestobetakentodealwiththepossibleradiationhazardintheeventofthecrashofanuclear-poweredsatellite.

In the UK, the key establishment in the event of dealing with any biological hazard resulting fromextraterrestrialorganismsofanykindwoulddoubtlessbetheDefenseScience&TechnologyLaboratoryatPortonDown.Intriguingly,thisestablishmentfeaturesinaseparaterumorabouttheRendleshamForestincident.

TheevidenceforthisPortonDownconnectionisinconclusive.Ontheplusside,itcomesfromauthorandinvestigativejournalistGeorginaBruni,whohadstronglinkswiththeMoD.Ontheminusside,Bruni'ssourcesforthisstorywereapparentlyRAFPoliceofficerswhosenamesarenotknown–Brunideclinedtosharetheiridentities,onthebasisthatonewasstillservingandwaswaryofrepercussions.

ThestoryfromtheRAFPoliceinvolvesthenearbybaseatRAFWatton,whichwasinvolved,asreaderswillrecall,intheradartrackingofatleastoneoftheUFOincidents.On27/28December(thesamenightasHalt'sencounter)twoRAFPolicedoghandlersweretaskedtoinvestigatestrangelightsjustbeyondtheperimeterfence.Atthesametime,allegedly,anuncorrelatedtargetwasbeingtrackedonradar.Theprecise details of this radar report are not known, but RAF Watton is around 40 miles fromBentwaters/Woodbridge,makingaRendleshamconnectionpossible.Thedoghandlerswereastoundedtofindseveralfiguresshininglights into thesky.ThefigureswerewearingclothingwhichlookedlikeanNBC(Nuclear,BiologicalandChemical) suit.Oneof thewitnessesstated that theyweresubsequentlyinterviewed by a senior officer, who advised them to forget what they had seen, as it had just beenpoachers – an explanation that wasn't believed. He also stated that their police notebooks wereconfiscatedandthatvariouslogbooksinwhichtheincidentmayhavebeenrecordedsubsequentlywentmissing.Readerswilldoubtlesshavenoticedtheever-increasinglistoflogbooks,ship'slogs,governor'slogsandnotebooksthatgomissingintheaftermathofUFOincidents!

AllthismaytieinwithJimPenniston'srecollectionthataCIA"containmentstudyteam"wassentouttoexaminethelandingsiteinRendleshamForest.GeorginaBrunihadothersourceswhoconfirmedthatastudyteamofsomesortwassentouttocheckthesite,butit'snotentirelyclearwhetherthiswasaUSoraUKteam.And inallof this, it's alsonotclearwhetherany such teamwaschecking fora radiologicalhazard (as might be the logical first assumption, given that Halt's report to the MoD specificallymentionedradiationreadingstakenatthelandingsite)orabiologicalhazard.

IfpersonnelfromPortonDowndidvisittheforest,theirfirstprioritywouldbetoseeifanybiologicalagentwaspresent.Ifanythingunusualwasdetected,optionswouldhaveincludeddestroyingit.Itismorelikely,giventhepotentialimplicationsintermsofbiotechnology–includingbioweapons–research,thatcontainment and removalwould be the preferred option.Again, however, the same study teamwoulddoubtlessbeequippedwithmeansofassessingnotjustabiohazard,butaradiologicalhazard.

LordHill-Nortonprobed this issuebyaskinganotherPQ.Theexchangewasprinted inHansard datedJanuary25,2001:

Lord Hill-Norton asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether personnel from Porton Down visitedRendlesham Forest or the area surrounding RAFWalton in December 1980 or January 1981; andwhether theyareawareofany testscarriedout ineitherof those twoareasaimedatassessinganynuclear,biologicalorchemicalhazard.

BaronessSymonsofVernhamDean:ThestaffattheDefenseEvaluationandResearchAgency(DERA)ChemicalandBiologicalDefense(CBD)laboratoriesatPortonDownhavemadeathoroughsearchoftheirarchivesandhavefoundnorecordofanysuchvisits.

I should declare an interest here. Aside from my own service with theMoD, my father served – atconsiderablyhigher level– in theMoDformanyyears,hisnumerousposts includingDeputyDirector(Weapons),AssistantChiefScientificAdviser(Projects),DeputyControllerandAdviser(ResearchandTechnology) andDeputyChief ScientificAdviser.Hewas also awarded theUSSecretary ofDefenseMedalforOutstandingPublicService.Atmorethanonestageinhiscareerhehadresponsibilityforthe

PortonDownfacilityandheneveronceevenhintedthattheestablishmenthadaroleintheRendleshamForestincident.

MeninBlack

Following on from the above, there has been a suggestion that in the immediate aftermath of theRendleshamForest incident, smartlysuitedmenweresearching the forestand/orquizzing localpeopleaboutwhattheyhadseen.Theserumorsmightbedismissedasfantasyorexaggeration,wereitnotforthefact that one of the witnesses is themanmost associated with the skeptical theory that the witnessesmisidentified theOrfordnessLighthouse, local foresterVinceThurkettle.Discussing thiswithGeorginaBruniinaround1999,hedescribedhowheencounteredtwosmartlydressedmenveryshortlyaftertheUFOsightings,sometimebetweenDecember29andNewYear'sDay.Thurkettlerecalledthatthesmartclothing was decidedly inappropriate for the forest. The men did not identify themselves, but askedwhetherThurkettlehadbeenoutintheforestatanytimeoverthepreviousfournights.ThemenwerenotinuniformandThurkettledidnotsaywhethertheyhadAmericanorBritishaccents.Atfirst,hewonderedwhether theywerereporters,butno storyappearedandwehavealready seen that themediawerenotawareoftheUFOsightingsuntilmuchlater.It'sjustpossiblethatthesewerereporterswhoneverfoundastorysolidenoughtorun,butit'sequallypossiblethatthesemenwerefromtheUSAF,orfromtheRAFortheMoD-perhapsassociatedinsomewaywithPortonDown.

Longbeforethefamousmoviefranchise,MeninBlack(MIB)havebeenafamiliartropeinufology.Inavarietyofcases,thesesinister,mysterious,smartlydressedfigureshavevisitedwitnessesintheaftermathofUFOsightings,quizzingthemabouttheirencountersandorderingthemnottodiscusswhattheysaw.Theconsensusamongbelieversisthattheseindividualsarefromthegovernment–theimageisthatoftheG-Man.Butonthebasisofsomecaseswheretrulybizarrebehavior(suchasapparentunfamiliaritywitheveryday objects, and odd speech) has been reported, others have speculated that these strangeindividualsareextraterrestrials,presumablyengaged in somestrategy tocover theirown tracks.Othermoreprosaictheoriesarethattheyarejournalistsafterastory,peoplefromlocalUFOgroups,practicaljokers,or‘WalterMitty'typefantasists.SomeMIBreports,ofcourse,willbehoaxesthemselves.

WehavenoreasontodoubtthetestimonyofVinceThurkettleandindeedanumberofotherlocalpeopletell similarstories, though in theseother instances, the rumor is that thishappenedonNewYear'sDayitself,whereasVincebelievesitwasclosertoDecember29.

InthischapterweaddressedsomemiscellaneousrumorsabouttheRendleshamForestincidentthatdidnotfitintothestorynarrativeandwerebestaddressedasstand-aloneissues.Inlookinginparticularatrumorsconcerningapotentialbiologicalor radiologicalhazardposedby theevents,wehave raisedafrighteningpossibilityabouttheincidentwhichhasimmenseimplications,inparticularforthewitnessesmostcloselyinvolved,namelyJohnBurroughsandJimPenniston.

ChapterThirteen–NoDefenseSignificance?

TheMoD'sUFOprojecthasfeaturedquitealotinthisstoryalreadyandwhilewe'vepointedoutsomesimilaritiesbetweentheUKworkandearlierUSAFprogramssuchasProjectBlueBook,it'sappropriatetogo intomoredetail about thehistory andday-to-dayworkof this project. In particular,wewant toshow how the MoD consistently downplayed its interest and involvement with UFO research andinvestigation,andgoontoillustratehowthiswasdonewithspecificrelationtotheRendleshamForestincident.First,weneedtoshowhowitallbegan.

TheUKgovernmenthadbeenawareoftwoseparatemysteriesinvolvingstrangeobjectsintheskythatpre-dated1947,whentheUSgovernmentfirstlookedatthesubject.Thefirstwere"FooFighters"–ballsoflight,orinsomecasesmetalliccraft,thatappearedtofollowRAFaircraftduringbombingraidsoverNazi territoryduring theSecondWorldWar.At first, itwas thought that thesewere somesortofAxissecretweapon, but therewas no apparent hostility.After thewar, it transpired that someGerman andJapanesepilotshadseensimilarthingsandconcludedthattheywereAlliedweaponsofsomesort.Thesecondweretheso-called"GhostRockets".ThesemysteryobjectswereseenoverpartsofScandinaviain1946.Both theUSand theUKgovernments tookan interest in this,believing theobjectsconcernedwereprototypeSoviet rocketsof somesort,back-engineered from theNaziV-1andV-2 rockets in thesamewayastheUSauthoritieswerebuildingonthistechnologyaspartoftheresearcheffortthatwouldleaddirectlytotheApollomoonrockets.

ThekeyfigureintheestablishmentoftheMoD'sUFOprojectwasSirHenryTizard.TizardisbestknownforhispioneeringworkonthedevelopmentofradartechnologypriortotheSecondWorldWarandhisvariouswartimepostsincludedScientificAdvisortotheAirStaff.HereturnedtotheMinistryofDefensein1948asChiefScientificAdvisor,apostthathehelduntil1952.

TizardhadverycloselinkswiththeUSgovernment.DuringtheSecondWorldWar,heledwhatbecameknownas theTizardMission: anexchangeof informationand technologybetween theUSand theUK.Tizard'smaincontactwasthechairmanofNationalDefenseResearchCommittee,VannevarBush,andthemainareasinvolvedwereradar,thejetengineandnuclearresearch.

In1950,TizardhadbecomeintriguedbytheincreasingmediacoverageofUFOsightingsintheUS,theUKandotherpartsoftheworld.UsinghisauthorityasChiefScientificAdvisorattheMoDhedecidedthat the subject should not be dismissed without some proper, official investigation. Accordingly, heagreed that a small Directorate of Scientific Intelligence/Joint Technical Intelligence Committee(DSI/JTIC)workingpartyshouldbesetup to investigate thephenomenon.Thiswasdubbed theFlyingSaucerWorkingParty.

ThetermsofreferenceoftheFlyingSaucerWorkingPartyreadasfollows:

"1.Toreviewtheavailableevidenceinreportsof"FlyingSaucers".

2.ToexaminefromnowontheevidenceonwhichreportsofBritishoriginofphenomenaattributedto"FlyingSaucers"arebased.

3.ToreporttoDSI/JTICasnecessary.

4.TokeepintouchwithAmericanoccurrencesandevaluationofsuch."

Thefive-manworkingpartywaschairedbyMrG.L.TurneyfromoneoftheMoD'sscientificintelligencebranches.Allthememberswerespecialistsinthefieldofscientificandtechnicalintelligence.

Theworkingparty'sconclusionsweresetoutinadocumentdatedJune1951andbearingthedesignationDSI/JTICReportNo.7. Itwasentitled"UnidentifiedFlyingObjects"andclassified"SecretDiscreet".Thereportcomprisedsixpages(includingthecoversheet)andconcludedthatallUFOsightingscouldbeexplained as misidentifications of ordinary objects or phenomena, optical illusions, psychologicaldelusionsorhoaxes.Themainbodyofthereportendedwiththefollowingstatement:

"Weaccordinglyrecommendverystronglythatnofurtherinvestigationofreportedmysteriousaerialphenomenabeundertaken,unlessanduntilsomematerialevidencebecomesavailable".

The report was duly considered by the DSI/JTIC and Mr Turney recommended that in view of itsskepticalconclusions,itshouldberegardedasafinalreport.Hefurthersuggestedthattheworkingpartybedissolvedwithimmediateeffect.Thiswasagreedbythemeeting,thusbringingtoanendtheMoD'sfirstUFOresearchproject.

Justafewmonthslater,in1952,therewasamassivewaveofUFOsightingsovertheUK,wheremanyofthewitnesseswereRAFpersonnelandwheresomeofthevisualsightingswerecorroboratedbyradar.ManyofthesesightingshadoccurredinthemarginsofOperationMainbrace,aNATOmilitaryexercisewhich was the largest exercise held since the Second World War. As a result of this, the skepticalconclusionsoftheFlyingSaucerWorkingPartywereoverturnedandin1953theMoDsetupaprocesswherebyUFOsightingsreportedtotheDepartmentwouldbeinvestigated.

From the very outset,UKpolicy in relation toUFOswas influenced by theAmericans.Asmentionedabove, the MoD's Flying Saucer Working Party had been given the remit of liaising with those USauthoritiesundertakingresearchandinvestigationintotheUFOphenomenon.OncethetermsofreferenceincludedarequirementtogetalongsidetheAmericansontheUFOissue,activeliaisonbegan.AmemberoftheFlyingSaucerWorkingPartyhadtraveledtoAmericatomeetwithUSauthorities.

OneofthepeopleconsultedbytheBritishwasH.MarshallChadwell,whosatinonatleastoneoftheFlying Saucer Working Party's meetings. Chadwell was Assistant Director of the CIA's Office ofScientificIntelligenceandin1952and1953wasoneof thekeyfigures inoneof theUSGovernment'sbest-knownstudiesintoUFOs,theScientificPanelonUFOs–betterknownastheRobertsonPanel,afteritschairmanH.P.Robertson,aneminentphysicistfromtheCaliforniaInstituteofTechnology.

MoreproofoftheUSinfluencecomesfromthetestimonyofEdwardRuppelt,oneoftheformerheadsoftheUSAF'sProjectBlueBook.Writinginhis1956bookTheReportonUnidentifiedFlyingObjectshestated:

"TwoRAFintelligenceofficerswhowereintheUSonaclassifiedmissionbroughtsixsingle-spacedtypedpagesofquestionstheyandtheirfriendswantedanswered".

RuppeltalsogivesatellinginsightintotheOperationMainbracesightings,mentionedabove,thatledtotheUKsettingupitsownformallyconstitutedUFOproject.

"It was these sightings, I was told by an RAF exchange intelligence officer in the Pentagon, thatcausedtheRAFtoofficiallyrecognizetheUFO".

Proofof theUS influencecanbe seenclearly in theFlyingSaucerWorkingParty's final report,whichbeganwith a discussionof theUSGovernment'sUFOproject.Therewas alsomentionof somewell-knownAmericanUFOsightings.

WhentheUKstartedformallyinvestigatingUFOsightingsin1953,theUSinfluencewasoverwhelming.

Not onlywere theUK's investigative terms of reference andmethodology amirror image of those ofProjectBlueBook,buteventheformusedtorecordthedetailsofasightingwerevirtuallyidentical.SotoowasthewayinwhichtheBritishgovernmentdownplayedthephenomenon(andtheextentofofficialinterest)withthemediaandthepublic.

TheMoD'sUFOprojectranfrom1953to2009.Inthat time, itwasembeddedwithinvariousdifferentMoDdivisions,somemilitary,otherscivilian.Thelist includesDDI(Tech),S4,S6,DS8,Sec(AS)andDAS.The fact that somanysectionshavebeen involvedwith this subjectover theyearshas spawnedconspiracy theories about there being amyriad of different divisions involved inUFO investigations,whereastherealityofthesituationisthatthedifferentacronymsandabbreviationsoftensimplyreflectedMoD re-organizations.For this reason, themedia and thepublic tend tousedescriptive terms such as"MoD'sUFOproject"or"theUFODesk"todescribethework.AllthiscouldhavebeenavoidedhadtheMoDdecided togive thiswork a formal name, but tobe fair, even theUSwent through threeprojectnames(Sign,GrudgeandBlueBook),showingthatgovernmentsseldommakethingssimpleforpeopletounderstand.

I joined theMoD in 1985 and resigned in 2006, after a successful, interesting and enjoyable 21-yearcareerthatculminatedinmyservingasanactingDeputyDirectorintheDirectorateofDefenseSecurity.From1991to1994IrantheUFOproject,whichatthetimewasembeddedinSecretariat(AirStaff).Averybriefpublicacknowledgementofthissection(andmyworkinit)wasgivenasaresultofaPQaskedby Norman Baker, a Member of Parliament who champions open government. Baker's question wasansweredbytheUnderSecretaryofStateforDefense,DonTouhig,andisrecordedintheHansarddatedApril18,2006.Theexchangereadsasfollows:

"To ask the Secretary of State for Defense in what capacity Mr Nick Pope was employed by hisDepartmentbetween1991and1994".

"From1991to1994MrPopeworkedasacivilservantwithinSecretariat(AirStaff).Heundertookawiderangeofsecretariattasksrelatingtocentralpolicy,politicalandparliamentaryaspectsofnon-operational RAF activity. Part of his duties related to the investigation of unidentified aerialphenomenareportedtotheDepartmenttoseeiftheyhadanydefensesignificance".

WhenItookoverthispositionin1991,weusedtoreceive200-300reportseachyear.Themethodologyofaninvestigationwasfairlystandard.Firstly,youinterviewthewitnesstoobtainasmuchinformationaspossibleaboutthesighting:date,timeandlocationofthesighting,descriptionoftheobject,itsestimatedspeed, height, etc. Then you attempt to correlate the sightingwith known aerial activity such as civilflights, military exercises or weather balloon launches. We could check with the Royal GreenwichObservatorytoseeifastronomicalphenomenasuchasmeteorsorfireballsmightexplainwhatwasseen.WecouldchecktoseewhetheranyUFOsseenvisuallyhadbeentrackedonradar.Ifwehadaphotographorvideo,wecouldgetvariousMoDspecialiststoenhanceandanalyzetheimagery.Wecouldalsoliaisewith staff at theBallisticMissile EarlyWarning System at RAF Fylingdales,where they have space-tracking radar.Finally,onvariousscientificand technical issues,wecould liaisewith theDIS, thoughthisisanareathatIamnotabletodiscussinanydetail,duetothesensitivities.

Afterinvestigation,around80%ofUFOsightingscouldbeexplainedasmisidentificationsofsomethingordinary,suchasaircraftlights,satellites,airships,weatherballoons,meteors,orbrightstarsandplanets.Inaround15%ofcasestherewasinsufficientinformationtodrawanyfirmconclusions.Approximately5%ofsightingsseemedtodefyanyconventionalexplanation.

ThecasesthatwereofmostinteresttouswereUFOsightingswherethereweremultiplewitnesses,orwherethewitnessesweretrainedobserverssuchaspoliceofficersormilitarypersonnel;sightingsfromcivilormilitarypilots;sightingsbackedupbyphotographicorvideoevidence,wheretechnicalanalysisfoundnosignsoffakery;sightingstrackedonradar;sightingsinvolvingstructuredcraftseeminglycapableofspeedsandmaneuversthateventhemostadvancedaircraftanddroneswerenotabletomatch.

ThefactthattheMoDwasengagedonthisworkwasnotasecret.Indeed,agooddealofthejobinvolveddealingwith thepublic,Parliamentand themedia. Itcouldhardlybeanyotherway: statistically,mostUFOsightingscamefromthepublicandclearlywehadtodealwiththepublictogetthisdata!However,itwas anunequal partnership:MoDwanted toglean asmuch information as possible fromwitnesses,whileofferingaslittleaspossibleinreturn.Therewas,inshort,adeliberatepolicytodownplaythetrueextentofourinvolvementandinterestinthesubject.

ThebestwaytoillustratethisistoexaminethepolicystatementthatappearedonMoD'swebsiteupuntilthe2009axingof theUFOproject. Itappearedunder theheading"MoDPolicyonUnidentifiedFlyingObjects(UFO)"andreadasfollows:

TheMinistryofDefensedoesnothaveanyexpertiseorroleinrespectof‘UFO/flyingsaucer'mattersor to thequestionof theexistenceorotherwiseofextraterrestrial lifeforms,aboutwhich it remainstotallyopen-minded.TodatetheMoDknowsofnoevidencewhichsubstantiatestheexistenceoftheseallegedphenomena.

TheMoDexaminesany‘UFO'reportsitreceivessolelytoestablishwhetherwhatwasseenmighthavesomedefensesignificance;namely,whetherthereisanyevidencethattheUnitedKingdom'sairspacemight havebeen compromisedbyhostile orunauthorizedair activity.Unless there is evidenceof apotential threat to the United Kingdom from an external source, and to date no ‘UFO' report hasrevealedsuchevidence,wedonotattempttoidentifytheprecisenatureofeachsightingreportedtous.Webelievethatrationalexplanations,suchasaircraftlightsornaturalphenomena,couldbefoundforthemifresourcesweredivertedforthispurpose,butitisnotthefunctionoftheMoDtoprovidethiskindofaerialidentificationservice.Itwouldbeaninappropriateuseofdefenseresourcesifweweretodoso.

IfyouwishtoreportasightingorhaveanyquestionsabouttheMoD'spositionregardingUFOs,youshouldwritetothefollowingaddress:

MinistryofDefenseDirectorateofAirStaff–FreedomofInformation5thFloor,ZoneHMainBuildingLondonSW1A2HB

Alternativelyyoucancontactusonanyofthefollowing;

Telephone:020-7218-2140(24hourAnswerphone)Fax:020-7218-7701or020-7218-2680E-Mail:das-ufo-office@mod.uk

ThisstatementwascarefullycraftedandindeedIdraftedmanysimilarsuchlettersmyself,duringmytimeontheMoD'sUFOproject.Itwasn'tanoutandoutfalsehood,butitwasmisleadingbecauseitreallyonly

told half the story. Itwas certainly true to say thatwe believedmost (but not all)UFO sightings hadconventionalexplanations.Itwasalsotruetosay–despitewhatconspiracytheoristsbelieved–thatwehadnodefinitiveproofthatanyUFOsightingswereextraterrestrial.ButtosaytheMoDhadnoexpertiseor role inUFOmatterswas farcical, given that theDepartmenthadbeen researchingand investigatingUFOsightingssince1953.Butifyoulookcarefully,you'llnoticethatthestatementsays‘UFO'notUFO–andgoesontouse thephraseoutdatedterm"flyingsaucer". Inotherwords, theMoDwasdeliberatelyusingthetermUFOintheerroneous,popculturewaywherethetermissynonymouswithextraterrestrialspacecraft.Inthatcontext,ofcourse,theclaimwastrue:MoDhasnoroleorexperiencewithregardtoaliens!

Useofthephrase"flyingsaucer"isinteresting.ThetermwasusedupuntiltheearlyFifties,whenitwasreplaced by the termUnidentifiedFlyingObject. This latter termwas devised by staff on theUSAF'sProjectBlueBookandwassoonadoptedbytheMoD,butalsobythemediaandthepublic.Moretothepoint,theterm"flyingsaucer"isnowarchaicandhasnegativeconnotationsinthesamewaythattheterm"UFOnuts"issometimesused.TheMoDhassimilarlyusedphrasessuchas"littlegreenmen"inrelationtothesubject,whenrespondingtorequestsfromthemediaforstatementsonUFO-relatedstories.Again,theterm–atleastinUKculture–isanarchaicanddisparagingterm,designedtobelittlethesubjectandmakeitcomedic.Anotherexampleofthispolicyisuseofthephrase"UFOspotters"inrelationtopeoplewhostudythephenomenon.Theterm"spotters"isdisparagingandtheclearimplicationis"nerds".

LaterintheMoD'sstatementthephrase"Webelievethatrationalexplanations,suchasaircraftlightsornaturalphenomena,couldbefoundforthem…"appears.Thisisacleverpieceofbusiness.WhenIwasrunning theUFOproject Iusedaphrasealong the linesof"Webelieve thatconventional explanationscould be found for most UFO sightings". Use of the word "rational" in the new version implies thatanyonewhothinksotherwiseisirrational.

Thekeyphrase in theMoDstatement is the term"defense significance",whichappears aspartof thiswiderphrase:"TheMoDexaminesany‘UFO'reports it receivessolely toestablishwhetherwhatwasseenmight have somedefense significance".Over the years, the term "defense interest" has also beenused.Usually,duringmytimeontheUFOproject,therewasnoattempttodefineit–adeliberatetactictokeep things vague. Interestingly, the statement quoted here does attempt a definition: "namely,whetherthere is any evidence that theUnitedKingdom's airspacemight have been compromised by hostile orunauthorized air activity". Theword "airspace", followed quickly by the phrase "air activity" clearlyimplies that the sole interest here is foreignmilitary aircraft. That's certainly one of the key areas ofinterestandthepossibilitythatsomeUFOsightingsmightturnouttobeforeignmilitaryaircraftprobingourairspacewasobviouslyone reasonwhy theMoDinvestigated thesesightings. Indeed, Ipersonallycoinedaphrasealong the linesof "More likelyRussian thanMartian",whichhad thedoubleeffectoffocusingthedebateonconventionalaircraftandofmakingthewholesubjectseemhumorous.

InrelationtothejudgementastowhetherUFOsareofany"defensesignificance", theMoD'sstatementgoesontosaythis:"UnlessthereisevidenceofapotentialthreattotheUnitedKingdomfromanexternalsource,andtodateno‘UFO'reporthasrevealedsuchevidence…"–anassessmentthathassometimesbeengivenintheformofstatingthatUFOsareadjudgedtobeof"nodefensesignificance".Butifthe"nodefensesignificance"assessmentdependsupontherebeingnoevidenceof"apotentialthreattotheUnitedKingdomfromanexternalsource",thentheMoDisondangerousground.Becausewhiletheabsenceofhostile actionmight justify saying there's no direct threat, there's self-evidently a "potential threat", ifthere'sanyevidencethatobjectsofunknownoriginhavepenetratedtheUK'sAirDefenseRegion.AndastheMoD'sownfilesshow,therehavebeenplentyofUFOsightings(mostnotablytheRendleshamForest

incident) where there's clear evidence that this is precisely what happened. So the MoD's publicstatementonUFOscanbeshowntobefalse,bysimpleapplicationoflogic.Eventheassessmentoftherebeingnohostileactionmightbewishfulthinking,asopposedtobeingaproperthreatassessmentinthesensethat,say,anintelligenceofficerspecializingincounter-terrorismwouldmean.

TheRendleshamForestincidentposedaspecialchallengefortheMoDintermsofdownplayingboththesighting itself and the extent of the Department's involvement. We saw in chapter 11 how the MoDrespondedintheimmediateaftermathoftheNewsoftheWorldbreakingthestory,withalowkeypressline,thekeypartsofwhichreadasfollows:

"IcanconfirmthattheMinistryofDefensedidreceiveareportfrombasepersonnelofaUFOsightingnearRAFWoodbridgeon27December1980…Thereportwasdealtwithinaccordancewithnormalproceduresi.e.itwaspassedtostaffconcernedwithairdefensematterswhoexaminesuchreportstosatisfythemselvesthattherearenodefenseimplications.InthisinstanceMoDwassatisfiedthattherewasnothingofdefenseinterestintheallegedsightings."

This low-key rendering of the events was not exactly a falsehood, but it was at best a selective andmisleadingaccount,ignoringthemostcompellingpartsofthestory.The"nothingofdefenseinterestintheallegedsightings"isthestandardlineonUFOsbutisutterlyatoddswiththefactshere.Useoftheword"alleged"ischurlishatbestandatworst,aninsulttothenumerousUSAFwitnesses.Butasidefromthisimmediate reaction to theNewsof theWorld exclusive,howdid theMoDspin theRendleshamForestincidentinlateryears?

The standard reply that members of the public would receive from 1983 onwards was usually thefollowing.Itwasverysimilartotheversionusedinthepressline,quotedabove,buthadevolvedovertime,soastobeevenmoredismissive:

"Icanconfirm theMinistryofDefensedidreceivea report frombasepersonnelofaUFOsightingnearRAFWoodbridgeon27thDecember1980.Thereportwasdealtwithinaccordancewithnormalprocedures,i.e.itwaspassedtostaffconcernedwithairdefensematterswhoexaminesuchreportstosatisfythemselvesthattherearenodefenseimplications.InthisinstanceMoDwassatisfiedthattherewasnothingof defense interest in thealleged sightings.Therewasnoquestionof any contactwith"alienbeings"norwasthereanyconfirmationthatanobjecthadlandedintheforest."

The addition of the final sentence is interesting. By mentioning "alien beings" it focuses on theuncorroboratedrumors,despitethefactthatnoneofthemainwitnesseshadreportedhavingseenanythingotherthananunidentifiedcraft.Theeffect,whetherintentionalornot,wastospinthewholeaffairasawild-sounding tale involving aliens, asopposed to a seriesof incidents inwhichnumerouswitnesses,includingtheDeputyBaseCommander,sawanunidentifiedcraft.

Buttherefollowedanotherparagraphthatputaverydifferentspinonthings:

"You may be interested to know that the BBC recently carried out its own investigations into theincident and concluded that the UFO was nothing more sinister than the pulsating light of theOrfordnessLighthousesome6or7milesawaythroughthetrees".

Thisstatementwasstretchingthetruthtosaytheleast.TheBBChadcertainlyrunanewsfeatureontheRendleshamForestincident,inwhichVinceThurkettle'slighthousetheoryhadfeatured,butitwashardlyadefinitiveinvestigationorconclusion.RespectedinstitutionthoughtheBBCis,theirreporteffectivelyjustlookedatHalt'sone-pagememoandVinceThurkettle'stheory.TheBBChadnoaccesstoanyofthe

otherdocumentsorwitnessstatements,letalonethewitnessesthemselves.

Instrictness,theMoDshouldnothavebeentakingsidesinthedebateaboutUFOs,butwhilearguablynotendorsingaparticulartheory,evenhighlightingonefavorsit,bysimplevirtueofdrawingattentiontoit.While not explicitly supporting the theory that the witnesses misidentified the lighthouse, they werecertainly implying as much. And as we've seen, the lighthouse theory is far from being the mostconvincingoftheskepticaltheories,withseveralothersbeingmoreplausibleandbetterfittingthefacts.But thelighthousetheoryhas just therightamountof‘gigglefactor' toeffectivelymakethewholestoryseem faintly ridiculous. As such, one can well understand why the MoD chose to highlight it whenquestionswereasked.

PennistonandBurroughsarescathingabouttheMoD's"nodefensesignificance"soundbiteandaboutthesortsofpeoplewhoparrottheMoD'spartylinewithoutanycriticalthought:

"The MoD had their own brainstorm of damage control: ignore it and it goes away (at leastpublically).TheMoDhadawholecacheof‘usefulidiots'inthedebunkers.Allinall,thedebunkersweretargetingthecoverstory(containmentstory)andeventuallyitgoesdownintheannalsofUFOfolklore. The worst mistake the MoD made was saying it was of "no defense significance". Thatshowed theeventhappened.Thekey forPandora'sBox laidwith theMoDand the tonsof filesandcommunicationintheirarchives."

When I joined theUFOproject in 1991, theDepartmentwas still getting a steady streamof questionsabout theUFOfromparliamentarians, themediaand thepublic. Itwas,afterall, regardedas theUK'smostsignificantUFOencounterandindeedhadbeendubbed"Britain'sRoswell".Iwouldreceivelettersaskingwhathadhappened,whatweknewandwhatwethought.Someoftheletterswerepoliterequestsfor answers, othersweremore accusatory, implying (or directly stating) thatwewere coveringup thetruthaboutwhathadhappened.Eitherway,alllettershadtobeanswered.

Iprettymuchfollowedthelinethatmypredecessorshadtaken,buttherewasanotherproblemwhichwasbecomingincreasinglydifficulttomanage,bothinrelationtospinningtheRendleshamForestincidentanddownplayingtheUFOsubjectmoregenerally.AnintegralpartofthiswasnottoacknowledgetheroleoftheDISinrelationtoUFOresearchandinvestigation.Thiswouldhavebeenrelativelystraightforward,wereitnotforanadministrativeerrormentionedpreviously,wherebyaphotocopyofaUFOreporthadbeensenttoaufologistwiththedistributionlistlefton,insteadofblackedout,aswasusual–ortobeprecise,whitedout,sothatitwasnotapparentthattherewasadistributionlistatall.Anothersleightofhand,doneonthebasisthatadistributionlistofseveralothersectionswouldnailtheliethatthiswasasubjectwe didn't take seriously!The upshot of the clerical errorwas that by the earlyNineties,mostpeople in theUFO communitywere aware thatDefense Intelligencewas involved in theMoD'sUFOwork.

Intelligenceseemstobeamagicwordwiththemediaandthepublic.Clearlyit'safascinatingareaandhavingworkedalongsidevariousintelligencepersonnelinmy21-yearMoDcareer,Icantestifythattheworkcancertainlybeexciting.Butit'snotalwaysglamorousanditcertainlydoesn'tquiteliveuptothereputationthatJamesBondfilmsandmoviesabouttheCIAmightimply.However,havingtoldufologistsforyearsthatweregardedtheirsubjectasbeingof"nodefensesignificance",butthentohavethemfindout that theDISwas involvedwith the subjectwas a recipe for disaster. Itwasonly amatter of timebefore the MoD's defensive line on UFOs and on the Rendlesham Forest incident crumbled. Thereckoningcamein2001.

WhiletheUKdidn'tgetaFreedomofInformationActuntil2000(whichcamefullyintoforcein2005),in1994 theConservativegovernment ledbyPrimeMinisterJohnMajor introducedapieceof legislationcalledtheCodeofPracticeonAccesstoGovernmentInformation.It'sbest-describedasawatereddown,prototypeFreedomofInformationAct.Peoplecouldrequestinformationandgovernmentdepartmentshadtorelease it if theyheld it,but therequestshad tobe"reasonable"and theexemptionswereextremelybroad,especiallywheredefenseandnationalsecuritywereconcerned.ButitwasastepupfromtheoldPublicRecordsAct,whichessentiallyensuredthatanygovernmentinformationwouldbewithheldfor30years,beforeitcouldevenbeconsideredforrelease!

It'ssurprisingthattheUFOcommunitydidnotexploittheCodeofPracticesoonerthantheydid,ormoreskillfully.OnepersonwhodidwasGeorginaBruni.

Georgina Bruni led a remarkable life and worked variously as a go-go dancer, fashion designer andnightclubmanager.ShetravelledextensivelyandatvarioustimeslivedinJersey,Italy,HongKongandAmerica,beforesettling inLondon in1992.Shewrotepoetry,designedapositive thinkingcourseandfoundedoneoftheUK'sfirstonlinemagazines,calledHotGossip.ShewasaformerdirectoroftheYachtClub,whereshewasinvolvedinhostingsocialeventsforMPs,diplomatsandMoDofficials.LateronshebecameaPRconsultantandranasocialclub,LeClub2000.ItwasthroughherinvolvementwiththeYachtClubthatshefirstbegantomixwithvariousMoD,military,intelligenceanddiplomaticstaff.

In early 2001Bruni used theCode of Practice onAccess toGovernment Information to apply for alldocumentsthattheMoDhadontheRendleshamForestincident.ShedidthisinconjunctionwithformerChiefof theDefenseStaffLordHill-Norton,withwhomshewas in touchand forwhomshehadbeendraftingmanyoftheformalquestionsthatheaskedintheUK'sParliament.

The MoD sent her the file and once they did, it soon became clear that the MoD's "no defensesignificance"lineonRendleshamwasseriouslycompromised,becauseforyearstheMoDhadimplied–andsometimesspecificallystated– thatCharlesHalt'sone-page reportwas theonlydocument that theDepartment hadon the incident. In a sense, thiswas farcical.Didpeople really expect that theUSAFwouldreportthefactthataUFOhadlandednexttotwoofthemostsensitivebasesintheNATOmilitaryalliancewithouttherebeingsomefollowup?OnceBrunihadobtainedthefilethough,thecatwasoutofthebag.Thefilecontainednotonedocument,but190.Whilemanyoftheseweresimplycopiesoflettersfrommembersof thepublicwhohadwritten inabout thecase, togetherwithnumerousversionsof theMoD's ubiquitous "no defense significance" reply, there were some more interesting papers too. ThedocumentsreleasedincludedtheDISassessmentthattheradiationlevelsrecordedatthelandingsitehadbeen "significantly higher" than the expected background levels, papers relating to radar, and theembarrassingspatovertheremovalbyGeneralGabrielofevidencerelatingtothecase.

There was to be a final twist in the story of the MoD's evolving attempts to keep the lid on theRendleshamForestincident.TheUK'sFreedomofInformationActcamefullyintoforcein2005anditsoonbecameclearthatintheinformal‘leaguetables'ofsubjectsonwhichpeopleweremakingrequests,UFOswasatornearthetopwithintheMoD.In2007theMoDdecidedtoproactivelyreleaseitsentirearchiveofUFOfiles,tosavehavingtorespondtohundredsofFOIrequestsonacasebycasebasis.Thisprocessstartedin2008andcametoitsconclusioninJune2013whenthefinalbatchofdocumentswasreleased.It involvedthereleaseofover50,000pagesofdocumentationandwhileGeorginaBrunihadsecured the releaseof theUFOproject'sRendleshamForest fileback in2001,UFO researcherswerelookingforwardinparticulartothereleaseofDISUFOfilescoveringthelate1980/early1981period,thathadnotyetbeenreleased,butwhichwouldclearlyalsoincludedocumentsontheRendleshamforestincident. In March 2011, when the time came for the relevant date period to be released, the UFO

communitywaitedexpectantly.

Whenthefileswerereleased,therewasanembarrassingrevelation.OutofalltheUFOfiles,DISfilescoveringtheperiodwhentheRendleshamForestincidenttookplacehadapparentlybeenshredded.Theones covering the period immediately before the incidentwere there, aswere the ones for the periodimmediatelyafter.Butthecriticalfileshadbeendestroyed.Thiswastotallycountertopolicy,becauseaslongagoas1967adecisionhadbeentakentokeepallUFOfilespermanently,inviewoftheirhistoricalsignificanceandpublicinterest.Toaddinsulttoinjury,theauthorizationslipsthatwouldhaverevealedwhenthefilesweredestroyed,bywhom,andonwhoseauthority,hadalsobeendestroyed.Thetrail,itseemed,hadgonecold.

ChapterFourteen–ProjectCondign

We have firmly established that the MoD's policy in relation to UFOs was to downplay both thephenomenon itself and the extent of theDepartment's interest and direct involvement. Thismanifesteditselfinanumberofways,mostusuallybysendingoutstandardletterstopeoplewhoaskedaboutUFOsorreportedsightings,implyingthattheMoDhadverylittleinterestinthesubject,whichwasregardedasbeingof"nodefensesignificance/interest".Similarlinesweretrottedouttothemediawhenthesubjectcameupandifpressed,theDepartmentwouldtrytoensurethatitsinterestwasinextricablylinkedwiththe question of foreign (generally Soviet – and later, Russian) military aircraft probing at the UK'sdefenses.The latterwasavery real scenario, so itwasveryeasy to ‘spin'MoD's involvement in thisway.

Ifanybodythinksthisisjustsemantics,thischapterdealswithasituationthatexposesthetruerealityofthe situation. This is the story of Project Condign, a highly-classified intelligence study into theUFOmysterycarriedoutatthesametimethattheMoDwassayingthesubjectwasofnodefenseinterest.Thestudy specifically considered theRendleshamForest incident.All this can be demonstrated clearly byreference to documents declassified by theMoD and released under the Freedom of InformationAct.Additionally, Iwaspersonally involved in thework that led to thisstudybeingcarriedoutand indeedmanyofthedocumentsreleasedareonesthatIwrote.

ProjectCondignhaditsrootsindiscussionsthatIhadin1993withmyoppositenumberintheDIS.WhileUFOsightingshadbeeninvestigatedsince1953,littletrendanalysishadbeenundertaken.Tocompoundtheproblem,muchoftheinformationthatwehadonsightingswasrecordedinpaperfilesandhadnotyetbeenenteredontoacomputer.Asaconsequence,itwasimpossibletointerrogateasingledatabaseandgetanswerstosimplequestionssuchas"AretheretimesoftheyearwhenUFOsaremorecommonlyseenthanothers?","WhatisthegeographicaldistributionofUFOsightingsintheUKandhowdoesthischangewhenallowingforpopulationdensity?","Havetherebeenchangesinthesocio-economicstatusofUFOwitnesses over the last ten years?", "Is there a correlation between UFO sightings and the theatricalreleasedatesofsciencefictionmovies?",oranynumberofothersuchquestionsthatwemightusefullyask.Theonlywaytogetsuchanswerswastheverylabor-intensivesolutionofassigningadministrativestafftothetask,whichwasnotalwayspossible,giventheconstantshortageofsupportstaff.Witharound12,000UFOsightingreportsinthefileswehadavastamountofdata–farmorethantheUSgovernmenthadeveramassedduringProjectBlueBook–butnowayofexploitingitproperly.

UnlikemanyofmypredecessorsontheUFOprojectandmostofmysuccessors,IforgedextremelycloselinkswiththeDIS,possiblybecauseIhadahighsecurityclearance,obtainedasaconsequenceofhavingworkedintheAirForceOperationsRoomintheJointOperationsCenter,duringthePersianGulfWar.MyDISoppositenumberseemedgenuinelyinterestedintheUFOphenomenonandsharedmydiscomfortthatweweren't doing enough trend analysis. So it was that on June 1, 1993 hewroteme an internalminute:

"Youmay be interested to hear that at long last I have had some funds allocated for seriousUFOresearch…needlesstosaywedonotwantthisbroadcastanditisforyourinformationonly".

IrepliedonJune3andmyresponseincludedthefollowing:

"Iwaspleased tohearabout the fundsyouhave secured,and stand ready toassistwithanyof theprojectsyouareplanning".

There thenfollowedan internalDISmeetingatwhich itwasdecided thatapprovalwas required from

"customers". The two customers identified were the Head of Secretariat (Air Staff) – my Head ofDivision–and theDirectorofAirDefense.Adraftnotewaspreparedwhichcontained the followingquote:

"Somerecentevents,andacursoryexaminationofthefiles,indicatethatthetopicmaybeworthyofashortstudy".

Oneofthe"recentevents"wasawaveofsightingsthathadoccurredintheUKonMarch30/31,1993,intowhichIhadledtheofficialinvestigation.

Intheevent,thedraftletterseekingapprovalfromHeadofSecretariat(AirStaff)andtheDirectorofAirDefensewasn'tsent.WhathappenedwasthatamuchmoredetailedbriefingnotewassenttoSecretariat(AirStaff)2 - theDeputyDirectorwhowasmysecond reportingofficer.The reason for thiswas thatapprovalwasneededateitherDirectororDeputyDirectorlevel,soIwasn'tabletoapprovethestudymyself.However, bothmyDirector andDeputyDirectorwere highly skeptical aboutUFOs andwereuneasythattheUFOprojectwasembeddedintheirdivisionatall.Howcouldwepossiblyconvincethemweshouldbedoingmore,notless,onthesubject?

Withthisprobleminmind,IhadextensivediscussionswithmyDISoppositenumberandweconcoctedastrategyfor‘selling' theinitiativetomyskepticalbossesandgetting‘buy-in'andthegreenlight.Todothis,alittledeviousnesswasrequired.Firstofall,myDeputyDirectorwasastatistician,broughtintothemanagerialmainstreamaspartofanMoDpersonneldepartmentexperiment tosee if ‘deepspecialists'could operate outside their comfort zone in wider, policy-making and managerial roles. I thereforerecommendedthatwherepossible,thestudyshouldbepresentedasastatisticalanalysis!

Languagewasakeypartofthis'sellingjob'andmyDIScolleagueandIagreedtodroptheterm"UFO"inviewoftheassociatedbaggage,replacingitwiththemorescientific-soundingterm"UAP"(UnidentifiedAerial Phenomena). It became a point of pride – and some humor – towrite entire documents on thesubjectwithouttheterm"UFO"appearingevenonce.Thiswastohaveunanticipatedconsequencesyearslater,when responding toFreedomof InformationAct requests, and I'm sure that variousUFO-relateddocumentshavenotbeenreleasedasplanned,simplybecausetheyusetheterm"UAP"andnot"UFO".

With all this groundwork laid, the meeting was set up. Like many people with little experience ofintelligencematters,myDeputyDirectorwasalittleover-awedbythe‘spooks'(asBritscallintelligenceoperatives) and doubtless conjured up some James Bond fantasy. My DIS colleague played thingsmasterfully,oftenspeakinginlittlemorethanawhisperandleaningforwardconspiratorially,asifhewasentrustingmybosswith theUK'snuclear launchcodes.TherewasmentionofRussian research in thisarea,acoupleofusesofthephrase"UAP"andlotsoftalkaboutstatistics."Perhaps,ifit'snottoomuchtrouble," the DIS briefer ventured, "we could call upon your expertise in this area – if we come upagainstaparticularly trickyproblem…"Mybosswasalmost salivating.At theendof themeeting,mybosswasfirmly‘onboard'.Allthatwasneededto‘clinchthesale'waswrittenapproval.

ThewrittenproposalwasdatedOctober18,1993andwasclassifiedSecretUKEyesA,onlyonelevelbelowthehighestclassification,TopSecret.Thedocumentsetoutacompellingcaseforundertakingthestudy, but there was to be an additional twist. To distance theMoD even further from this work, thedetailedanalysiswas tobeundertakennotby theDIS,butbyadefensecontractor.At first, thismightsound bizarre, but it should be borne inmind that on retirement, seniormilitary officers and defenseciviliansoftenstepseamlessly fromgovernmentservice into theemployof largedefensecorporations,usuallyatboardlevel.There'smovementatlowerlevelstooandthebottomlineisthatcertaindefense

companieshaveasmallgroupofindividualswhosesecurityclearancesarestillactiveandaregenerallyhigherthanmostoftheirex-colleaguesinthemilitary,DOD,MoD,orwherever.Ifthatisn'tenoughtosetalarmbellsringingwithconspiracytheorists,Ishouldmentionanotherbenefitthatarosefrompassingtheworktoadefensecontractor:privatecompaniesareexemptfromtheFreedomofInformationAct.ThisfitperfectlywiththeusualpolicyofdenyinganygreatinterestinUFOs.TheDepartmentcouldcontinuetomake statements about "examining" sightings to see if there was evidence of a threat. Even the word"investigating"wasfrowneduponasbeingtoostrongaword,soweusedtosaythatwe"examined"or"logged"sightings.Quitehowweweresupposedtodeterminewhetherornotsightingswereof"defensesignificance"withoutactuallyinvestigatingthemwasnevermadeclear!Passingthewholestudyofftoadefensecontractorwouldalsoenableus tomakestatementssuchas"TheMoDhasnotundertakenanyintelligence studies on UFOs", while desperately hoping that nobody would think to ask if we'dcommissioned any! If that sounds like sharp practice, it should be remembered that a golden rule ingovernmentistoanswerthequestionthat'sbeenasked,notthequestionthatsomebodymeant toask,orshouldhaveasked.

Using defense contractors to undertake particularly sensitive classified tasks is not without precedentwhenitcomestoesotericsubjectsthattheMoDhasdabbledwith.Considerthisstatement,placedintheFreedomofInformationsectionoftheMoD'swebsite:

"Astudywasundertakenin2001-2002toinvestigatetheoriesaboutcapabilitiestogatherinformationremotelyaboutwhatpeoplemaybeseeingandtodeterminethepotentialvalue,ifany,ofsuchtheoriestoDefense".

Atfirst,thismightsoundasifitrelatestosomenewsurveillancetechnique.Infact,thisstudyrelatestoanothersubjectonwhichIhaddiscussionswithDIScolleagues:recruitingpsychics!TheMoDhadbeenextremely reluctant to release the study at all, but could not avoid its legal responsibilities under theFreedomof InformationAct.Sowhen thematerialwaspublished, itwasdoneundercoverofablandnote that deliberately avoided usingwords such as "psychic", "clairvoyant" or "ESP", to avoid beingpickedupbyinternetsearchesusingsuchkeywords,andtolessenthechancesthatanyoneinthemediawouldnoticeadocumentclassifiedSecretUKEyesOnly,describinghow,intheimmediateaftermathof9/11, the MoD had attempted to lure psychic into a secret government program to locate "targets ofinterest".

ReturningtotheUFOstudy,inviewoftheextremesensitivities,eventhenormalproceduresforplacingadefensecontractweretobebypassed:

"Ibelievethatopeninganewcontractespeciallyforthisstudyandusingcompetitivetenderingwouldpotentiallyexposethestudytotoowideanaudience…"

Theplanwastoamendanexistingcontract,soastoavoidcreatinganypapertrail.Allthis,ofcourse,wasplannedwellbeforetheUK'sFreedomofInformationActandtherewasnointentionthatthisstudywouldeverseethelightofday.

Having got my skeptical Deputy Director to agree to something that he would not normally havesupported, Iwas eager thatwe sign-off the request as soon as possible andwith themost low-key ofresponses.Isentmybossanote,downplayingwhatIknewwasinvolvedinthestudyandstatingthatiftheDISweregoingtopayforthestudy,itwasessentiallytheirbusiness.Thiswasn'tstrictlytrue,aswehadthepolicyleadintermsofUFOs.However,highlightingthefactthatsomethingisn'tgoingtocomeoutofyourbudgetalwaysgoesdownwell:

"TheattachednotefromDI55cseemsfine.ADDI55ccameovertodiscussthissometimeago,andIadvisedhimthatIsawnodifficulties,althoughIaskedhimtowritetoussettingouttheirproposals;theirmoney,theirbusiness.

AsourpolicyalreadycommitsustolookingatallreportstoensurethereisnothreattothedefenseoftheUK,wearenotinanywaygoingoutsideourremit,asthisstudyisnomorethanareviewofdata.

Asyoucansee,theterm'UFO'isbeingdropped,asitisratheraloadedterm.

Coincidentally,thisweekwehavereceivedanewreportofahugetriangularobjectflyingovertheUKmainland.

IhaveattachedashortdraftreplytoDI55."

Withtheaboveinmind,InotonlybriefedmyDeputyDirectorontheDISproposal,butmadethingseasyforhimbydraftingareplyforhimtosendinresponsetotheproposal.Allhehadtodowassignit,whichhedid:

"Icanconfirmthatwearecontentwithwhathasbeenproposed…IwouldbegratefulifyouwouldkeepSec(AS)2a[i.e.me]involvedinthisprocess".

The final part of the responsewas draftedwith the intention thatmyDeputyDirector would play nofurtherpartinthestudy.ItwasfarbettertohandlesuchdetailedworkonaSME(SubjectMatterExpert)toSMEbasis.

A series of delays caused by financial constraints and the pressure of other competingDIS prioritiesderailed the original plan. Correspondence dragged on periodically, but it was looking less and lesslikelythatthestudywouldevertakeplace.DespitethefactthatsomestaffwithintheDISfelt"Wehavearemitthatwehavenevermet"(i.e.undertakingaproperintelligencestudyoftheUFOphenomenonthatwould allow a better andmore informed assessment ofwhetherUFOswere of defense significance),otherDISpersonnelwere less keen. In a letter datedOctober 25, 1995 a seniorDISofficer said that"spending money on such an esoteric subject in a continuing climate of constraint was not goodpolitically".

However, by the end of 1996 the study was resurrected and, for the first time, the phrase "ProjectCondign"wasused.Thenamewasarandomly-generatedcodeword.TheUKtendstodothis,asopposedto setting out their intention in operation names in theway theUSGovernment does.Hence, theUK'sversion of Operation Desert Storm was Operation Granby, while the Falklands War was OperationCorporate.Conspiracytheoristsdidn'tseeitthatwayandwhenthereportwasdeclassified,thoughtthatthe similarity with the "Condon Report" was no coincidence. The Condon Committee had reviewedProjectBlueBookinthelateSixtiesandtheskepticalfinalreportrecommendedthattheUSAFceaseallresearchandinvestigationsintotheUFOphenomenon,whichtheydulydid.ThiswasexactlytheoutcomethattheUSAFhadhopedtogetandtestimonyfromsomeofthepeopleinvolvedintheCondonCommitteesuggests that the skeptical conclusions and recommendation were a foregone conclusion – exactly asconspiracytheoristsallege.

Byearly1997anotherproblememerged:Sec(AS)begantogetcoldfeet."Ihavesomeconcernsaboutwhat is planned" stated a letter dated January 27, 1997, before setting outworries that theDIS studywouldbeincompatiblewiththe‘Wedon'tinvestigateUFOs'linethatSec(AS)wereaggressivelytryingtopushwithParliament, themediaand thepublic.TheDIS,however,hadaconcernof itsown.TheDIS

concernwasSec(AS)!Despitetheclassificationandsensitivityofthisstudy,whichwascarriedoutonthe usual 'need to know' basis, Sec(AS) had copied the correspondencemorewidely. They had evenincluded the name of the defense contractor undertaking thework,who delivered a stinging rebuke toSec(AS).

IhastentoaddthatbythattimeIwasnolongerworkinginSec(AS),havingbeenpromotedin1994andpostedtoanotherdirectorate.HadIstillbeeninSec(AS)IliketothinkIcouldhavesmoothedoverthesedifferences. I certainly would have advised my bosses against putting DIS documents on a widerdistributionwithouttheirpriorconsent.ThetoneofthecorrespondenceatthistimeclearlyshowssometensionbetweenSec(AS)andtheDIS.Andthat'swhenthereallyinterestingthinghappens:Sec(AS)dropout of the picture altogether. The reason is never directly explained, but an internal DIS email datedDecember17,1999,suggeststhatSec(AS)'swidercirculationofDISpaperswasthestrawthatbrokethecamel'sback.ProjectCondignhadbeencompletedandtheDISemailwasdiscussingcirculationofthefinalreport.Thekeyquoteisasfollows:

"Nopositivepurposewouldbeserved insending thereport toSec(AS)…werecommenda letter toSec(AS)…identifyingthatwehavecompletedourdeclaredreview,outliningtheconclusionsdrawn…inviewofthe"leakiness"ofSec(AS)wewouldadvocateonlyreleasingthereporttothemonrequest,inordertodiscouragefurtherdiscussion".

Needlesstosay,foronepartoftheMoDtodescribeanotherpartusingtheword"leakiness"islittleshortofsensational.

However,by2000thingshadchangedagainandwhilethelettersummarizingProjectCondignwassenttoahandfulofDISandRAFpersonnel,itwasn'tcopiedtoSec(AS)atall.

MoDpersonneltendtomoveposts(eitheronleveltransferorpromotion)everythreeorfouryears,soby2000,noneof those involved in theoriginaldiscussionsconcerningProjectCondignwere inSec(AS).This led to the extraordinary and farcical situation where a highly classified UFO study had beenproducedandwassenttoanumberofMoDdivisions,butnottotheUFOproject!Theverydivisionthathad policy responsibility for the subject was completely excluded. The only (probably unintended)benefitofthiswasthatitifSec(AS)madestatementssuchas"WearenotawareofanyclassifiedstudiesintotheUFOphenomenon",suchstatementswouldbetrue!

WhiletheDIShaddonetheirbesttohidetheexistenceofProjectCondignnotjustfromthepublic,butevenfromMoD'sUFOproject,theywereultimatelyunsuccessful.WhentheUK'sFreedomofInformationActcamefullyintoforceonJanuary1,2005,theMoDsoonfounditselfreceivingmorerequestsonUFOsthanonalmostanyothersubject.Unfortunately(for theMoD),someapparently innocuousUFO-relateddocumentsthathadbeenreleasedmadepassingreferencetoa"policyreview"intotheUFOphenomenonthathadbeenundertakeninaround1997.Whilethisthrowawaylinewasfairlycrypticandthedatewaswrong, itwas enough to attract the attention of various ufologists,who submitted furtherFOI requestsrelating to this "policy review".One can only imagine the embarrassment and humiliation in theUFOproject when they discovered that contrary to their belief that no such review had been carried out(becausetheywouldhavewrittenit–oratleastseenit),suchareviewhadbeenundertaken,butwithouttheirbeinginvolvedoreveninformed.

TheMoDdulyreleasedaredactedcopyofthefinalreportandpublishedthedocumentonitswebsiteonMay15,2006.ThestatementonMoD'swebsitereadasfollows:

"Duringapolicyreviewin1996intothehandlingofUnidentifiedAerialPhenomenasightingreports

receivedbytheMinistryofDefense,astudywasundertakentodeterminethepotentialvalue,ifany,ofsuch reports toDefense Intelligence.ConsistentwithMinistryofDefensepolicy, theavailabledatawasstudiedprincipallytoascertainwhetherthereisanyevidenceofathreattotheUK,andsecondly,shouldtheopportunityarise,toidentifyanypotentialmilitarytechnologiesofinterest.

TheMinistryofDefensehasreleasedthisreportinresponsetoaFreedomofInformationrequestandwearepleased tonowmake it available to awideraudience via theMoDFreedomof InformationPublicationScheme.WhereindicatedinformationiswithheldinaccordancewithSection26(Defense),Section 27 (International Relations) and Section 40 (Personal Information) of the Freedom ofInformationAct2000."

There was much media speculation about the anonymous author of the report, with many peoplesuggestingthatIhadwrittenit.Ihadnot,thoughtheidentityoftheauthorisknowntome,asisthedefencecompanyinvolved.

ProjectCondign'sfinalreportwasabizarredocument,tosaytheveryleast.Likemanyhighly-classifieddocuments,themostintriguingmaterialwasnotnecessarilyobvious,perhapsbyaccidentorperhapsbydesign; there'sanoldsaying that thebestplace tohideabookis ina library–or inaversion that theRendleshamForestincidentwitnessesmightbetterappreciate,thebestplacetohideatreeisinaforest.

The report ran to 465 pages and only 11 copies were made at the time. It was an odd mixture: acomprehensivedrawingtogetherofsomeexistingresearchon the topic,coupledwithsomeexoticnewtheories:

"That UAP exist is indisputable. Credited with the ability to hover, land, take off, accelerate toexceptional velocities and vanish, they can reportedly alter their direction of flight suddenly andclearlycanexhibitaerodynamiccharacteristicswellbeyondthoseofanyknownaircraftormissile–eithermannedorunmanned."

SostatedtheExecutiveSummary,bullishly,beforegoingontosay,morecautiously,thatnoevidencehasbeenfoundtosuggesttheyare"hostileorunderanytypeofcontrol."Butbyitsownadmission,thestudyhad not turned up a definitive explanation for the phenomenon: "Although the study cannot offer thecertaintyofexplanationofallUAPphenomena…"itstated,leavingthedooropen.

Oneofthemostcontentiousaspectsofthestudyrelatedtowhatthereportreferredtoas"plasmarelatedfields".Electrically-chargedatmosphericplasmaswere creditedwithhavinggiven rise to someof thereportsofvasttriangular-shapedcraft,whiletheinteractionofsuchplasmafieldswiththetemporallobesinthebrainbeingcitedasanotherreasonwhypeoplemightfeel theywerehavingstrangeexperiences.Theproblemwiththisstatementisthatthere'snoscientificconsensushere,andasagoodruleofthumboneshouldn'ttrytoexplainoneunknownphenomenonbycitingevidenceofanother.Inotherwords,youcan'texplainonemysterywithanotherone.

Nonetheless,havingraisedtheissue,thepotentialmilitaryapplications(includingweaponization)ofthiscouldnotbeignored.Thereportstated:

"There is evidence… that scientists in the former SovietUnion have taken a particular interest in"UFO Phenomena". They have identified the close connection with plasma technologies and arepursuing related techniques for potential military purposes. For example, very high power energygeneration,RFWeapons,ImpulseRadars,airvehicledragandradarsignaturereductionorcontrol,andpossiblyforradarreflectingdecoys".

Onthispoint,thereportrecommended:

"The relevance of plasmaandmagnetic fields toUAPwas an unexpected feature of the study. It isrecommended that further investigation should be [undertaken] into the applicability of variouscharacteristicsinvariousnovelmilitaryapplications".

Thereportalsodealtwithairsafetyissues,thoughincredibly,whenthereportwasreleasedin2006,themediafailedtopickuponspeculationthatseveralfatalaircraftaccidentsmightbeattributabletopilotstakingviolentevasiveactiontoavoidUFOs.ProjectCondign'sfinalreportmadetworecommendationsinrelationtopilotsencounteringUFOs:

"Noattemptshouldbemadetoout-maneuveraUAPduringinterception".

Anotherrecommendationstated:

"Athigheraltitudes,althoughUAPappear tobebenign tocivilair-traffic,pilotsshouldbeadvisednottomaneuver,otherthantoplacetheobjectastern,ifpossible".

Most relevant to us, however, is what the Condign Report had to say about the Rendlesham Forestincident.ThisisspecificallyaddressedinVolume2ofthereport,inAnnexFofWorkingPaper1.Undertheheading"Non-ionizingEMeffectsonhumans"and"EMfieldfromaplasma"thereportstates:

"Thewell-reportedRendleshamForest/Bentwatersevent isanexamplewhere itmightbepostulatedthatseveralobserverswereprobablyexposedtoUAPradiationforlongerthannormalUAPsightingperiods. Theremay be other caseswhich remain unreported. It is clear that the recipients of theseeffectsarenotawarethattheirbehavior/perceptionofwhattheyareobservingisbeingmodified".

Indescribingtheeffectsofexposuretosuchradiation,thereportgoesontosay:

"Animportantfactisthatthereportedeffectof(presumed)UAPradiationonhumansisthatitisquickactingandremembered–although,curiously,followingtheeventthereislittleornorecallofeventsasacontinuum.Inshort,thewitnessoftenreportsapparent‘gaps'or‘losttime'-oftennotaccountingforuptoseveralhours.Itisdescribedasiftheexposurecausesatemporarymemoryerasure."

TheExecutiveSummaryputfurtherfleshonthebonesbysayingthis:

"The close proximity of plasma related fields can adversely affect a vehicle or person. For this tooccur,theUAPmustbeencounteredatverycloseranges.Aprobablemodulatedmagnetic,electricorelectromagnetic (or even unknown) field appears to emanate from some of the buoyant chargedmasses.Localfieldsofthistype(probablyeitheranelectromagneticnear-field,oradirectmagneticfield),havebeenmedicallyproventocauseresponsesinthetemporallobesofthehumanbrain.Theseresultintheobserversustaining(andlaterdescribingandretaining)hisorherownvivid,butmainlyincorrect,descriptionofwhatisexperienced.Someobserversarelikelytobemoresusceptibletothesefields than are others, and may suffer extended memory retention and repeat experiences. This issuggestedtobeakeyfactorininfluencingthemoreextremereportsfoundinthemediaandareclearlybelievedbythe‘victims'."

So,ironically,whateveronethinksofthetheory,theUKMoDatleastoffersaviewonwhathappenedtothewitnessesatRendlesham,whenthosesamewitnessescan'tevengettheUSgovernmenttocommentonUFOs, let alone offer some potential explanation towhat happened to their ownmilitary personnel inRendleshamForest.Pennistoncertainlydrawssomecomfortfromthestudy:

"ProjectCondign,insomerespects,wasavalidationoftheexistenceofthephenomenon."

Burroughsisevenmoreforthrightonthispoint:

"ProjectCondignhasnotbeenlookedatverycloselybymostpeoplebecauseofthewayitwaswrittenandbecauseofthefactthatmostpeopledon'thavethebackgroundtounderstandwhatit'stryingtotell you. Only after you take a look at the documents used to write the report do you begin tounderstand what the Governments of the world are working on and why they want this to remainclassified. If you take the time to read the documents you will see not only that Rendlesham ismentioned but that there are numerous references in these documents talking about what weencounteredintheforest-aphenomenonthat,ifharnessed,couldbeusedasaweapon.What'salsointerestingisthatmanyofthedocumentsusedinthisreportremainclassified."

Burroughselaboratesonthispoint:

"IfyoulookattheMoDpapersit'sveryclearthereisaracebymanycountriestogettheirhandsonthetechnologythatweencounteredoverthosethreenights.Andyet,sofarasmostpeopleintheworldareconcerned,theyjustwanttoknowifwe'realoneornot."

Inrestatingthispoint,Burroughssetsouthisviewonjusthowhighthestakesare:

"It'sveryclearthereisarace,aroundtheworld,tohavetheupperhandintechnologywhichwouldthengivethatgovernmentanupperhandnotonlyonitsownpeople,butontheentireworld."

Simplyput, technologyacquisition lies at theheart ofgovernment interest inUFOs, andexplainsUFOsecrecy.Andagain,asarticulatedbyBurroughs,comestheintriguingpossibilitythattheextraterrestrialhypothesiscouldsimplybeacoverstorymaskinganevenbiggersecret:

"Sofarasthestoryofaliensisconcerned,thatwasjustacoverforwhatreallyhappenedtous."

Therewas tobeone final surprise.Officially, aswe've seen, theUSGovernmenthasnot investigatedUFOssinceProjectBlueBookwasterminatedin1969.Yetin1993,whilemakingthecaseforthestudytobecarriedout,theDISstated:

"I am aware, from intelligence sources, that XXXXX believes that such phenomena exist and has asmall team studying them. I am also aware that an informal group exists in the XXXXXXXXXXXXcommunityanditispossiblethatthisreflectsamoreformalorganization."

InvestigativejournalistLeslieKeanconductedadetailedanalysisof thisdocument(formerlyclassifiedSecretUKEyesAandpartiallydeclassifiedundertheFreedomofInformationAct)andconcludedthatthefirstredactionis"Russia"andthesecondredactionis"USintelligence."

I clearly recall the document, but in view of my secrecy oath can neither confirm nor deny Kean'sanalysis.However,ifshe'sright,itwouldmeanthatconspiracytheoristsare,foronce,correct:someonein theUS is stillcarryingout researchand investigation into theUFOphenomenon,despite theofficialdenials.

ChapterFifteen–BeyondRendlesham

The MoD's Project Condign certainly made for bizarre reading, with its theories about atmosphericplasmas,non-ionizingelectromagnetic(or"unknown")fields,and theeffectsofall thison the temporallobesinthehumanbrain.ThesuggestionthattheRendleshamForestwitnesses"wereprobablyexposedtoUAPradiationforlongerthannormalUAPsightingperiods"certainlyhasfrighteningimplicationsforJohnBurroughsandJimPenniston.ButforanorganizationfondoflabelingUFOsasbeingof"nodefensesignificance",torecommendthat"noattemptshouldbemadetoout-maneuveraUAPduringinterception"seemedodd. Itwasaclassicexampleof theOrwellian‘doublethink' that theMoDoccasionallyhad topracticeon this subject:wehadone (dismissive)viewonUFOs forourdealingswithParliament, themediaandthepublic,butanothermorecomplexpositionforourselves.

Project Condign's "No attempt should be made to out-maneuver a UAP during interception"recommendationwasanexampleofthisandindeedthefinalreportstatedthat"theflightsafetyaspectsofthefindingsshouldbemadeavailable to theappropriateRAFAirDefenseandothermilitaryandcivilauthoritieswhichoperateaircraft,particularlythoseoperatingfastandatlowaltitude".Criminally,giventhereport'sreferencetofatalities,thereisnoevidencetosuggestthattheUKCivilAviationAuthorityorthe US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been briefed on any of this, despite therecommendation.

Why is any of this important? The answer lies in another finding from Project Condign which again,incredibly,wasmissedbythemedia(provingthatthebestplacetohideabookreallyisinalibrary):

"Attempts by other nations to intercept the unexplained objects, which can clearly change positionfasterthananaircraft,havereportedlyalreadycausedfatalities"

Perhaps it's onlywhen one replaces the term "unexplained objects"with the phrase theMoDwas sodesperatetodrop–"UFOs"–thatonecanseejusthowexplosiveastatementthatis.

Neverhasthephrase"nodefensesignificance"seemedsoinappropriate.

Before looking at some otherUFO cases thatwill put theRendleshamForest incident into context byshowingthesortsofUFOincidentsthatgovernmentstakeseriously(whetherornottheysayso),it'sworthlookingatwho,withingovernment,actuallydoestheinvestigating.Atfirst,thismightseemlikeanoddpointtohighlight,butitgetstotheheartoftheissuebecauseit'soneofthosefundamentalquestionsthathardly ever get asked.Letme put it anotherway. If theUS government really did get out of theUFO‘game'afterProjectBlueBookwas terminated,butwasgoing to lookagainat thephenomenon,whichagencyshouldbeputincharge?ThepossibilitiesincludeNASA,theFAAandtheOfficeofScienceandTechnologyPolicy.Butaswehaveseen,ProjectBlueBookwasembeddedintheUSAF.Indeed,withtheexceptionoftheFrenchgovernment(whoseUFOproject,knownasGEIPAN,isembeddedintheFrenchNational Space Agency), virtually every country that has ever investigated UFOs has charged theirmilitary(usuallytheairforce)ortheirDODwiththiswork.SothequestionaboutwhoinvestigatesUFOsisanimportantoneandtheanswergivesusaninsightintohowUFOsarereallyseen:asadefenseissue.Sowiththatinmind,let'sdipintosomeUFOcasefilesfromAmerica,Britainandelsewhere.Becausewhile most of the cases in these real-life X-Files are mundane sightings that turned out to bemisidentificationsofthingslikeaircraftlights,weatherballoonsorsatellites,othersaredecidedlymoremysterious–andonoccasion,sinister.

AFatalEncounter

OnJanuary7,1948,KentuckyAirNationalGuardpilotThomasMantellwasoneofanumberofpilotswhochasedaUFOthathadbeenseenfromvariouslocationsinKentucky.Whiletheotherpilotsbrokeofftheirpursuit,Mantellcarriedon,butisassumedtohaveblackedoutduetothelackofoxygen.Hisplanecrashedandhewaskilled.TheUSmilitarylatersaidhehadmistakenlybeenchasingthePlanetVenus.

ShootDowntheUFO

OnoraroundMay20,1957(theprecisedateisthesubjectofsomedebate),MiltonTorres,aUSAFpilotbasedintheUKaspartofaUS/UKexchangeprogram,wasscrambledandorderedtointerceptaUFOthatwasbeingtrackedonmilitaryradar.AsheclosedontheobjectinhisF-86DSabrefighterjet,hewasorderedtoopenfireonit.Herecallsthathewasataheightofaround32,000feetandthatwhileheneversawtheUFO,hisaircraft'sonboardradartrackedtheobject,whichappearedtobethesizeofanaircraftcarrier.Hecamewithinsecondsoffiringoffafullsalvoof24"MightyMouse"rockets,butatthatpointtheUFOaccelerated fromavirtualhover to a speedof aroundMach10, causinghim tobreakoffhisattackrun.

Torresstatedthathewassubsequentlywarnedtostaysilentabouttheincidentandtoldthatifhefailedtocomplywiththisorder,hewouldbegrounded.Hedoesnotknowtheidentityofthepersonwhodebriefedhim andmade this threat, but now believes the individual concerned was from the National SecurityAgency.Forpilots,‘losingtheirwings'isvirtuallytheultimatethreat.Torresstayedsilentuntillongafterheretired,whenhementionedtheincidentatareunion.TorresthenwrotetotheMoD,in1988,sendinganaccountoftheeventandaskingwhetheritwasnowalrighttodiscusstheincidentandaskingwhetheranydefinitiveexplanationfortheencounterhadeverbeenfoundandifso,whetheritwasavailable.Nooriginaldocuments relating to thecasewerediscovered– theMoDhas long-maintained thatmostpre-1967UFOfilesweredestroyedmanyyearsago.

Thestoryonlyemerged in2008,whentheMoDfilecontaining the letter fromTorreswasreleased,aspartofthewiderprogramtodeclassifyandreleasealltheMoD'sUFOfiles.IhadlefttheMoDbythenandsubsequentlygavesomemediainterviewsaboutthisincident.In2009IgaveatalkinWashingtonDCabout someofmygovernmentworkon theUFOphenomenon.Torres,by then77yearsold, shared thestagewithmeandtoldhisstorywithquietdignity.Heexplainedthathehadstayedsilentfordecades,asordered,outofloyalty.Hesaidthathehadnoteventoldhisfather,whohefeltsurewouldhavelovedtohearthestory,buthaddiedbeforetheMoDreleasedthefile.AtthatpointTorresbrokedown.ItwasasadindicationofthestressesofkeepingUFOsecretsforsolong.

AnotherAttemptedShoot-Down

OnSeptember18,1976,ParvizJafari-wholaterretiredasageneralintheIranianAirForce-attemptedtoshootdownaUFOwithanair-to-airmissile.TheUFOhadbeenseenoverTehranandanair forcecommander ordered a jet to be scrambled. As Jafari approached the UFO in his Phantom F-4 jet helockedonto itwithhisairborne radar.Asheapproached,hesawfoursmallerobjectsdetach from themaincraft.Oneofthemcamerapidlytowardshisaircraft.Believinghewasunderattack,Jafariattemptedtolaunchaheat-seekingSidewindermissile,butatthatinstanthismissilecontrolpanelwentdead.

Onhisreturntobase,Jafariwasdebriefedbyanumberofpeople,includinganAmericancolonel–thiswas Iranunder theShah,when thecountrieswereallies.Years later Jafari sawaDefense IntelligenceAgencydocumentonhis encounter, releasedunder theUSFreedomof InformationAct. It stated "Thiscase is a classic thatmeets all necessary conditions for a legitimate study of the UFO phenomenon".Again,it'snoteworthythatthiswassixyearsaftertheterminationofProjectBlueBook,andthusatime

whentheUSGovernmentwastellingthemediaandthepublicthatithadnointerestinUFOsandwasnolonger investigating sightings. If that was true, why was a US Colonel quizzing Jafari about a UFOsightingandwhywastheDIAwritingaclassifiedreportontheincident?

TheUFOreporthadcome to theattentionof theUSGovernmentvia theMilitaryAssistanceAdvisoryGroupinTehran.ThisorganizationwasheadedbytheUSAFGeneralRichardSecord.Thoughoutsidethescopeofthisbook,it'sinterestingtonotethatSecordwasallegedlypartofaninformalgroupofdefenseand intelligence community officials dubbed "TheEnterprise".Othermembers ofTheEnterpriseweresaidtoincludeEdwinWilson,ThomasClines,TheodoreShackleyandErichvonMarbod.TheexistenceofTheEnterprisecametolightinthecourseofinvestigationsintotheIranContraaffair.ImentionTheEnterprise because of the Secord/Jafari connection and because it's exactly the sort of body (thoughprobablynotthespecificone)thattheUFOissuemighthavebeenhandedoffto,inawaythatwouldkeepitfarenoughawayfromgovernmenttobe‘offthebooks',butcloseenoughtocontrol.

MissingPresumedDead

OnOctober21,1978,FrederickValentich,acivilianpilot,tookofffromMelbourne,Australia.Hehadbeenintheairforaround45minuteswhenheradioedtheMelbourneFlightServiceUnittoreportthathewasbeingbuzzedbyastrange,unidentifiedaircraft.Hesaid itwas large,brightandmetallic.His lastradiomessagetotheairtrafficcontrollerwasasfollows:

"MyintentionsaretogotoKingIsland–er,Melbournethatstrangeaircraftishoveringontopofmeagain-itishoveringandit'snotanaircraft…".

Therewasnofurthercontactanddespiteanextensivesearchandrescueoperation,neitherValentichnorhisaircraftwereeverseenagain.

TargetEngaged

On April 11, 1980, Oscar Alfonso Santa Maria Huertas, a pilot with the Peruvian Air Force, wasscrambled to intercept a sphericalUFOhovering in restrictedmilitary airspace.His unit commander'sorderswereclear:"ShootdowntheUFO".AsHuertasclosedontheobjectinhisSukhoi-22fighter,hestrafeditwithhis30mmcanon,firing64shellsattheUFO.Hesawsomeofhisprojectileshitthecraft,buttheyhadnoeffect."Theprojectilesdidn'tbounceoff",hesaid."Probably,theywereabsorbed".Hevectoredhisaircraftforanotherattack,butonthisoccasiontheUFOtookevasiveactionhewasnotabletocatchupwithitagain.

TheCash-LandrumEncounter

OnDecember29,1980, threewitnesses(BettyCash,VickieLandrumandVickie's7year-oldgrandsonColbyLandrum)inacarencounteredahuge,flaming,diamond-shapedUFOinDayton,Texas.TheUFOwasat treetopheight and theheatwas intense.The twoadultsgotoutof thecar for a closer lookbutLandrumsoonreturnedtocomfortthehystericalColby.Cashstayedoutside,asifmesmerizedbythelight,andbythetimeshereturned,shesaidthedoorhandlewassohot,shehadtousehercoattoprotectherhand. A large number of military helicopters were seen flying alongside the UFO, as if they wereescorting it. Subsequently, all three witnesses became ill, with nausea and vomiting. The most badlyaffected witness (Cash) was hospitalized for 12 days with symptoms that doctors believed wereconsistentwithradiationsickness.

Eventually, Cash and Landrum launched a legal action, claiming $20M from the US government. The

actionwasdismissedafterstatementsfromvariousbranchesoftheUSmilitarywereproduced,denyingthattheyownedoroperatedanycraftalongthelinesoftheonedescribed.Assumingthesedenialsweretrue, is it possible that such craft are operated not by theUSgovernment ormilitary, but by a privatecorporation,orbyaquasi-governmentalorganizationsuchas‘TheEnterprise'?Justashighly-classifiedMoD studies such as Project Condign and the secret project to recruit psychicsweremoved into theprivatesector,notleasttotakeitoutsidethescopeoftheFreedomofInformationAct,perhapsthesameistrue of certain secret prototype aircraft and drones. UFO believers, of course, think the craft thatirradiatedtheCash-Landrumpartycamefromconsiderablefurtherafieldthan,say,theLockheedMartin‘SkunkWorks'.

BettyCash died onDecember 29, 1998, 18 years to the very day since the incident occurred.VickieLandrumdiedonSeptember12,2007.

Sharp-eyedreaderswillhavespottedthatthedateofthisencounter–December291980–wasjustafewhours after the events at Rendlesham Forest had come to their climax when Charles Halt and othersencountered a UFO that fired light beams down at them and, later, at the Weapons Storage Area atBentwaters.JohnBurroughsandJimPennistonareintriguedbythiscoincidence(ifindeedthat'swhatitis)andconcernedatthesuggestionthattheUFOintheCash-Landrumencounterexposedthewitnessestoradiation thatmay,ultimately,haveproved fatal.This is another reasonwhy, somanyyears after theirencounter,BurroughsandPennistonarestilllobbyingforanswersfromtheUSgovernment.Pennistonputsitthisway:

"Itisinterestingthetwoeventshappenedwithinsuchashorttimeofeachother.IfindtheRendleshamForestincidentmorethanenoughformetohandle,letaloneothers."

Trans-en-Provence

OnJanuary8.1981afarmerworkinginafieldnearthetownofTrans-en-ProvenceinsouthernFranceheardastrangewhistlingsoundandsawasaucer-shapedUFOlandnearby.Thecraftquicklytookoffandleftwhatseemedtobeburnmarksontheground.Theinvestigationconcludedthattheobjecthadweighedaround5tons,hadheatedthesoiltoatemperatureofaround600degreesCelsiusandhadcausedbizarrechangestothenearbyvegetation,includinglossofchlorophyll.

TheBelgianTriangle

OnthenightofMarch30/31,1990awaveofUFOsightingsinBelgiumthathadlastedforseveralmonthsreacheditsclimaxwhenanunidentifiedobjectwaspickeduponmilitaryradar.TheBelgianAirForcescrambledtwoF-16fighterjetstointerceptthecraft,andthepilotsachievedlock-onswiththeironboardradars.Witnesseson thegroundsaid theUFOwasavast triangular-shapedcraft, thesizeofa footballfield. The UFO evaded them as a bizarre game of cat and mouse was played out in the skies overBelgium.TheBelgianAirForcelaunchedanofficialinquiry,butnoexplanationwaseverfound.

TheCalvineEncounter

OnAugust4,1990,twomembersofthepublicwereoutwalkinginthevicinityofCalvine,nearPitlochry,in Scotland, when they sighted a massive, diamond-shaped, metallic UFO. The UFO was virtuallystationaryandhoveredsilentlyforwhatthewitnessesbelievedwasseveralminutes,beforeacceleratingawayverticallyatmassivespeed.Duringthesighting,amilitaryaircraft,believedtobeaHarrier,wasseen,butitwasn'tclearif itwasescortingthecraft,attemptingtointerceptit,orwhetherthepilotwaseverawareofitatall.

AnumberofcolorphotographsweretakenandpassedtoaScottishnewspaper,whosestaffcontactedtheMoD,presumablybecausetheywereseekingacommentforastory.It'snotclearwhathappenednext–thedeclassifiedfilesareunclearonthispointandbecauseIdidn'tjoinMoD'sUFOprojectuntil1991,thisinvestigationwashandledbymypredecessor.Itseemsthat,somehow,theMoDmanagedtopersuadethereportertopartwithnotjustthephotos,butthenegatives.

The photoswere then sent to theDISwho then sent them on to imagery analysts at JARIC (JointAirReconnaissance Intelligence Center), despite the fact that at the time, the MoD had not yet publiclyacknowledged that therewasany intelligence interest inUFOsatall. IaskedmyDISoppositenumberabouttheimage.Iwastoldthattheofficialassessmentwasthatthephotoswererealandthecrafthadadiameterofaround80feet.Despitethissensationalconclusion,MoDdocumentsdrawnupwhenitwasfearedthat themediamightrunastoryaboutthephotosshowthat ifanyjournalistscontactedtheMoDPressOffice,thelinetotakeonthiswastobethat"nodefiniteconclusionhadbeenreachedregardingthelargediamond-shapedobject".

Ifirstcameacrossthisstoryin1991,whenIjoinedtheUFOproject.Aposter-sizedenlargementofthebest photo was prominently displayed on the office wall. I worked in a four-person office and mypredecessorhadputitup.ItwasoneofthefewvisibleUFO-relateditemsondisplay;mostmaterialwaslocked away.The office dealtwith some other issues too;most of us had been seconded into theAirForce Operations Room during the Persian Gulf War. One of my other jobs was to read draft bookmanuscripts that included any RAF aspects of the war, to ensure nothing was published that wasclassified, detrimental to theRAFor theMoD, or politically embarrassing. Sometimes, peoplewouldcometoourofficetodiscussnon-UFObusinessandsomeofthesepeoplewerenotawarethattheUFOprojectwasembeddedinthesection.Youwouldhavethissurrealmomentwhenpeoplewouldstopmid-sentence,stareattheCalvineUFOphotoandsaysomethinglike"Whatthehell'sthat"?Thiswasnotthearchetypaldistant,blurredUFOphoto.Thiswas‘upcloseandpersonal,reachoutandyoucantouch'itstuff."Idon'tknowwhatitis,butit'snotoneofours",wasourstockanswertotheinevitablequestion.AtaDISbriefingonUFOsthatItookmybossto,thebriefertookouthisowncopyofthephoto."Takethis,forexample,"hebegan."Itisn'tAmericananditisn'tRussian".Ashesaid"American"hepointedtoonesideandashesaid"Russian"hepointedtotheother."Sothatonlyleaves…"-hisvoicetrailedoffandhedidnotcompletethesentence.Buthisfingerwaspointingdirectlyupwards.

At some point in 1994myHead ofDivision removed the photograph and locked it in his office safe,tellingme that he believed the craft photographedwas probably a secret, prototype aircraft or drone.What happened next?The suspicion is that someone shredded the photo, butwhatever the truth of thematter, itwasneverseenagain.Aswehaveseen, thesame thinghadhappened to theDISfileson theRendlesham Forest UFO incident, the Highpoint Prison and Hollesley Bay Youth Correction Centergovernor's journals and the HMSManchester ship's log. This was some years before the UK got itsFreedomofInformationAct.Atthetime,shreddingthephoto–ifthat'swhathappened–wouldprobablyhave been a legitimate (albeit unfortunate) action. If such an action happened post-FOIA and was adeliberateattempttocircumnavigatetheAct,itwouldhavebeenillegal.

When the story broke inMarch 2009, as part of themedia coverage of the program to declassify andrelease thearchiveofMoDUFOfiles, Igavevarious interviewsabout this,givingmy recollectionofevents. Despite this media coverage and associated public appeals, the witnesses have never comeforward.Neitherhasanyoneatthenewspaperconcerned(oranyotherScottishnewspaper)comeforwardtosaythattheyworkedonthisstorybackin1990.Understandably,thishasgeneratedafewconspiracytheories.Isuspectthatintheirdesperationtoacquirethephotosandnegatives(andmaybekillthemedia

story),DISstaffsomehowtrickedthejournalistintohandingoverallthematerialandnevergaveitback.If the journalist had not briefed his editor, hemay have stayed silent out of embarrassment. Similarly,maybe the witnesses were told that it would be better if they did not discuss what they had seen(something thatMoDstaff sometimes suggestedwhenengagingwithUFOwitnesses), took this tobeathreat,andcomplied.

TheMoDfiles thatcontaindocuments relating to thiscasehavebeenreleasedandareavailableat theUK'sNationalArchives.TheMoDsaysthatdespiteanextensivesearch,notracehasbeenfoundoftheimages,aside fromonepoor-qualityphotocopyofa linedrawing thatwasdoneaspartof theoriginalMoDinvestigation.

OvertakenbyaUFO

OnNovember5,1990,anumberofRAFTornadofastjetaircraftflyingovertheNorthSeawerecasuallyovertakenbyaUFO.Thepilot'sreportstated,inpart:"UFOappearedinourrighthandside…weweretravellingatMachpoint8.Itwentintoour12o'clockandacceleratedaway.Another2Tornadossawit".

Near-missbetweenaircraftandUFO

OneofthemostdisturbingUFOcaseswithwhichIhavebeenpersonallyinvolvedoccurredonApril21,1991.WewereinformedbytheCAAthattherehadbeenanear-collisionbetweenacommercialaircraftandanunknownobject.TheaircraftconcernedwasanAlItaliaMD-80with57passengersonboard.Itwasataheightofaround22,000feetoverKent,nearLydd,whenabrown,cigar-shapedobjectpassedsoclosetotheaircraftthatthepilotshouted"lookout,lookout".Inthenormalcourseofevents,anynear-misswouldbeinvestigatedbytheCAA.However,mostsuchincidentsinvolveotheraircraft,andasthecrewwasnotabletoidentifytheobject,itwastreatedasaUFOincidentandpassedfromtheCAAtotheMoD. We launched a full investigation and eliminated all the usual possibilities, including weatherballoons,militaryaircraft,etc.Weevencheckedtoseewhetherwehadaccidentallyfiredoffamissileofsomesort.Wedrewacompleteblankandtheincidentremainsunexplainedtothisday.

TheCosfordIncident

AsidefromtheRendleshamForestincident,theUK'smostfamousandcompellingUFOcaseisaseriesofsightings that took place over a series of about six hours onMarch 30/31, 1993. These sightings areknowncollectivelyastheCosfordIncidentandasthisincidenttookplaceduringmytimeonMoD'sUFOproject,Iledtheinvestigation.

ThefirstsightingtookplaceonMarch30ataround8.30pminthecountyofSomerset.Thiswasfollowedbya sighting at 9pm in theQuantockHills.Thewitnesswas apoliceofficerwho, leading agroupofscouts,hadseenacraftthathedescribedaslooking"liketwoConcordesflyingsidebysideandjoinedtogether".ThereportscameinthickandfastanditwassoonclearthatIhadamajorUFOeventonmyhands.OneofthemostinterestingreportscamefromamemberofthepublicinRugely,Staffordshire,whoreportedaUFOthatheestimatedasbeing200metersindiameter.Heandotherfamilymemberstoldmehow theyhadchased theobject in their car andgot extremely close to it, believing it had landed in anearby field. When they got there a few seconds later, there was nothing to be seen. Many of thedescriptionsrelatedtoatriangular-shapedcraft,orofthelightsperceivedasbeingontheundersideofsuchacraft.

Someof the reports received thatnight read likesomething fromTheX-Files.Acouplewalkinghome

pastafarmer'sfieldintheWestCountrysawtheUFO,whichtheythoughtwassolowthatitwasgoingtoland.Whentheygottothefield,itwasempty.However,allthefarmer'scowswerestandingsilentlyinthemiddleofthefield,facingeachotherinaperfectcircle.

The UFO was seen by a patrol of RAF Police based at RAF Cosford. Their official police report(classified"PoliceinConfidence")statedthattheUFOpassedoverthebase"atgreatvelocity…atanaltitudeofapproximately1000feet".Itdescribedtwowhitelightswithafaintredglowattherear,withnoenginenoisebeingheard.TheRAFPolicereportalsocontaineddetailsofanumberofsightingreportsfromcivilianwitnesses.Theyhadbeenmadeawareof these reports in thecourseofmakingenquirieswithothermilitarybases,civilairportsandlocalpolice.

Lateronthatnight,theMeteorologicalOfficeratasecondairforcebase,RAFShawbury,sawtheUFO.Hedescribedtomehowithadmovedslowlyacrossthecountrysidetowardsthebase,ataspeedofnomorethan30or40mph.HesawtheUFOfireapencil-thinbeamoflight(likealaser)atthegroundandsaw the light sweeping backwards and forwards across the fields beyond the perimeter fence, as if itwerelookingforsomething.Heheardanunpleasantlow-frequencyhummingsoundcomingfromthecraftandsaidhecouldfeelthissound,aswellashearit–asifhewasstandingnexttoahugebassspeaker.HeestimatedthesizeofthecrafttobemidwaybetweenaC-130transportaircraftandaBoeing747.Thenhetoldmethatthelightbeamhadretractedinan"unnatural"wayandthatthecrafthadsuddenlyacceleratedawayto thehorizonmanytimesfaster thanamilitary jet fighter.ThewitnesswasanexperiencedRAFofficerwhohadbeeninthemilitaryfor8years.

Ilaunchedadetailedinvestigationintothesesightings,workingcloselywiththeRAF,colleaguesintheDIS,andpersonnelat theBallisticMissileEarlyWarningSystematRAFFylingdales.Oneof the firstthings that I did was order that radar tapes be impounded and sent to me atMoDMain Building inWhitehall.The filmof the radar tapeswas downloadedontoVHSvideo cassettes and arrived shortlythereafter. Iwatcheditwith therelevantRAFspecialistswhotoldmethat therewereafewoddradarreturns, but that theywere inconclusive.Later, amore formal assessment of the radar datawasmade.Unfortunately,oneof the radarswasnotworking fullyon thenight inquestion (echoingwhat theUFOprojecthadbeentoldhappenedwithsomeoftheradarsystemsduringtheRendleshamForestincident),thoughwe had enough data so that, taking into account certain other checks, Iwas able to build up acomprehensive picture of all aircraft and helicopter activity (civil and military) over the UK andeliminatethisfromtheinvestigation.

TheBallisticMissileEarlyWarningSystematRAFFylingdales,withitspowerfulspace-trackingradars,wasanimportantpartofmyUFOinvestigation.StaffatFylingdalesquicklyalertedmetothefactthatonthenightinquestiontherehadbeenare-entryintotheEarth'satmosphereofaRussianrocketcarryingacommunicationssatellite,Cosmos2238.WepostulatedthatthiswasapossibleexplanationforaclusterofUFOsightingsthatoccurredataround1.10amonMarch31.Butthesightingshadtakenplaceoveraperiodof6hoursandthemostspectacularevents,detailedabove,wereatdifferenttimes.

Aftermyinvestigationhadeliminatedallpossibleconventionalexplanations,IpreparedabriefingformyHeadofDivision.Inthedocument,datedApril16,1993,IwroteaconclusiondeliberatelydesignedtocontradictourpubliclineonUFOs:

"ItseemsthatanunidentifiedobjectofunknownoriginwasoperatingintheUKAirDefenseRegionwithoutbeingdetectedonradar;thiswouldappeartobeofconsiderabledefensesignificance,andIrecommendthatweinvestigatefurther,withinMoDorwiththeUSauthorities".

MyHeadofDivisionwasnormallyskepticalabouttheUFOphenomenon,butonthisoccasionheagreedwithmyconclusion.OnApril22,1993hewrotetotheAssistantChiefoftheAirStaff(oneoftheUK'smostseniormilitaryofficers)andconcluded:

"Insummary, therewouldseemtobesomeevidenceonthisoccasionthatanunidentifiedobject(orobjects)ofunknownoriginwasoperatingovertheUK."

Therewasanextraordinarytwistinthistale.MyHeadofDivisionhadsomehowconvincedhimselfthatthis UFO sighting was attributable to Aurora – the name given to a supposedly secret, prototype,hypersonicUSaircraft thatwasbelievedtobethereplacementfortheSR-71Blackbird.RumorsaboutAurorahadbeencirculatingforafewyearsinaviationmagazinesandUFOnewslettersandmyHeadofDivision thought the existenceofAuroramight explain theCosford incident and, perhaps, someof theUK'sothermoreintriguingUFOsightings.Buttherewasaproblemwiththistheory:wehadraisedthisquestionwithUSauthorities,buttheyhadtolduscategoricallythatnosuchaircrafthadbeenflownovertheUK and on the basis of these assurances, UKDefenseMinisters had told Parliament that no suchaircrafthadbeenflyingover theUK.Therewouldbeadomesticpoliticalscandalandaninternationalincident between the US and the UK if these various assurances turned out to be false. Despite this,variouscolleaguesintheUFOprojectandtheDISdidnotbelievetheUK'sclosestinternationalallyandadeclassifiedMoDdocumenton thesubject said thatwe"wouldnotbesurprised if itdidexist".TheconcernswereagainputtoHQUSAFbystaffattheBritishEmbassyinWashington.TheAmericanswereincandescent with rage. A December 22, 1992 letter from the UK's Air Attaché in our WashingtonEmbassyincludedthefollowingstatement:

"Secretary of the Air Force, the Honorable Donald B Rice, was to say the least incensed by therenewedspeculation,andtheimpliedsuggestionthathehadliedtoCongressbystatingthatAuroradidnotexist.Asyouwillhavegathered,thewholeaffairiscausingconsiderableirritationwithinHQ,andanyhelpfulcommentswecanmaketodefusethesituationwouldbeappreciated."

TheUKmovedquicklytopreventthisbecomingafull-blowndiplomaticincident,buttherewascertainlyan ironyhere,becauseat the same timeas theUKauthoritieswereasking theirUScounterparts aboutAurora, theUSauthorities had asked theUKwhether theRAFhad some secret, prototypeprogramofsome sort. It was clear that the question was prompted by awareness of some of the UFO sightingsdetailed in this chapter and again, this raises interesting questions, given the US government's publicpositionthatthereisnocurrentofficialinterestinUFOsandthattherehavebeennoofficialinvestigationsundertakensinceProjectBlueBookwasterminatedin1969.ClearlysomeoneintheUSgovernmentwasinterested.

I can certainly confirm that as recently as 2012 aUSAirAttaché in another country attended aUFO-relatedbriefingthatairforceofficialsinthecountryconcernedhadarranged.Icanalsoconfirm(notleastbecauseIwaspresent)thataclosedmeetingtookplaceinWashingtonDCinJune2011atwhichtheUFOphenomenonwas discussedwith a group ofwell-connected personnel including a former PresidentialChiefofStaffandaformerCIADirector.

TheUSdenialsoverAuroramirroredthedenialsthathadbeengiveninthelegalactionthatfollowedtheCash-Landrumencounter.Butarethedenialstrue?Accesstoclassifiedinformationisdeterminedbyyoursecurityclearanceandyour ‘need toknow'andwhile the former iscutanddried, the lattercanbe theresultofamuchmoresubjectiveprocess.Furthermore,deliberatelycuttingpeopleoutofaprojectwheretheyhaveboththerequisitesecurityclearanceand the‘needtoknow' issometimesadeliberate tactic,designed, forexample, toprotectsenior figureswithinanorganizationbygiving themwhat'sknownas

"plausibledeniability".Thismakesitextremelytrickyevenforinsiderstodiscoverthetruth.InhisApril22,1993briefingtotheAssistantChiefoftheAirStaffabouttheCosfordincidentmyHeadofDivisionwrote:

"If therehasbeensomeactivityofUSoriginswhichisknowntoa limitedcircle inMoDandisnotbeingacknowledgeditisdifficulttoinvestigatefurther."

One can only speculate, but handing off certain black projects to a private corporation moves themoutsidegovernment (and thusoutside the scopeof theFreedomof InformationAct) andmeans that thegovernmentdenialswouldbetrueandgiveningoodfaith–providedthat thepersondoingthedenyingwasn'tintheloop!

InafinaltwistthatwoulddoubtlesshaveinfuriatedtheAmericansevenfurther,theCondignReport(thefinalreportofwhichwasdatedFebruary2000)statedthat"SomeUAPreportscanbeattributedtocovertaircraftprograms".WhileAurorawasnotspecificallymentioned,itwascertainlysomethingthatIknowhadbeenintheauthor'smind.

Notfor thefirst timewithsignificantUFOcases, there'sabizarrecoincidencewith thedate.TheUFOencounterscollectivelyknownastheCosfordIncidenttookplacethreeyears(totheverynight)aftertheUFOsightingsinBelgiumthatledtoF-16jetsbeingscrambledtointercepttheunidentifiedaircraftthathadstrayedintoBelgianairspace.Moreover,thedescriptionoftheUFO–alarge,triangular-shapedcraft–wasalmostidentical.ItwasforthisreasonthatIaskedourAirAttachéinBrusselstoreachouttotheBelgianAirForce,toexchangeinformationaboutourrespectivesightings.Thiswasdone,thoughagain,this informationwas notmade public at the time, as itwould undermine the impression thatweweretryingtogive,i.e.thatwehadlittleornorealinterestinthesubject.

TheCosfordincidentremainsunexplainedtothisday.

Near-missoverthePennines

OnJanuary6,1995aBoeing737onapproachtoManchesterAirportnearlycollidedwithaUFOoverthePenninesataheightof4000feet.Boththepilotandthefirstofficersawtheilluminated,wedge-shapedUFOpassdowntherighthandsideoftheaircraftathighspeed.Neithermanwascertainhowclosetheobjecthadcome to collidingwith the aircraft (whichwas carrying60passengers)but the first officerinstinctivelyduckedasitflashedpast.TheMoDandtheCAAlaunchedinvestigations,butnoexplanationwaseverfound.Thenervouspost-incidentexchangeofconversationbetweentheaircraftandManchesterAirTrafficControlauthoritieswasrecordedandreadsasfollows:

B737:C/swejusthadsomethinggodowntheRHS(righthandside]justaboveusveryfast.

Manchester:Well,there'snothingseenonradar.Wasit,er,anac[aircraft]?

B737:Well,ithadlights;itwentdownthestarboardsideveryquick.

Manchester:Andaboveyou?

B737:Er,justslightlyaboveus,yeah.

Manchester:Keepaneyeoutforsomething,er,Ican'tseeanythingatallatthemomentso,er,musthave,er,beenveryfastorgonedownveryquicklyafteritpassedyouIthink.

B737:OK.Well,thereyougo!

ThePhoenixLights

In1997awaveof sightings tookplaceover thecityofPhoenix,Arizona,withhundredsofwitnesses.Videofootagewastaken.Thewitnessesreportedaseriesoflightsinavshape–eitherseparateobjects,ormaybelightsfixedtotheundersideofasingle,vast,boomerang-shapedcraft.Todefusethemountingpanicandhysteria thegovernor,FifeSymington III,heldapressconferenceandhadhisChiefofStaffdressinanaliensuit.YearslaterSymington–aformermilitarypilothimself–confessedthathetoohadseentheUFOandapologizedforthestunt.

UFOattheAirport

OntheafternoonofNovember7,2006,pilotsandairportemployeesatO'HareInternationalAirport inChicagosawagrey,disc-likeobjecthoveringover the tarmacforseveralminutes.Thewitnessessaidthatithoveredforseveralminutesbeforeshootingoffathighspeed.Aparticularlystrikingfeatureofthesightingwasthattheobjectdepartedwithsuchspeedthatitapparentlypunchedaholeinthecloudcover,ataheightofaround2000feet.Becausenothingwas trackedonradar, theFAAdidnot investigate thesighting,despitetheobviousairsafetyissue.

TheChannelIslandsUFO

OnApril23,2007RayBowyer,acommercialairlinepilot,sawamassive,yellow,cigar-shapedUFOinthevicinityoftheChannelIslands,betweentheUKandFrance.Someofhispassengerssawittoo,asdidatleastoneotherpilotinthearea.AirTrafficControlconfirmedthattheobjectwasbrieflytrackedonradar,butcategorizeditas"unknowntraffic".BowyersaidthathewantedtochasetheUFO,butthatthesafetyofhispassengershadtocomefirst.TheMoDinvestigatedthesighting,butdeterminedthattheUFOhadbeeninFrenchairspaceandwasoutsidetheirjurisdiction.

UFOinNear-MisswithPoliceHelicopter

A spectacular encounter between aUFOand apolicehelicopter tookplaceon June8, 2008, inSouthWales,overthemilitarybaseatRAFStAthan,closetoCardiffInternationalAirport.Thehelicopter,withacrewofthreepeopleonboard,wasabouttolandwhenitwasinnear-collisionwithaUFO.Initiallydescribed as being disc-shaped and covered in lights, earlymedia reports suggested that a chase hadtakenplace,with thehelicopterpursuingtheUFOsouthover theBristolChannelandonlybreakingoffpursuitwhentheUFOprovedtooquickandwhentheyranlowonfuel.AfterthestorybrokeonJune20,theaccountofeventschangedandthepolicewerecarefultousethephrase"unusualaircraft"asopposedtoUFO.Additionally,whileconfirmingthesighting,theydeniedthatachasehadtakenplace.Perhapsthemost extraordinaryaspectof the storywasaquote from theMoDPressOffice,wherea spokespersonmadethefollowingcomment:

"ButitiscertainlynotadvisableforpolicehelicopterstogochasingwhattheythinkareUFOs".

TheadvicewasavirtualrestatingofProjectCondign's"Noattemptshouldbemadetoout-maneuveraUAPduringinterception"recommendation,thoughaswehaveseen,theflightsafetyrecommendationsintheCondignReportdonotappeartohavebeenformallypromulgatedtotherelevantaviationauthorities,despite theDIS recommendation that this should be done. It's as if, out of embarrassment perhaps, anofficialsomewheresaidtohimself"Wehaveaflightsafetyissuehere,butasitrelatestoUFOs,I'lllookfoolishifIpassiton".

Ihavenotattemptedananalysisof theindividualUFOsightingspresentedinthischapter.It isunlikely

thatasingleneatsolutioncouldexplainallthevariousincidentspresentedhere.WhatIhaveattemptedtodo is place onto the record a brief overview of some of the cases thatmost impressedme and othergovernment officials charged with undertaking official research and investigation into the UFOphenomenon.Indoingso,Ithinkanumberofpointsbecomeclear.Firstly,aswiththeRendleshamForestincident, conventional explanations are unlikely. Secondly, the US and the UK governments (amongothers)takethisissueseriouslyandstillinvestigate,despiteassurancestothecontrary.Thirdly,inorderto give plausible deniability to the claims about not investigatingUFO sightings and to take the issueoutsidethescopeoftheFOIAandfurtherawayfromCongressional/Parliamentaryscrutiny,theissuemayhavebeenhandedofftosomeunofficialcabalofofficialswithinthedefense/intelligencecommunity,ortoa private corporation. As a former government official who has been involved in this activity I amreluctanttousephraseslike"UFOcover-up",becausetheyareconstantlybandiedaboutbythequirkiermembersoftheUFOandconspiracytheorycommunities.Buttheyhaveapoint,astheevidencepresentedin this chapter shows. There are lots of disparate elements to this and it's onlywhen they are piecedtogetherthataclearerpictureemerges.

Ifallthisseemsalittleheavy,thenIshallconcludethischapterwithoneofthemoreamusingassessmentstoemergefromtheDIS.ItgoesbacktothereasonswesetupProjectCondignanda1995documentthatread,inpart:

"Ifthesightingsareofdevicesnotoftheearththentheirpurposeneedstobeestablishedasamatterof priority. There has been no apparent hostile intent and other possibilities are: 1) Militaryreconnaissance;2)Scientific;3)Tourism."

Despitethelight-heartedspeculation,theintentwasmorepractical,asthedocumentwentontosetout:

"Wecouldusethistechnology,ifitexists."

ChapterSixteen–OtherVoices

WehavealreadyheardhowoutspokenoneformerUKChiefof theDefenseStaff(theUKpostbroadlyequivalent to theChairmanof the JointChiefs ofStaff) has been in relation to theRendleshamForestincident.LordPeterHill-NortonwrotetotheMoDmanytimesabouttheincidentafterhisretirement,andraisedtheissueseveraltimesinParliament,aswehaveseen.Ofallthelettershesent,fewarticulatehisviewsbetterthantheonehesenttoLordGilbert,MinisterofStateattheMinistryofDefense,onOctober22, 1997. In addressing (or rather, blowing out of the water) the MoD's untenable "no defensesignificance"assessmentoftheincident,hesummeduptheissueasfollows:

"Mypositionbothprivatelyandpubliclyexpressedoverthelastdozenyearsormore,isthatthereareonlytwopossibilities,either:

a.An intrusion intoourAirSpaceanda landingbyunidentifiedcraft tookplaceatRendlesham,asdescribed.

Or

b.TheDeputyCommanderofanoperational,nucleararmed,USAirForceBase inEngland,andalargenumberofhisenlistedmen,wereeitherhallucinatingorlying.

Either of these simplymust be "of interest to theMinistry ofDefense",which has been repeatedlydenied,inpreciselythoseterms."

In this chapter,we shall look at someof theother opinions that havebeenofferedon theRendleshamForestincident,bypeoplewhoseopinionsarerelevantorparticularlysignificant,giventheirposition.

Beforemovingon,IshouldsayafewwordsaboutLordHill-Norton.IfirstheardofLordHill-Norton'sinterest inUFOs throughTimothyGood, aUFO author and researcherwho I firstmet in theNineties.Good isanunusuallyeruditeandsophisticatedufologistwhohad, formanyyears,beenaprofessionalviolinist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra. At first I wasskepticalthatGoodwasonfriendlytermswithaformerChiefoftheDefenseStaff,butwhenIchecked,Ifoundtomyastonishmentthatnotonlywasthistrue,butthatHill-NortonhadpennedtheforewordtoabookonUFOsthatGoodhadwritten.Hill-Nortonwasclearlyabelieverinextraterrestrialvisitationand,evenmoresurprisingly,hadcometobelievethattheUSandtheUKgovernmentsknew(atsomelevel)aboutthisandwereactivelycoveringitup.ThisputmeinadifficultpositioninmydealingswithLordHill-Norton.WhileIwastheMoD'sSMEonUFOs,IwasatthejuniormanagerialgradeandLordHill-Nortonwas a 5-Starmilitaryofficer!Technically speaking, hewasnot retired, because thoughhehadlongsincesteppeddownfromhispostasChiefoftheDefenseStaff(andlater,asChairmanofNATO'sMilitaryCommittee),5-Starofficersstaypermanentlyonthe"ActiveList" intheUK,sothat intimeofwar, they can be recalled to serve, should the current ServiceChiefs be killed.Moreover,LordHill-Nortonhadaferociousreputationforbitingtheheadsoff juniorofficerswhoirritatedhim.Itwaswithsometrepidation that Iplacedmyfirst telephonecall tohim, in response toa request forabriefingonsomematteroranother, thespecificsofwhichIdonot recall.Whenheanswered the telephonewithaterse"Yes?"Islippedintooverlyrank-consciouspoliteness:

"Oh,goodmorningLordHill-Norton.NickPopehere.Howareyouthismorning,Sir?"

Iwaspromptlycutoffbyhisyellingdownthephone:

"Getonwithit!"

Afteraquick"yesSir,sorrySir",IbriefedhimandhemusthaveforgivenmyunsteadystartbecausewestayedintouchlongafterIleftMoD'sUFOproject.Indeed,heoftenaskedmetodraftlettersforhimonUFO-relatedmatters–somethingthatIundertookrightupuntilhisdeathin2004.

ItmightbesupposedthatiftherewassomebigsecretaboutUFOs,knownonlytoaselectfew,aformerChiefoftheDefenseStaffmightbeoneofthoseentrustedwiththesecret.Hill-NortonwasadamantthatthesubjecthadneverarisenwhilehewasChiefoftheDefenseStaffandIhadnoreasontodoubtthis.Hisfrustration–andindeedanger–withtheresponseshegotfromtheMoDwhenheraisedtheissueseemedgenuine.Itwaswithregretthathetoldmehe'dneveroncethoughttoraisetheissueproactivelywhilehewasinpost.

ThoughLordHill-NortonseemedtofavortheextraterrestrialhypothesiswhenitcametoUFOs,healsolenthissupport toan initiativecalled"UFOConcern",whichwas thebrainchildof theReverendPaulInglesby.InglesbyfavoredademonicexplanationofUFOs,partlyonthebasisoftheBiblicaldescriptionofSatanasbeing"Theprinceofthepoweroftheair"(Ephesians2:2).

BurroughsandPennistonarecertainlygrateful toLordHill-Norton.Pennistonhas this to sayabout themanandhiseffortsinrelationtoRendlesham:

"IamgratefulthatsuchamanexistedatthetimetohelpenquireintotheRendleshamForestIncident.Unfortunately,hetoowasstonewalled,becauseofcompartmentalizing.Anhonorablemanofintegrityandabsoluteresolve.IthinkLordHill-Nortonwasdismayedoverthefenceswhichlaybeforehim.Itwastotalfrustrationforhim.However,Iamgratefulhechampionedthecaseathislevel."

Burroughswonderswhethertherewasmoretoitthanthis:

"It'spossibleLordHill-NortonhadsomeinsightintowhatwasreallygoingoninsidetheMoDwiththephenomenonandwantedit tofinallycomeout.Hemaynothaveknowneverythingthatwenton,butheknewenoughtoknowwhatwasbeingsaidwasnottrueandwantedsomethingdoneaboutit;andRendleshamclearlytiedintotheresearchtheMoDdidonProjectCondign."

Whateverthetruth,BurroughswasclearthatsuchathingcouldneverhappeninAmerica:

"You never see people that high up in the US military break ranks and talk about things that areclassifiedbecauseofnationalsecurity."

ThoughLordHill-Norton'slobbyingneverledtoanychangeingovernmentpolicyontheissue,wehaveseenthathisPQsandhisletterscertainlysmokedoutsomeinterestingresponses.Additionally,forafieldoftenportrayedbythemediaasbeingfullofcrackpots,itwasenormouslyhelpfulfortheUFOcommunityto be able to show that one of its championswas a formerChief of theDefense Staff. ForAmericanreaders,thesituationwouldbeanalogoustosomebodylikeColinPowellspeakingoutpositivelyontheissueand thenaccusing theDODof coveringup the truth!Thatmightmakea fewheadlines!TheonlysurpriseishowlittlemediaattentionLordHill-Norton'soutspokenviewsonUFOsgainedintheUK.Theexplanation, ironically, is thatbelief insuch things iscommonplace in theBritishEstablishment, that itwashardlydeemednoteworthy.Senior figures in theRoyalFamilyand thesenior ranksof themilitaryand the intelligence community have long been interested in the occult and the paranormal, attendingséances and studying subjects as varied as ghosts,UFOs and crop circles. Figureswhohave taken anactive interest in UFOs include Prince Phillip, EarlMountbatten of Burma, Lord Dowding, Sir PeterHorsley and many others. The list of names is much longer, of course, but there are considerablesensitivitiesoverthis,forobviousreasons.Despiteall this,it isonlyintheUK,perhaps,thataformer

Prime Minister (Arthur Balfour) could agree to become the President of the Society for PsychicalResearch.Afterall, theUKisacountrywhere in1979 theHouseofLords (oneof the twoHousesofParliament)heldathree-hourdebateonUFOs.

In1997theUK'sformerPrimeMinisterMargaretThatcher(subsequentlyBaronessThatcher)wascaughtup in thecontroversyover theRendleshamForest incident.The instigatorof thiswas the irrepressibleGeorginaBruni, the author and journalistwhowould later secure the releaseof theMoD's file on theRendleshamForestincident(thoughnot,ofcourse,theDISfile(s),whichweremysteriouslydestroyed)byusingtheCodeofPracticeonAccesstoGovernmentInformation.Bruniwasverywellconnectedinpolitical and diplomatic circles and in 1997 she attended a charity dinner in LondonwhereBaronessThatcherwastheguestofhonor.Towardstheendoftheevening,thetwowomenfellintoconversation,atfirst discussing the rising importance of the internet. Bruni had started one of the UK's first onlinemagazinesandBaronessThatcherwasalwaysseenasachampionofthebusinesscommunity,thoughshewassomewhatnervousofcomputersandtheinternetherself.Afterawhile,BruniturnedthesubjectoftheconversationtoUFOsandmentionedthatshehadspokentoanumberofUSmilitarypersonnelwhohadseen UFOs or been involved in researching or investigating the phenomenon. Bruni specificallymentionedtheRendleshamForestincident.Askedtocommentonthis,Thatcherretorted:

"Youcan'ttellthepeople".

BrunipressedthepointandThatcherrosetoherfeetandexclaimed"UFOs!"causinghersecuritydetailtomoveforward.Brunipressedthepoint.Thatcherofferedthefollowingstatement:

"Youmustgetyourfactsright".

Brunitriedafinaltime,butThatcheramalgamatedhertwopreviouspointsandrestatedherview:

"Youmusthavethefactsandyoucan'ttellthepeople".

AtthispointBrunirealizedshewouldgetnofurther,tookThatcher'shandandthankedherforhertime.

So what exactly did Baroness Thatcher mean by these comments? The question has been debated byufologistsandconspiracytheoristsateitherendofthebeliefspectrum."Youcan'ttellthepeople"isoneof thosecryptic remarks thathas twomeanings in this context.Ononehand, asbelievers say, itmightmean that Thatcher was privy to some great secret about UFOs (and maybe specifically about theRendleshamForest incident) that she stronglybelieved shouldnotbemadepublic.The reason for thismightbebecauseitwashighlyclassified,orperhapsbecauseitwouldcauseshockonasocietalscale.Theideathattherewouldbe"panicinthestreets"ifthegovernmentwastodisclosethatextraterrestrialshadvisitedEarthisoneofanumberofclichésthattheUFOcommunityisweddedto,thoughsuchaviewisunsupportedbyanyscientificresearch.

JimPennistonhasthistosayaboutThatcher'sremarks:

"Aslipofthetongue;anoopsmoment;sheknewsomethingsandshecaughtherselfwhenquestionedwiththatresponse."

JohnBurroughsismoreforthrightonthispoint:

"It'shardnottobelieveshedidnothaveanyinsightintowhattheMoDwasworkingonandwhyitneededtoremainclassified.Shewassayingyouhavetogetyourfactsstraight-whichnoonehas-andifyoudo,youcan'tletthecatoutofthebagbecauseofnationalsecurity.Again,it'sclearbased

onthedeclassifieddocuments,thatthere'saracetoweaponizethephenomenon-andyoucan'tletanyofthatout."

BaronessThatcherwasPrimeMinisteratthetimetheRendleshamForestincidenttookplaceandwastobecomePresidentReagan'sclosestpoliticalally.CouldReaganandThatcherhavebeenprivytoasecretaboutUFOsandmight theRendleshamForest incidenthavebeenpartof this?ReaganhadseenaUFOhimself, on two separate occasions, while serving as Governor of California. Later, as President, hecausedasensationina1987addresstotheUnitedNations,whenhesaid:

"Ioccasionallythinkhowquicklyourdifferencesworldwidewouldvanishifwewerefacinganalienthreatfromoutsidethisworld."

HemadeasimilarpointtotheSovietleader,MikhailGorbachev,leadingtoawiderangeofconspiracytheoriessuggestingthatReaganwastryingtohintatthetruthaboutUFOs.IthasevenbeensuggestedbysomethattherealpurposeofPresidentReagan'sStrategicDefenseInitiative(popularlyknownas"StarWars")wastolaythegroundworkforbuildingadefensivecapabilityagainsthostileextraterrestrials.

Skeptics interpret Thatcher's remarks in amore prosaic way, suggesting that she simplymeant that ifpeoplewanttobelieveinUFOs,norational,skepticalargumentswilldissuadethemfromtheirdogmaticpointofview,makingsensiblediscussionanddebatewithsuchpeopleimpossible.

ThesecondpartofBaronessThatcher'sremarkstoBruni,"Youmustgetyourfactsright"/"Youmusthavethefacts"islesscontroversialandaccordingtothosepeoplewhowereclosetoThatcheristhesortofthingsheoftensaid.AsPrimeMinister,particularlyduring thepoliticalcutand thrustofdebateduringPrimeMinister'sQuestionTime,Thatcherwaswellknownforhermasteryofcomplexbriefs.Shewasavoracious readerandwaswellknownforstayingup late into thenight, readingeverywordof reportswhere most others would have read only the executive summary. Being able to recall accurately thedetails of an issuewas one of theways in which she dominated her colleagues and officials, so hercomment about the importance of having accurate facts is arguably just a statement of her personalphilosophy.

GeorginaBruniandMargaretThatchermetononefurtheroccasion, in thesummerof2006,atasocialfunctionontheterraceoftheHouseofCommons.IdonotknowwhetherUFOswerediscussedonthisoccasion,thoughaphotographtakenofthetwowomenatthetimeshowsthemsmilingastheyconversed,suggesting that Bruni's raising the topic ofUFOs and the Rendlesham Forest incidentwith the formerPrimeMinisterhadnot resulted inher falling fromfavororbeingdroppedfromtheguest listsofsuchhigh-poweredfunctions.

GeorginaBrunidiedin2008andleftnofurtherrecordsofherdealingswithBaronessThatcheronthesematters.BaronessThatcherneverformallycommentedonherconversationwithBrunianddiedinApril2013. The precise meaning of her remarks on UFOs and on the Rendlesham Forest incident remainsunclear.

GeorginaBruniraisedthequestionofwhathappenedinRendleshamForestwithatleastoneotherseniorpolitician,MichaelPortillo.PortillohadbeenSecretaryofState forDefensebetween1995and1997.WhenBruniaskedhimabouttheincidentin2000heconfirmedthathewasawareofit,butpointedoutthat ithadtakenplacebeforehehadbeenappointedasDefenseSecretary.Brunipressedhim,saidshewassurehehadbeenbriefedonthe incidentandaskedif therewasanythinghewouldcare to tellhereitheraboutRendleshamorabouttheUFOphenomenonmoregenerally.Hesmiledandsaid"Iknowalot,butItellalittle".SuchquipscanbeendlesslydebatedbytheUFOcommunity,butwhiletheymightimply

thatPortillopossessed some informationabout the incident thathewasnotprepared to share, it couldequally be the case that thiswas a light-hearted remarkdesigned to foboff a persistent journalist andperhapshavealittlefunwithherat thetime.Politicians–evenat thisseniorlevel–arenotaversetosuchthings.

AstheBaseCommanderatthetimeoftheincident,ColonelTedConradwassecondincommandofthetwinbases,outrankedonlybytheWingCommander,GordonWilliams.ConradwasHalt'sbossandthepersonwho,whenthetwoofthemweretoldthattheUFOhadreturnedontheeveningofDecember27,decidedthatHaltshouldbetheonetogoouttoinvestigate.

Conrad has seldom commented on the Rendlesham Forest incident but a UK newspaper,The SundayTelegraph,quotedhimonAugust6,2011.Hewasextremelyskeptical:

"WesawnothingthatresembledLtColHalt'sdescriptionseitherintheskyorontheground.WehadpeopleinpositiontovalidateHalt'snarrative,butnoneofthemcould."

Hewentontosetoutsomethoughtsontheincidentitself:

"The search for an explanation could gomany places including the perpetration of a clever hoax.Naturalphenomenonsuchastheveryclearcoldairhavingatheoreticalabilitytoguideandreflectlight across great distances or even the presence of an alien spacecraft. If someone had the time,moneyandtechnicalresourcestodeterminetheexactcauseofthereportedRendleshamForestlights,I think it could be done. I also think the odds are way high against there being an ET spacecraftinvolved,andalmostequallyhighagainstitbeinganintrusionofhostileearthlycraft."

Conrad'smost forthright commentswere saved forHalt,with specific reference to his allegation of acover-up:

"He should be ashamed and embarrassed by his allegation that his country and England bothconspiredtodeceivetheircitizensoverthisissue.Heknowsbetter."

Haltwasfuriousandfiredaletterbacktothenewspaper.Itstatedinpart:

"TedConradiseitherhavingmemoryproblems,hashisheadinthesandor[is]continuingthecoverup…ThrutheyearsConradhasmadeconflictingstatementsabouttheevents…

…Now he's smearing those involved. It's pretty clear there was a very intense confrontation withsomethingintheforest.DoesConradwanttotalkabouthowtheairmenwerethensubjectedtomindcontroleffortsusingdrugsandhypnosisbyBritishandAmericanauthorities?"

Clearlythereismoregoingonherethanameredisagreementoverthefactsortheinterpretation–thereisobviouslyhugepersonalanimositybetweenConradandHalt.Likely,thistensionexistedlongbeforetheRendlesham Forest incident. Are we dealing with two very different individuals who would haveperceivedandreactedtotheevents(andtheaftermath)intotallydifferentways,withHaltintheroleofbeliever andConrad as the skeptic?Or is this unfair toHalt, who experienced all this in away thatConraddidnot?HadConradtakenthedecisiontogooutintotheforestandorderedHalttoremainattheawardsceremony,wouldtheirrolesnowbereversed?DoesConrad'sscathingcriticismofHaltreflectirritation at his perceiveddisloyalty, or is there a twingeofbitterness and regret there? InmyofficialgovernmentresearchandinvestigationintoUFOs,Ihaveoftenheardwitnessestellmetheywouldrathertheeventhadnottakenplace.Conversely,manypeopletellmethattheywouldlovetoseeaUFO.Couldthe ultimate irony here be that Halt regrets being caught up in the Rendlesham Forest incident, while

Conradwishesthathehadbeen?

WhilePennistonhasnoparticularviewonthisasidefromwonderingwhetherrecollectionsdifferovertimeandthat"somethingpersonal"isinvolved,BurroughsbelievesitgoesfurtherthanthisandrecountsameetinghehadwithConrad,inrecentyears,totrytonaildownwhathappened.HerecallsthatConradquotedOccam'srazorinrelationtotheevents,i.e.thatthesimplestexplanationisusuallythecorrectone.Butevenwhenpressedtwice,BurroughsrecallsthatConradneveroncesaidBurroughswaswrong.AsBurroughsrelates,Conradtoldhim:

"Youhavetolookatmystandpoint;Iwastheretoprotecttheseniorofficer[Williams].Thatwasmyjob–andstillis."

AsBurroughssummarizesthesituation:

"ColonelConradhasadmittedanincidenttookplace.Whathe'snotwillingtodoissaywhathefeelsitwas.He'snothappythatColonelHalthasbeensoopenwithwhatheknowsandinfacthetoldmepersonallyColonelHalthadbrokenthe[informal]officer'scodeofsilencebymakingstatementshe'snotauthorizedtomake."

PaulHellyeristheformerMinisterofDefenseandDeputyPrimeMinisterofCanada.Amazingly,forsucha senior political figure (he is also amember of the elite PrivyCouncil), he is not only interested inUFOs,butisafirmbelieverthatsomeareextraterrestrialandthatthereis–atsomelevel–anofficialcover-upontheissue.IhavemethimonseveraloccasionsandhehasalsometCharlesHalt,specificallytodiscusstheRendleshamForestincident.Whenasked,hesetouthisviewsonthematterasfollows:

"TheRendleshamForest case is an action thriller from start to finish. I refer to it as the absoluteclassic of UFO sightings because it contains all the elements and high drama that one only getsglimpsesofinmoststories.Allthat,plusauthenticationbyseveraltotallyreliablewitnesses.First,asighting by young non-commissioned officers thatwas greetedwith the usual incredulity andmuchlaughter; later a second sighting reported by a "white faced" officer, results in the deputy basecommanderbeingdesignatedtoinvestigateand,inhiswords,"putanendtothisnonsenseonceandforall".Instead,whathesawchangedthelifeofthistough,experiencedAirForceColonelforever–amesmerizingstorythatisstrangerthanfiction.

Weliveinaworldwheretheword"hero"isoverusedandmisused.ButtherearesomegenuineheroesoutthereandDrEdgarMitchellisoneofthem.ThisformerNavyCaptainandastronautisalsoamemberofoneofthemostexclusive‘clubs'imaginable–heisoneofonly12peopleevertohavewalkedonthesurfaceofthemoon.StoriesaboutastronautsencounteringUFOsareforthemostpartspurious,orbasedonmisinterpretations of things like debris from booster rockets. Apollo 14 lunar module pilot EdgarMitchell has not seen a UFO himself, but is a firm believer that UFOs are extraterrestrial and thatelementswithintheUSGovernmentareawareofthisandareinvolvedindisinformation–ifnotanactivecover up – to hide the truth about this. He believes that this truth includes confirmation that anextraterrestrial spacecraft did indeed crash at Roswell in 1947.Mitchell's beliefs come in part fromthingsthathehasbeentoldbysourceswithingovernment,themilitaryandtheintelligencecommunity.AsanApolloastronautandall-Americanhero,clearlythesearecommunitieswhereMitchellmovesfreely,atthehighestlevels.WhenIaskedDrMitchellabouttheRendleshamForestincident,hetoldmethis:

"TheRendleshamForestUFOincidentisimportantinthatitoccurrednearaUSmilitaryencampmentin theUK; one not noted for interest in theUFO phenomenon. It was observed and reported by anumberofpersonnelindependentlyandconsistentlyreported."

MostpeoplehaveanopiniononUFOsandthoseopinionstendtobepolarized,withsomebelievingjustabout everything, and others being deeply skeptical. Previously,Roswell has been the battlegroundonwhich this debate has played out,with believers championing the crash of an alien spacecraft, whileskeptics push the theory that itwas just aweather balloon.Now thatRoswell has passed from livingmemoryintohistory,RendleshamForestisthenewbattleground,withamorediversebunchoftheoriesforbelieversandskepticstograpplewith.ButforanyonewantingtoportrayUFObelieversascrackpotsandkooks,Rendleshamposesaproblem,becauseitsproponentsincludenot just themilitarypersonnelinvolved(compellingthoughtheirtestimonyis),butseniorpoliticalandmilitaryfigureswhoonewouldnotnormallyassociatewiththissubject.

Butendorsementsandopinionsarenotenough.ThewitnessestotheRendleshamForestincidentmaybeglad that they are believed at high level, but all this counts for nothing in the absence of the officialconfirmationthattheyseek.

ChapterSeventeen–TheSearchforAnswers

Whenwebegantoresearchandwritethisbook,werealizedthatitwouldbehighlyadvantageoustousetheFreedomofInformationAct toseekinformationabout theRendleshamForest incidentfromvariousUSgovernmentagencies.Itwasfortunate,therefore,thatJohnBurroughsandJimPennistonwerealreadyintouchwithaMississippiattorney,PatFrascogna,whohadconsiderableexperienceofexploitingtheUSFreedomofInformationActandoftakingonlargebureaucracies.

If,astheevidencestronglysuggests,theobjectthatlandedinRendleshamForestgeneratedradioactivitythatMoDscientistsassessedasbeing"significantlyhigher than theaveragebackground",onecanwellunderstandwhyBurroughs and Penniston are evenmore eager than the otherwitnesses for an officialexplanation.Fortuitously,PatFrascognawasanexpertintheveryareasthatweneededtotakeforwardtheinvestigation.Evenmorefortuitously,hehadalreadyembarkedonaquesttoprobevariousagenciesthat might have information and/or records pertaining to the incident and to Burroughs and Pennistonthemselves.Moreover,becauseFrascognahadapersonalinterestinUFOs,hewas(withthefullconsentofBurroughsandPenniston)preparedtosharetheresultsofhisworkandwaspreparedforthedetailstobepublished.

Onmost occasions, whenwriting a book, an author paraphrases and/or summarizes a vast amount ofprimarysourcematerial,quotingfromitdirectlywheremostappropriate.However,withmaterialwrittenbyanattorney,therearecleardangersforanauthorinattemptingtosummarizeand/orparaphrasethetext.In legal language,alteringevenasinglewordcanhaveadramaticeffecton themeaning.Accordingly,whatfollowsinthischapter–withtheexceptionofsomefinalconcludingremarks–iswrittenentirelybyPatFrascogna,soasnottoalterthemeaninginanyway.

In2008Ihappened toseeanepisodeof the televisionshowUFOHunters titled"Militaryvs.UFOs".ThisepisodewasmyfirsteverintroductiontotheRendleshamForestIncident.AlthoughIcertainlyhadnoideaatthetimethatepisodeaired,itwasthebeginningofajourneythatwouldyearslaterleadmetoJohn Burroughs and Jim Penniston. The Rendlesham Forest encounter immediately struck me as verydifferentfromthevastmajorityofUFOsightings.IwassofascinatedbytheincidentanditswitnessesthatI steepedmyself in internet sources regarding it. Three years subsequent I was ready to confront theprincipalsofthestory,JohnandJim,andinvitedthemtoMississippitospeakatthefirstUFOconferenceeverheldinthestate.Inreality,IorganizedthatconferencejustsoIcouldmeetthesegentlemen,LindaMoultonHoweandTomCarey,aleadingexpertontheRoswellcrash.Itwasfromthe2011conferenceIorganizedinMississippifeaturingJohnandJimthattheyinvitedmyparticipationwiththemtosearchforanswers.As an attorney of twenty two years and long-time local impresario, Iwas both honored andeagertovolunteermytimeandlendexpertisetotheircause.Thedecisiontohelpthesegentlemenwasaneasyone.

In2011and2012manyFreedomof InformationAct (FOIA) requestswerepropoundedongovernmentagencies. These agencies included the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency(NSA), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Department of the Air Force (DAF), Defense AdvancedResearchProjectsAgency (DARPA), via theDepartment ofDefense (DOD),Department ofState,AirForceOfficeofSpecialInvestigations(AFOSI)andtheDepartmentofVeteransAffairs.Consideringthefact that John and Jim each served in theAir Force formany years, that theywere stationed at RAFBentwaters in 1980 during the height of the Cold War, and that they were entrusted with protectingmilitaryassetsandadvanceddestructiveordnancewould,byitself,beenoughtoassumethatatleastoneoftheagencieslistedpreviouslywould"remember"themintheirfiles.AddtothosefactstheeventsinRendleshamForestinDecemberof1980anditseemsrathercertainthatJohnandJimwouldhavequitea

papertrailofrecordsofthetimetheyservedtheircountryinitsArmedForces.Notthecaseif,thatis,oneistobelievethelitanyofphrasescontainedintheresponsestoourFOIArequests.ThefirstroundofFOIArequestsinlate2011madeidenticalrequestsforbothJohnandJim:

"I have been retained by [Penniston/Burroughs], formerly of theUnited StatesAir Force,whowasstationed at RAFBentwaters andRAFWoodbridge near Suffolk, England inDecember of 1980. Anoriginal Declaration signed byMr. Penniston pursuant to 28U. S.C. § 1746 is included herewith.Under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U. S.C. Subsection 552, I am requesting any and allinformation and/or records, regardless of format, which name specifically and/or reference in anymanner,myclientinconnectionwithRAFBentwatersand/orRAFWoodbridge,and"lights","plasmafields", "unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP)", "craft", and/or "vehicle(s)" in the RendleshamForest,commencingDecember25,1980throughDecember31,1981."

Inearly2012,anotherroundofFOIArequestswasdispatched,again identical foreachgentleman,andsenttoallthesameagenciesasbefore:

"Ihavebeenretainedby[Penniston/Burroughs],formerlyoftheUnitedStatesAirForce(USAF),whowasstationedatRAFBentwatersandRAFWoodbridgenearSuffolk,EnglandinDecemberof1980.Anoriginal Declaration signed byMr. Penniston pursuant to 28U. S.C. § 1746 is included herewith.Under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U. S.C. Subsection 552, I am requesting any and allinformation and/or records, regardless of format, which name specifically and/or reference in anymanner,Mr.PennistoninconnectionwithhisserviceintheUSAFwhilestationedatRAFBentwatersand/orRAFWoodbridge,specifically,duringthetimeperiodcommencingDecember25,1980throughDecember31,1981."

TheresponseswereceivedtobothroundsofFOIArequestswereinterestingbutcertainlynotrevealingofanyspecificinformation:

CIA:"[t]heCIAcanneitherconfirmnordenytheexistenceornonexistenceofrecordsresponsivetoyourrequest."

NSA: "A thorough search of our fileswas conducted, but no records responsive to your requestwerelocated."

DIA: "[t]he Defense Intelligence Agency has determined that any responsive files would have beentransferredtotheNationalPersonnelRecordsCenter."

DOD:"AsearchoftherecordssystemsmaintainedbytheDefenseAdvancedResearchProjectsAgencyrevealednorecordsresponsivetoyourrequest."

DAF:"Afterathoroughreviewofyourrequest,itisdeterminedthattherequestedrecordsarenolongerunderourpurview."

AFOSI: "We have conducted an extensive search of our files and ran Defense Central Index ofInvestigations(DCII)databasechecksandothervariousAFOSIdatabaseschecks.IthasbeendeterminedthattheAirForceOfficeofSpecialInvestigationsisnotmaintaininganyinformationresponsivetoyourrequest."

StateDepartment:"SomeoralloftherecordsyouhaverequesteddonotappeartobeStateDepartmentrecords(otheragency[DepartmentoftheAirForce]informationmaybeattached)."

Inotherwords,noneoftheagenciesquotedaboveseemtoknowanythingaboutaJohnBurroughsoraJimPenniston,despitethefacttheyweremostcertainlyintheUnitedStatesAirForceformanyyears.

InadditiontotheFOIArequestswepropounded,effortshavebeenmadetoobtainJohnandJim'smedicalrecords from their years in the service, specifically, coincidentwith their time at RAFBentwaters in1980.Theserecordswould,perhaps,revealwhatitwasJohnandJimwereexposedtoinRendleshamForest in 1980. Physicians of John's, especially, have requested he obtain such records to aid in theirassessmentofthehealthproblemshehassufferedeversincehisencounterintheforest.Thishasbecomeaveryseriousrequest,indeed,thatprofessionalmedicalpersonnelhaverepeatedlyaskedJohntoprovidethem.Unfortunately,thishasproventobeaparticularlyaggravatingquest.ThereadershouldrecallthatthesemedicalrecordswererequestedaspartofeveryFOIArequestissuedforwhichnone,evenfromtheDepartment of the Air Force, were produced in response thereto. However, John and Jim's medicalrecordshavebeensoughtseparately,aswell.LettersmakingrequestsandagencyformsfilledoutbyJohnand Jimhavenetted littlemore than statements like "Whenwehave completedour search for recordsresponsivetoyourrequest,[we]willsendyouanotherlettertellingyoutheresultsofthatsearchandournextstepinprocessingyourrequest",onlytoneverhearanythingfromtheDepartmentofVeteransAffairsagain.JohnBurroughshaseventriedobtaininghismedicalrecordswiththeassistanceofformerArizonaSenatorJonKylwho,afteralmostayear,hadnoluckwhatsoeveringettingJohn'srecords.SenatorKyldid, however, through themanymonths he tried to help John, reveal to him that there is a classifiedrecords sectionofVeteransAffairs.Evidently, John's recordsareclassified,butwhy theywouldbe isunknown.

Thefirsttenyearsofmylegalcareerwerespentchieflyincriminaldefensework,includingthreeyearsas a full-timepublic defender.Thedecade-plus since then I haveprimarilybeen engaged in consumerprotection lawsuits against well-funded corporate defendants. I have been exposed to and am veryfamiliarwith, institutionalizeddeceitofcorporatedefendants in theirbusinesspractices.Moreover, thecompartmentalizationofthedeceitincorporatedefendantsIhaveseenproducesmany"lefthands"neverknowing that the "righthands" even exist, let alonewhat role inperpetuating thedeceit theyplay.TheresponseswereceivedtoJohnandJim'sFOIArequestsremindmeexactlyofthis.AsisobviousbythepreviouslyquotedresponsestoourFOIArequests,itisclearthatnobodyclaimstoknoworhaveanythingto produce, not just regarding the Rendlesham Forest Incident, but regarding John or Jim either! Forexample, theAirForcewasasked if theyhad "[any] informationand/or records, regardlessof format,whichnamespecificallyand/orreferenceinanymanner,Mr.PennistoninconnectionwithhisserviceintheUSAFwhile stationedatRAFBentwatersand/orRAFWoodbridge".The responsewe received tothatseeminglysimplequestionwasthatanysuchrecords"arenolongerunderourpurview".ContrastthatridiculousresponsewiththatoftheStateDepartmentwhenaskedthesamequestion,whentheyrespondedbyadvisingustoasktheDepartmentoftheAirForceandprovideduswithcontactinformationforsame.Asifthoseresponseswerenotspuriousenough,thenitwastheresponsewereceivedfromtheCIAthatisthemosttantalizing.TheiruseoftheGlomarresponseordenial,"canneitherconfirmnordeny",raisesthequestionthatiftheyhavenothingintheirfilesontheRendleshamIncident,thenwhynotjustsayso?InadditiontoinvokingtheGlomardenial,theCIAhasfurtherstatedintheirresponsethat:

"Thefactoftheexistenceornonexistenceorrequestedrecordsiscurrentlyandproperlyclassifiedandisintelligencesourcesandmethodsinformationthatisprotectedbysection6oftheCIAActof1949,asamendedandsection102A(i)(1)of theNationalSecurityActof1947,asamended.Therefore,youmayconsiderthisportionoftheresponseadenialofyourrequestpursuanttoFOIAexemptions(b)(1)and(b)(3),and[PrivacyAct]exemptions(j)(1)and(k)(1)."

Section(b)(1),asreferredtoabove,reads:"exemptsfromdisclosureinformationcurrentlyandproperlyclassified,pursuanttoanExecutiveOrder;"

Section(b)(3),alsoreferredtoabove,reads:"exemptsfromdisclosureinformationthatanotherfederalstatute protects, provided that the other federal statute either requires that the matter be withheld, orestablishesparticularcriteriaforwithholdingorreferstoparticulartypesofmatterstobewithheld.The(b)(3)statutesuponwhichtheCIAreliesinclude,butarenotlimitedto,theCIAActof1949;"

Sections (j)(1) and (k)(1) of the Privacy Act, as cited by the CIA, read, respectively, as follows:"exempts from disclosure certain information maintained by the Central Intelligence Agency;" and"exemptsfromdisclosureinformationproperlyclassified,pursuanttoanExecutiveOrder;"

Thus,accordingtotheCIA,ourFOIArequestfor"anyandallinformationand/orrecords,regardlessofformat,whichname specifically and/or reference in anymanner,Mr.Penniston [or JohnBurroughs] inconnection with his service in the USAF…", is denied because disclosure of that information wouldviolateanExecutiveOrderandfederalstatuteprotectssuchinformationfromdisclosure.

The governmental response to our FOIA requests is essentially no different than what I have seencountless times in suing corporate entities. First, there are many strata that comprise thecorporation/agency/etc.Theselayerstypicallyoperateindependentlyoftheother,nordotheyreallyhaveaccess towhat theothers do.Somemight properly call this compartmentalization.Second, despite themultiplicityoflayers,thereisagranddesigntothem.Theyareeachpartofanoverallschemeorpurposeandtheyalwayshaveabuilt-indefensemechanismtostopintruders.Thus,whetheritbelearningthedirtyandunethicalbusinesspracticesofacompany,orthesecretsofourgovernment,thesamedeploymentofdenialsandfeigningignoranceaboutwhatisreallygoingonaretheall-too-commonmethodsusedtokeepthetruthfromthelightofday.

PatFrascogna'sreport,whichwasreproducedverbatim,above,isonlyanexecutivesummaryofalengthyand complex effort on his part. In viewof the unsatisfactory nature of the responses received to date,work is ongoing and further attempts are being made to secure acceptable answers from the variousagenciesconcerned.

Wedo not intend to comment at length on thematerial presented in this chapter.We should, however,makeonepoint.Incaseswherefileshavebeenshreddedordocumentslost,thereisalwaysadebatetobehad overwhether such things are indicative of a conspiracy, orwhether itmight simply be a case ofbureaucracy. It is certainly the case that in any large organization, files and documents gomissing, orstaffs, forwhatever reasons, are unable to locate them.However, in government, themilitary and theintelligence agencies, document security and information management is generally taken extremelyseriously,forobviousreasons,especiallywhereclassifiedand/orsensitiveoperationsareconcerned.

Howcanwedecidewhetherthisisconspiracyorbureaucracy?Firstly,readerswillrecallthatthisisnotthefirsttimeinformationrelatingtotheRendleshamForestincidenthasgoneastray.Onsomeofthenightsatthetimeoftheincident,theradarcameraswereapparentlyturnedoff;whentheywereturnedon,thefilms were fogged; several people who took photos of the UFO (including Jim Penniston) weresubsequentlytoldthattheimageshadnotcomeout;mostcritically,DISUFOfilescoveringtheperiodoftheincidentweredestroyed,withoutanybodybeingabletosaywhy,orbywhom.Attheveryleast,onecansaythatapatternisbeginningtoemergeandthedifficultyFrascognahashadsecuringdocumentsandmedicalrecordscertainlyfitsthispattern.Secondly,Frascognaisanexperiencedandtenaciouslawyer,well-usedtotakingonlargeandpowerfulorganizations.Ifthesortsofresponseshereceivedsuggested

simplyanadministrativeerror,hewouldsayso.Hehasnot.Hisexperiencedassessmentisthatsomethingelseisgoingonhere.

Wheredoesthisleaveus?Frascogna'seffortsarecontinuingandhelpwillbeenlistedfromotherpoliticalfiguresinanattempttosecureaccesstotherelevantrecords.IntheUS,themilitaryarehighlyregarded,whethertheyareservingmembers,orveterans.LonggonearethedarkdayswhenreturningveteransoftheVietnamWarweretreatedsoshamefully.Veteransofmorerecentwars,inIraqandAfghanistan,arerightlyregardedasheroes.Theoft-usedphrase"Thankyouforyourservice"issaidwithgenuinefeeling.Against this background, it is puzzling and troubling that Frascogna has not been able to secure themedicalrecordsoftwoex-Servicepersonnelwhobelievetheyaresufferingadversehealthasaresultofanincidentthattookplacewhiletheywereinthemilitary.

JohnBurroughsandJimPennistonwillcontinuetoworkwithPatFrascogna,butthequestforaresponsefromofficialdomisonlyonehalfofthecurrentstory.Recently,BurroughsandPennistonhavebecomenotjust the focusof theongoingcampaign for answersaboutwhat thevariousmilitarywitnesses sawandexperienced,butthetwopeopleatthecenterofastormthreateningtoengulftheentireUFO,conspiracytheoryandalternativebelief community.BecauseBurroughsandPennistonhave recently revealednewdetailsofwhathappenedwhentheyencounteredtheUFOonthefirstnight.Andthesenewdetailschangeeverything.

ChapterEighteen–TheRendleshamCode

Over the years, as bits and pieces of the Rendlesham story came to light, Jim Penniston kept onestaggeringaspectofhisencountersecret.Inchapterone,weheardhowoutofallthewitnesseswhosawtheUFOoverthreenights,hecametheclosest.Indeed,hetouchedit.Thesecrethekepttohimself,forover thirty years, is thatwhen he touched it, something extraordinary happened. Essentially, Pennistonclaimsthatwhenhetouchedaparticularsymbol,hereceivedasortof‘telepathicdownload'ofonesandzeroes,whichhenowbelievesisabinarycodemessage.

Here,inPenniston'sownwords,iswhathappenedwhenheapproachedthecraft:

"AsImovealongtheleftsideofthecraft,Iseewhatappearstobesymbolsofsomekind,whichwerecomingintoview,asImovecloser,myheartisbeatingasifitwouldjumpoutofmychest,asIwritedownwhatIamobserving.Iamshaking,itisbeyondcontrol,andIcannotstopthisshaking.Istretchmyhandoutandclose it intoa fist, trying toregainsteadiness. Itseemedtohelpa little.AsI lookdown the sideof thecraft, I see the inscription, is likenothing Ihaveever seenbefore,noaircraftmarking,ornowritingthatIcanidentify.Iaminanimmensefeelingofbeingoverwhelming,stackedwithafeelingoftotaldisbelief.Afterquicklydrawingtheglyphsdowninmynotebook,Iwasreadyforasecondgoaroundofthiscraft-of-unknown-origin,soIputmynotebookbackinpocketandinitiatedthesecondwalkaroundonthe360,moreconcentratingonthedetailofthecraft,andthefactitseemstobedefyinggravitybytheabsenceofobservationoflandinggear,oratleastlandinggearasIhaveknown it tobe.As Iwalkdown the right sideof thecraft. I realized that Iwas still intact,andnotharmed. I wasmaking small moves of assessment, noting that no sign of threat or aggressionwasapparenttothispoint.IfiguredifIwastodie,itwouldhavehappenbythispoint.Asmallfeelingofreliefenvelopedme.SoIdecidedtotakeitastepfurther,Idecidedtotouchtheouterskinofthecraft.OrmaybeIwascompelledtodothat,itwasnevercleartome.AsIeversoslowlywalkedorshuffled,Itookmyhandandtouchedthecraftmomentarily,thenIstartedtoshufflealongwhiletakingmyhandand running themalong the side of the craft.Onehandover the other, as Imovedaround it.AfteralmostacompletecircleIcomebacktothesymbolsorglyphifyouwill.Runningmylefthandfromthesmoothfabrictoacoursesandpaperfeeloftheglyphs,slowlyfeelingandtracingwithmyhandthesepictorials'. I run the bottomglyphswhichmeasuredabout three feet longanda handprint high inheight.Wasthefirstonetouched,thenthenItracedmyfingerstipsonandthenontothenext…thenontothelastoneinthelineofglyphs,Imovedmyfingersoverthisone.Thenabovethehandwideheightof theseglyphs thatranalongforabout twofeetorso,wasamuchlargerone,one thatwasmoreintriguer,andonewhichseemedtotakeonmoreimportancethantheothersdid.ItmeasureIwillestimateacoupleofhandshighandaboutthreehandswide.Itwasalargeetchedorembeddedcircle,with a large triangle running from top to bottom. With two smaller circles, one at the top of thetriangleandoneslightlylargeroneonthebottomrightofthetriangle.

Ileftnottouchingthelargeone,tilllast,itseemedlikethiswasbydesign.IwascuriousbutIfeltthatthiswasthekeytothecraft.Itookmyfingersandranthemslowlyaroundtheoutercircleofthecraft.Ithentookmyfingersoff,andhesitatedwhilemakingaclosedhand,andthenIopenedmyhandandflatlypressedthepalmofmyhandonthelargetriangle.Whatwastohappennext,defiesreality.ForIwas no longer to see, what I was seeing inwhat I will call themind's eye.Was bright and steadybrilliantlight,Iwassquinting?ThenthestreamofonesandzerosranrelentlesslyandIwasunabletoseemysurroundings,Iwasscaredthough,Iseemedtounderstanditwasnotharmful,but,required.Iamnotsurehowlongthistookplace,thisbrightlightwithflashingoftheseonesandzeros.Seconds,orminutes, it seemed likeabriefmoment.Unable topullmyhandback, I finallyhad it releasemy

hand.Asquicklyasthereleaseofmyhandfromthetriangle,theonesandzerosstopped.ThankGodIthought, Iquickly started lookingatmyhand, Iwasexamine it fordamage.Seeingnone, Iwasnotgoingtodothatagain.Noneedtohavephysicalcontactagainwiththecraft.Scaryandunrealitallwas.

Istartedtoseethecraftgeneratingcolorthroughthefabricofthecraftagain.Itstartedtobecomebrightagain,andbeganmovingthroughthetreesandthenhoveredatthetopofthetreesandwithaflashandablinkofeyeitwasgone.

Ihearmovement tomyright; it'sJohn. Iamwonderingwherehehadcome fromandwherewasheduring this encounter.My thoughts are brokenwith John quickly pointing to a direction out in thefarmer'sfield.ThereitisJim,let'sgo!Asquicklyashesaidthat,hewasoffandIwasrightbehindhim.

Sowhathappenedwiththoseflashes?Well,yearslater,Ifindthattheyarenotjustonesandzeros,Ialwayshada thoughtor feeling that theymeant something;butneveractedon it. It is likeallwassupposedtowait.Likeeverythinghaditsowntimeline.Oritcouldbesomethingsimpler,likeapartoftheconditionofPost-TraumaticStressDisorder(PTSD).Timekepttravellingon,andthenmorethanadecadepassesandfinallysomeanswersaboutthoseonesandzeros.Apparentlythebinarycodeswerea direct result of contact with a physical craft; a craft of unknown origin. Meaning it was anunidentifiedcraftandwhere itcame from is stillunknown.Thecommunicationofbinarycodeswasaccomplished,whenIphysicallytouchthecraft'sglyphs,whichwerelocatedontheoutsideskinofthecraft.Itactivatedatechnologywhichisunknowntome,andapparentlytoeveryoneelsetoo.

Thetechnologythencommunicatedaseriesofonesandzerostome.Thecommunicationtransferwasaccomplishedwithinminutes.Therewasanareaofaboutfifteenfeetwhichsurroundedtheoutsideofthecraft.ThisareaIwillcallthebubble.Forwithinthebubble,staticelectricpulseduponmyclothes,skin, and hair. Also, an appearance of slowing of time. The air seemed dead, not transmitting anysound.Thenextday,whilelookingatmynotebook…theglyphsinparticular,Ihavehadthecodesrunningthroughmyheadsincetheincidentthedaybefore.Ihadafeelingtowritethemdown…forIdidandimmediatelyafterfinishingthem,theycodesweregonefrommymind.Iwasfinallyatrestwiththem.Thenotebookwasthenputawayandretiredtoabox.ForanewoneforworkIhadavailable.Mythoughtsatthetime,althoughprofound,wereactuallymuchsimpler.Iwantedittogoaway,andIhadnoneedtotalkaboutiteither.Forthiswasnottobethecase."

ItwouldbetemptingtodismissPenniston'sclaimsoutofhand.Somepeoplewilldoubtlessdosoandthatistheirright.However,itisnotassimpleasthat,becausePenniston'sclaimscannotbetakeninisolation,but must be considered as part of the wider series of events. The UFO he saw was seen by others,includingtheDeputyBaseCommander.Itwastrackedonradarandleftphysicaltracessuchasdamagetothe trees and–most tellingly – radiation levels thatwere assessed by theMoDas being significantlyhigher thanbackground levels.Moreover,Penniston is hardlyyour averagewitness.At the timeof theencounterhewasaStaffSergeantwhowastheon-dutyflightchiefatoneofthemostsensitivemilitaryinstallationsinNATO.Becauseofthenatureofhisresponsibilities,hehadbeenformallyevaluatedandjudgedtobefullycompliantwiththeUSAF'sPersonnelReliabilityProgram.

Inwriting thisbook, Ihadnumerousquestions forPennistonabout thisaspectof the story.Rather thanwriteupanaccountbasedonourvariousdiscussions, Ihave takenthedecisiontoreproducea lengthystatement that Penniston drew up for me inMarch 2013. I will make only a few minor, explanatorycomments.Thisisastrategyfamiliartomefrommygovernmentwork,whereintheworldofintelligence

analysis, the rawdata are all-important.An example of this is the IraqWar,where themedia and thepublicweretoldthatIraqpossessedweaponsofmassdestruction–aquestionable(andmaybepolitical)analysisthatwasextremelydifficulttoreconcilewiththerawdata.

IthinkitisabundantlyclearfromwhatfollowsthatPennistonisstilltraumatizedandconfusedbytheseevents,tothisday.HisdirectandfrankwritingstylemarkshimoutassomebodywhoshootsfromthehipandIhavenotsoughttotonethisdown:

ThebinarycodeorshouldIcallitthebinaryenigma?Totellyouwhereitisnowat,Ithinkwemustgobackandlookathowtheexchangeofonesandzerohappeninthefirstplace.

Onnightoneof the26thofDecember1980iswhereithadallstartedandIcouldnothaveforeseenwhattheimpactformeonthiswouldbe.Thebinarycodeswereadirectresultofmyunexpectedandhumblingcontactwithaphysicalcraft,duringthefirstnight.AsIinvestigatedtheremarkableevent,Iwas seeing things thatwereunexplainableat the timeand for thatmatterunexplainable today.Thelongeraroundthephenomena,themoreconfusingitallappeared.Aseachmomentpassedwithaflowofunknowns thatwereunfoldingbeforeme. Iwas tryingmybest toevaluatewhat itwas,andmoreimportantlywhatitwasn't.Ihadaskedmyself;howcouldthisbehappening?Iwastryingtoconceivearationalexplanation,ofwhatthiscouldbe.AndIkeptaskingmyselfwhywasitsittinginfrontofmeinthissmallclearingataforest?AsIobserved,Iknewthatthistechnologywasextremelyadvanced,faraboveanythatIhadseentothattime,andeventothisday.

Thus leaving theonlyway toreport, is tokeep it strictly inmilitary terms.Mymilitaryassessment,(one that would be acceptable in my reports) a craft of unknown origin, simply stating it was anunidentified craft andwhere it came from is still unknown todaywith a 100 percent certainty. Thecommunicationofbinarycodes (the term"binarycode"wasunknown tomeat the timeanddidnotmaketheconnectionuntilOctober2010)wasaccomplished,whenIphysicallytouchthecraft'sglyphs,whichwerelocatedontheoutsideskinofthecraft.Itactivatedatechnologywhichisunknowntome,andapparentlytoeveryoneelsetoo.Thetechnologythencommunicatedaseriesofonesandzerostome.Thecommunicationtransferwasaccomplishedwithinminutes.Therewasanareaofaboutfifteenfeetwhichsurroundedtheoutsideofthecraft.ThisareaIwillcallthebubble.Forwithinthebubble,staticelectricpulseduponmyclothes,skin,andhair.Alsoanappearanceofslowingoftime.Theairseemeddead,not transmittinganysound.Anextraordinaryandsensationalevent, forsure,one thatdefiedallIeverknew,orallIcouldeverimagine.

Thefollowingdayinthemorning,atmythen,homeinIpswichIfinallyhadfinallygottenup.Afteraverydisruptednightofnightmaresandverylittlesleep.DuringthenightIwasoftenwakeningwiththoughts,orratherimagesofvisionsofonesandzerosrunningthroughmymind,mymind'seye.Itwasoverwhelmingandscaryexperienceforsure.Ihadthoughtitwassomethingonthevergeofmadness.IwasstrugglingandItriedtocomposemyselfthenextmorning.Thetraumaofthenight/daybeforewasfinallystartingtobegintosettingin.AsIsippedonmycupofcoffee,Ifeltsoalone.AsIwasatthediningroomtable,Iwassoperplexedbythehappeningsofthedaybefore.Tryingtomakesense,butmore so, hoping and wishing these numbers would leave my mind. Overwhelming at times, andannoyingatbest,thebiggerworrywasthefearIwassomehowdamagedorhurtfrommycontactwiththisthing.Howcantheseonesandzerosseemtobeimprintedinmymindlikeahotbrandingiron?Myonlyhopewas theywoulddissipateas thehoursanddayswouldpass.Because therewerenootheroptions,forIwasnotgoingtothebasehospitalwiththis.Iftheincidentwasnotacareerender,thenreportingformedicaltreatmentwitharecountofonesandzeroskeepingmeawakeandoverwhelmingmythoughts,wassurelynotthewaytogo,andthisItrulyfeltwouldbetheendofmyairforcecareer.

AsIsatthere,andpickedupthingsthatwouldlaterbecomeevidenceofthatnight.Irelookedatthepodcasts that Ihadmadeshortlyafter theencounterbyussome24hoursearlier.As I sat there insomewhatdisbeliefIslowlyranmyfingersoverthelandingpodcast,stillsomewhatdampfrombeingpouredshortlyaftertheincidentandthedaybefore.PickingitupattimesandsmellingthemustinessofthePlaster-of-Paris,itsodorwaswiththedistinctsmelloftheforestfloorclearlyonit.

As I reflected, my mind wondered in thought of what it could have been that me, Burroughs, andCabansagsawandpursuedatdifferentpointsonthatFridaynight.Ifthatwasnotenough,Iwasalsothinkingoftheflashesandtheflashingoftheblindinglight,andthecrazinessoftheonesandzeroswhichseemedtoflashacrossmysite,butonlyblindtoallotherthings.AndforGod'ssakewhycouldIstillseethem?Layingdownthepod,IthenpickedupmynotebookthatIcarriedthatnightfromthesidecounterwhere,Ihademptiedmypocketsfromthedaybeforeaftercominghomefromworkingmylast mid-shift. I sat back down and began to thumb through the pages; I patiently relooked at theglyphsthatIhadcopieddown.WhileIhadbeguntostartlookingthroughthenotebookforthethirdandthenforthefourthtime.

Theglyphsinparticularhadmyattention.AsIdidthis,theonesandzerosstartedcomingbacktome,almostbothersomeastheystartupagain,thereIsat;havingwhathadkeptmeupthenightbeforetostartagain.Ihadtheonesandzerosbegintostartrunningthroughmyheadagain.Notblindingasbefore,butflashinginwhatseemedasequentialfashion.IwassoworriedthatthistraumaandfeelingthatIcouldneversharethismadnesswithnoone.Iwasactuallywonderingifmysanitycouldsurvivethisbarrage.Iwasforeveraprisonerofmyownmadness.Sincetheincidentthedaybefore,thiswasthenewnormalforme,somythoughtswereclearlywerehowwasIgoingtosurvivethistraumathatIhaveexperienced?HowcouldIevenfunctionwithday-to-daylife,nottomentioncuringmyselffromit?Itwasthenthat ithappened,amomentarylapseofreason.Athoughtofwritingthose"onesandzeros"down.ThemoreIthoughtaboutit,themoreIfeltcompelledandwasatthefringesofobsessiontocopywhatmymind'seyewasseeing.Ihadanevenmoreoverwhelmingurgeormoreprecisely,Ihadafeelingofcompulsiontowritethemdown,thiswasnowimperativeandithadtobedoneimmediatelywithoutfurtherdelay.

FinallyIstartedbycopyingintheonlyavailablepaperthatIimmediatelyhadinfrontofme.Itwasmynotebook.SoIrandomly flippedback tosomenewpagesandso itbegan.Sohesitantly Islowlystartedtowritedownthenumbers,forIthoughtthatthiswasbeginninginthememoryofmadness.Ifirst wrote a zero and then a one, and another, as I began to write it all down one number afteranother,asIwasseeingtheflashesinhismind.Iwrotethemdownonasteadypace.Asitprogressed.Slowlyasthisactofmadnesswascontinuing.Iwasfeelingalittlebetter,alittlebitthatis.Thesmallpiecesofpeaceandfragmentsofsatisfactionbegan.Istartedtowritethemdownfaster.Ionlyhadtostopacoupleoftimes,becausethepensIwasusingtorecordtheseonesandzeroskeptstoppingandapparently kept running out of ink. Each time that would happen I would momentary panic whileseekinganotherpenfromthedrawerofthecabinet,lookingforanotherpen.Findingone,Iwouldthesitbackdownatthetable,andbeganmyquest,mymissionagaintowritethoseonesandzerosdown,through this episode of madness of writing them down; I was finally seeing greater relief. I wroteeffortlessly,asfastastheywouldflashinmymind,Iwouldtranscribethemtopaper.

I did this continuously for about three quarters of an hour or so. What began out of an act ofdesperationandmadnessendedasfastasithadbegun.Uponfinishingthewritingofthesenumbers.Whatstartedsoquicklyjuststopped.Seeingnolongeranyimagesofthoseonesandzerosinmymind.Immediatelyafternotseeingthemnomoreandstoppingofwritingthem,itwasthentheflashingofthe

onesandzerosweregonefromtheirentiretyfrommymind.Forthefirsttimesinceitbegan,some24or sohoursearlier, Iwas finallyat restwith them.An immense feelingof relief cameoverme.Butsomethingevenworsestayedwithmyimmediatethoughts.Thethoughtoftraumaandwritingofthesenumberslikeamadman.Iaskedmyself;howcanItellanyoneaboutthis?Theobsessiontowritedownflashingnumbers inmymind thatwererelentlesssince theencounterwithglyphson thecraft.WhocouldItalkto?Isurelycouldnotgotothebaseclinicandcomplainaboutthis?Iwouldbelookedatlike a mad man I was solidly convinced. After all I was certified under the Personnel ReliabilityProgram(PRP),Iwasonthefirearmsissueandcarrylist.AndofcourseIhadmysecurityclearance.Ithought, thateveryonethatIwouldtellabout theincident, theywouldbeobligatedtoreportwhatIwould say or had experienced. All the trappings of insanity were dripping all over it. Yep, mostcertainlyitwasacareer-ender.

OneofthequestionsIwantedansweredwaswhethertheissueofthebinarycodeswasraisedinanyofthedebriefingsandinterrogationsthatfollowedtheincident.Penniston'sstatementaddressesthis:

Thechoicewasclear,sincewritingthoseonesandzerosdown,Iwasrelievedthatmymindwasnowclearandfreeofthosethings.Thoughtsofwhathadtormentedmefromshortlyaftertheincidentandseemed to rununabated,whereactuallygone. Iwas free,andmore importantly Iwas relieved.Thesituationbeforewasnotasituationtodealwithbymyself.Astheminuteswentby,theclearerthingshadbecome.Forwhathadhappenhere,itlookedlikeIwasgoingtobealright.Ifeltnormalnessforthefirsttimesincetheincident.Nevertomentionthemadnessoftheonesandzerosagaintoanyone,fortheyarenowhistoryandIamonmywaytosomenormalnessinmycareer.Theonesandzerosaregoneforever,orsoIhadthought,themadnessofthemwouldneverbeknown.Ontheeveningofthe28thofDecember1980justaftersupper.IreceivedacallfromaSergeantwhoworkedintheSecurityPoliceorderly room.He toldme that he receiveda call from theSquadronCommander tohavemereporttotheAFOSIbuildinginthemorning.ItoldhimIwouldcomply.Funnythingis,heneveraskedanyquestionseither.

OverthenextfewweeksandmonthsIwasmethodicallyandconsistentlyinterviewedandinterrogatedby people within my chain of command, other Air Force agencies and others whom were of otherbranches of service and other departments of the United States. Sometimes remembering thosediscussionsandinterviewsandsometimenotrememberingthemfordecades later.Every time,Iwaspromisedthatthiswasthelastinterviewanditwouldbeabsorbedintotheclassifiedannalsofdataand I would need to tell or talk about it no more. This was not the case. I went through at leastfourteendebriefingsand twobynon-air forcepersonnel.Andmany that Iwouldnotrememberuntildecadeslater.Igaveallinformationfrommemoryandatnotimewasthenotebookeverbroughtup.Thedebriefswerealwaysthelastoneandwereallforthelasttime;forifitwasnotAFOSI,itwastobeeveryone inmychainof commandandall that Iwouldmeetwithan inquisitivequestion.At theAFOSI building Iwas told andwas promised. Tell all and tell it correctlywith no omission and itwouldbethelastofquestionsonRendlesham.Howuntruethiswouldbecome,astheyearspassed.Fortheseweretocontinue,nomatterwhatIhadsaid.Foritwasunknowntomeatthattime,ortheothervisits toAFOSIorwherever itwouldbe, Iwouldnothavememoryof them,wellat leastuntil thembeingtoldinthehypnosissomefourteenyearslater.

So,bizarrely,Pennistonchosenottoraisetheissue.Thoughhedoesnotsayso,Ithinkthisgoesfurtherthanthesimplefactthathewasn'taskedaboutthem.Thisseemsdisingenuoustosaytheleast,becauseifaskedtogiveafullaccountofanevent,theomissionofagermanefactisnearlyasbadasalie.Itseemstome that either thememory had been suppressed, or he chose not to raise it, for fear of losing his

PersonnelReliabilityProgramcertification,orevenbeingdischarged.

ThefirsttimePennistonmentionedthecodeswasin1994,shortlyafterhelefttheUSAF.Sufferingfromhealthproblemsandsleepdisorders,hehadnobeliefthatthesleepdisorderswerearesultofanythingother than stress. Penniston privately contacted a local hypnotherapist who could address the sleepdisordersandtheassociatedwakingupthroughoutthenight.ItisimportanttosaythatshehadnothingtodowiththeUFOcommunity,nordidsheevenbelieveintheparanormal.Afterafewappointmentsitwasagreed upon to do a regression hypnosis session and during the taped interviews (taped for thehypnotherapist'snotes)itwasdiscoveredthataportionoftimeinPenniston'smemorywasblocked.Shesaid,"ItwasthefirsttimeIhaveeverencounteredthis,althoughIhavereadaboutit".WhatcameoutoftheregressionastonishedthehypnotherapistaswellasPenniston.

Ufologists – particularly researchers into the so-called alien abductionmystery – often use regressionhypnosis to try to recover hidden memories of extraterrestrial encounters. Ufologists believe thesememorieshaveeitherbeensuppressedbyextraterrestrials,orrepressedbytheindividualconcerned,asaself-protection mechanism, with the traumatic memories taken out of conscious awareness. We havepreviouslyhighlighted thedebateover thevalidityof regressionhypnosis in recovering lostmemories,but present this information for readers tomake up their ownminds. The relevant part of Penniston'sstatementaddressessomehealthissuesbeforegoingontocoverthehypnosissessioninwhichthebinarycodesarementioned:

In1991medicalissueswithmyinnereararenowdiagnosisasMeniereDisease.In1993Iretirefromthe USAF. In 1994, I have severe sleep issues and post-traumatic stress from the incident, andcontinuingproblemsfromthenowdiagnosisofMeniereDisease.TheVeteransAdministrationtreatedMeniereDisease. Theywould not afford post-traumatic stress treatment for the incident. They saidthere was no evidence of anything happening at Bentwaters in 1980 which could produce thiscondition. So I had to seekprivatehelp for the sleepdisorderand thepost-traumatic stress. I alsosoughttoremember,forIhadmemoryvoidsofthingsfromthattime.

TranscriptextractofmysecondhypnosissessiononSeptember10,1994,Ibegintobreakthroughanapparentpost-hypnoticsuggestionby theAFOSIhypnotizers tokeepme from talking.The followingareexcerptsfromthatsecondsessioninwhichtheAmericanandBritishintelligencepeopleseemtohave anticipated before their sodium pentothal hypnosis that I received a telepathic download ofbinarynumbers.

Extractofhypnosissession,September10,1994:

Hypnotherapist:Youweren'tsupposedtounderstandtheprogram?

Penniston:No.By touching these things [the raisedglyphson the crafts surface] I activated thesethings.

Hypnotherapist:Youtouchedthesymbolsandyousetoffaprogram?

Penniston:Yes.Itwasrepairingitself.Alltheywantedwasaplacetostaywhileitrepaireditself.

Hypnotherapist:Andbytouchingthesymbols,youdisruptedtherepairprogram?

Penniston:Iactivatedabinarycode.Thetwo[governmentagents]menwanttoknowwhy.

Hypnotherapist:Andwhatdoyouanswerthem?

Penniston:They ask me if I ever had any other encounters with them [Binary and them the timetravelers].Ihaven't.Theyarediscussingitbetweenthemselves.Thesituation.They'vegotaproblem.

Hypnotherapist:What'stheirproblem?

Penniston:TheirproblemisbecauseIcan'ttellanybody.Theyasknomorequestionsaboutthecraft.Andtheywanttoknow[discussingwitheachother]whattodowithme.

This is a fascinating development. While theories about time travel have previously cropped up inufology,theyareuncommonandnotpopular.Soifthehypnotherapistwassomehowleadingthewitness,orifPennistonwasconfabulating(givingfalseinformationhonestly,e.g.asaresultofbraindamageorpsychologicaldisorder),onewouldexpecthimtocomeupwithastoryaboutextraterrestrials,nottimetravelers.Butyethewasveryclearonthis,atonepointstating:

"Theyaretimetravelers–theyareus."

Pennistonclearlyhadhisowndoubtsaboutthetimetraveltheoryandaboutthebinarycodes.Indeed,heisatpainstopointoutthathedidnotoriginallyconnecttheonesandzeroswithbinarycode.

Once the possibility had been raised, Penniston shared a small part of the codes with some trustedindividuals.These includedLindaMoultonHowe, a filmmaker and journalistwith a strong interest inUFOs,Kim Sheerin, co-executive producer on the popularHistoryChannel TV showAncient Aliens,Nick Ciske, a web designer who is an expert in ASCII (a character-encoder) and binary code, JoeLuciano,acomputersystemsengineerwhohadexperienceofbinarycodeswhileworkingintheUSAF,andGaryOsborn,anauthorwithaninterestinawiderangeofesotericsubjects.

KimSheerinrecallsitlikethis:

"In October of 2010, our production team spent a day with John, Jim and Linda in Phoenixinterviewing eachof themon theBentwaters incident. In describing the events ofDecember26-28,1980,JimPennistonrecounted thedesignshesayon thecraft-of-unknown-originanddescribedhisexperienceoffeelingcompelledtowritedoneonesandzerosshortlyaftertouchingthecraft".

Pennistonsays:

"ItwasaroundthattimethattherewasapauseinshootingandJohnaskedaboutacertaindateandIsaid "yes John I have that written in my notebook here". So when I started to thumb through thenotebooklookingforthedateheaskedfor,Istartedtofliptheonesandzerospages.IwasstoppedbytheproducerandgottheimmediateattentionofJohnandLinda,askingwhatwasthatwritteninthenotebook.CasuallyItellthem"oh,itistheonesandzerosfromthatnight".Lindajumpsupandsaid"youwrotethemdown?"andIsaid,hesitantly,"yes".EveryonewasexcitedwithwhatIhavefeltforthirtyyearswasaproductofmytemporarymadnessfromexposuretothecraftthatnight.NooneknewthereatthefilmshootthatIwasreluctantandalsoashamedofwhattheonesandzerosmeanttomethatmorningofthenextdayaftertheincident.ItwasasecretIkeptonlytomyselfuntilfilmingtheshootanduntilImadetheslipabouttheonesandzeros.ItoldLindaandtherestofthefilmcrewthatIhadwrittenthesedowninmynotebook.TheoriginalnotebookIhadfromthatnightwasinmyhand.Well,everyonehadprettymuchstoppedandgotexcitedandwascuriousaboutwhatIhadtoldthem.Everyonepresent,includingJohn,askedme,"Yourecordedthem?"andIsaid"yes".Alleyeswereonthem at that point. Linda wanted some experts to see them. I agreed for her to do that … butunbeknowntoher,IalsogavecopiesofthecodestoKimSheerin,fortheirexperttodecipher."

Previously,onlythefirstfivepagesofPenniston'snotebookhavebeenmadeavailable.Butforthefirsttime in this book, all sixteen pages are being revealed (the raw data is reproduced at the end of thisbook).Followingonfromthis,thefollowingtranslationisofferedbyPenniston,basedontheworkofthevariousexperts listedabove. It consistsofbrief snatchesof text, togetherwithnumbers, interpretedaslatitudesandlongitudes,thelocationsofwhicharegiveninbrackets:

EXPLORATIONOFHUMANITY6668100

52.0942532N13.131269W(HyBrasil)

CONTINUOUSFORPLANETARYADVAN???

FOURTHCOODINATECONTINUOTUQSCbPRBEFORE

26.763177N89.117768W(Caracol,Belize)

34.800272N111.843567W(Sedona,Arizona)

29.977836N31.131649E(GreatPyramidinGiza,Egypt)

14.701505S75.167043W(NazcaLinesinPeru)

36.256845N117.100632E(TaiShanQu,China)

37.110195N25.372281E(PortalatTempleofApolloinNaxos,Greece)

EYESOFYOUREYES

ORIGIN52.0942532N13.131269W(HyBrasil)

ORIGINYEAR8100

HerearePenniston'sfinalthoughtsonthebinarycodeandonthepossibilitythatthisisamessagefromthefuture.Itisabizarremixture.Attimes,Pennistonseemscertainaboutthings,butelsewhere,it'sclearthathe'splaguedbyanxietyandself-doubt:

"Sotheaboveisthebinarycodedecipher,orasIrefertoitasthebinaryenigma.AsIhavealwayssaidfromtheverybeginningofmyexposureandwitnessingoftheincident,itwasclearthatIcouldwith100percentcertaintytellyouwhatthecraftwasnot.Thehardpartisthis:whatexactlywasit?ItwasnotanairplaneintheJane'sBookofKnownAircraft,ormanyotherthings.WhatIcannottellyouisexactlywhatitwas.Itisjustlikethisbinary?Howcanitbepossibletoreceivesuchinformationfromcontactthatnight?HowcouldIgohomeand24hourslaterwritetheseonesandzerosdownfrommemory?How,whyandathousandmorequestionsIhave.Underhypnosis,Irevealthattheyaretimetravelersfromthefuture.

I have a detailed tale of them while under this hypnosis in extreme detail. Then I have the realevidence:thewrittenbinary,thedayaftertheevent;theglyphsobservedonthesideofthecraft;thepodcaststhatweremadelateronthemorningaftertheevent.WhydoesthistranslateinEnglishandnot some alien language that cannot be understood?Why did the aircraft have remotely terrestrialsimilarities?

Sohowcan it be that thephysical evidence seems to backup thehypnosis? It is all good food forthoughtIguess.Willwereallyhavetheanswerstothisenigma?Mythoughtsonthis:afirmyes.

Duringmyinvestigationandinthecourseofmyresearchwiththetimetravelerevidence(asitkeptcomingupatvariouspointswhenlookingforthedefinitiveanswerstoRendleshamandtheenigma),theanswertothatquestionisthattherearenodefinitiveanswersatthispointintime.InrecentyearsIfindthatRendleshamisnottheonlyincidentwhichothermilitaryhaveevaluatedastimetravelers.IfindthatIamnottheonlyonewhohassuggestedthis,bylookingattheevidenceofaparticularcase.The same thing happened with Project Avalon: they were talking about the Roswell visitors andAdmiralGeorgeHoover said that "these visitorswereus from the future.Theywere time travelers;they weren't extraterrestrials". Now other researchers and whistle-blowers have spoken about thesamethingandthisisfascinatinginitself.ButwhatAdmiralGeorgeHooversaid"thebiggestsecret"really was – it had to do with the abilities and the power of the consciousness of these travelers.Becausetheywereusfromthefuture,whatthemilitaryauthoritieshadfoundoutwaswhathumansarereallycapableof.Thishadbeenbuttonedupreallytight,becauseifweknewhowpowerfulwereallywere,howpowerfulwereallycouldbe,thenwewould,causechaosaroundusandthiscouldneverbepermitted.Wecouldrearrangetherealityaroundusinthewaythatwewantedto,inthewaythat–ifthisisreal–thatthefuturehumanshadlearnedhowtodo,whichgivesthemaccesstothesesortsofincredibleabilities,suchastime-traveling.

Ihavemyownbeliefs,butinnowayexpectyoutoblindlygowithmythoughtsormybeliefsonthis.IfIwerewalkinginyourshoes,well,Iwouldlookattheevidencethathasbeenpresentedinthisbook.Iwouldthentakeastepbackandthenwouldlookatall theevidenceandsystematicallyevaluatetheevidencewith the binary and draw your final conclusions yourself. Youmust decide, is this as JimPenniston believes, that it is time travelers from our future came back in time to 1980, or is itsomethingtotallydifferentthanthat?Itisforyoutodecide.Aquestionrunningthroughmythoughtsisthis:whydidIdecideforthisbinarymessagetobemadepublic?Afterall,itcouldbeconceivedasaprivatemessage,foronlymetoknow.ButthenIaskwhywoulditbeme?Iamonlyoneofmany,soIthinkthattheonlyanswerthatIcangiveisthemosthonestandsimple.Somythinkingisthatitisforallofmankindandnotoneman.Afterall,iftheyarereallyusfromthefuture,thenthisisamessageforallofus,fromusinthefuture,givingmethisconclusionformyselfaboutthebinary:whatifthewholepointtothecontactinDecember1980wasforustopublishthisbinarymessageatthispointintime?Itismythought,butiftheyarefromthefuture,thegreatpartofthatthoughtisthatsometimeinthefuturewewillknowifitistrueornot.Istheremoretocome?Yes,Ibelievethereismuchmoretocome!"

Itisextremelydifficultformetoevaluatethematerialinthischapter.Indeed,Iwastemptedtoconcludewiththeage-oldphraseusedbyintelligenceanalystswhenconfrontedbyintriguingclaimsfromasinglesource,unsubstantiatedbya secondary source: "Interesting, if true".But readerswill expect somethinglessglibandPennistondeservesbetterthanthis.

Firstly,isPennistontellingthetruth?Thisisimpossibletoverify,thoughIwouldmakeoneobservationon thispoint.Themost compellingaspectsof theRendleshamForest incident are theevents thatwerewitnessedbyseveralpeople,suchaswhenBurroughsandPennistonwitnessedtheUFOatcloserangeonthe firstnightorwhenHaltandhismensaw theUFOfire lightbeamsat thegroundon thesubsequentnight; it's the corroborating evidence such as the charred trees, the radiation readings and the radarevidence. Penniston is the first to acknowledge that the binarymessage is muchmore problematic inevidentialterms.Thus,thisaspectofthestorymayseemlesscredible.Thisbeingthecase,Pennistonhasmoretolosethantogainbytellingthisstory.

Is it possible that Penniston is confabulating, as mentioned previously in this chapter? Confabulation

(sometimescalledhonestlying)iswheresomeoneistellingthetruthastheyperceiveit,butwhereeventsdidnottakeplaceasdescribed.Thiscanbetheconsequenceofabraininjury,Alzheimer'sdiseaseoranynumber of psychological or psychiatric disorders.Might all this be the consequence of the drugs andhypnosis thatmany claimwere administered after the event, during the debriefings and interrogations?PennistonhimselfrecallsonlyonedebriefingfromAFOSI,withallothersadministeredbytheCommandelement. Could it be a result of the regression hypnosis Penniston underwent voluntarily, with ahypnotherapist?Thehypnotherapistwasn'taufologistandPennistonhadonlyattendedbecausehewasn'tsleepingproperly,soit'sunlikelythatthehypnotherapistledPennistondownthisroad.Orcoulditbeaconsequenceofamixtureof thesevariousfactors?However, thepagesofPenniston'spolicenotebook,whichcontainthecode,aredatedDecember26and271980.AndPennistonhasalwaysmaintainedanabsolutewillingnesstohavethenotebookforensicallytestedanddated,ifthisispossible,toprovethecodewasn't added later.SoPennistonhimself isadamant that this isnot theconsequenceofdrugsandhypnosis.

HereiswhatPennistonwroteaboutthisin2010,inanattempttomakesenseofitall:

"Anyinconsistenciesinmyaccountcaneasilybeattributedtothemeddlingoftheineptdebriefingandthedrug-inducedattemptedextractionof informationby theU.S.agentsat theAFOSIbuilding,orquitepossiblybythephenomenonitself.Theotherfactorissimplymystateofmindatthetimeoftheincident.IwasshakendeepwithineveryfiberofmyselfbyallthatIsawandexperienced,inthemidstofdoingmyjobthatnight.Itwasmorethanunravelinganddisturbingforme.Itwas"life-changing"ThisdoesnottakeintoaccountmyprivateordealathomewiththebinaryhellIwasencountering,aswell as other things immediately after the incident. I believe I was possible a primary reason forColonelHalt'sinconsistenciesinhisinfamoussanitizedmemoaswellandtheinitialconfusionaboutmanythingswiththeincident.Ofcourse,thencausingmoreoftheinitialconfusionwasthedirectedblanketofsilencedirectedbythebasecommand;Ialsothinkthiswasalsoamajorfactor."

Hisfinalwordsonthis,writtenmorerecently,in2013,areclear:

"Ihavealwayshavehadmemory,andmychildrentoo,oftheglyphsandonesandzeros."

Whatofthemessageitself?IfIstillworkedfortheMoD,IwouldhavesecuredaproperanalysisfromcryptographersatGCHQ(GovernmentCommunicationHeadquarters)–aUKagencybroadlyanalogousto theNSA.Butwith this option no longer available, I can offer few personal thoughts, not being anexpertincodes.However,withthegreatestofrespecttothoseexpertswhohaveworkedonthemessage,Iwouldtakeastepbackandfirstaskifitwasbinarycodeatall.Itmayseemalogicalassumption,butit'sananthropocentricone.

If themessage isgenuineandhasbeencorrectlydecoded, itseemssimultaneouslyprofoundandbanal."Explorationofhumanity.Continuousforplanetaryadvance"isthebestapproximationofthetextualpartof themessage. It sounds impressive on the face of it, yet arguably it's no different from all sorts ofchanneledmessagescirculating in theUFOandNewAgecommunities.The samemightbe saidof thelocations.HyBrasilisamythicallostlandsaidtobeoffthecoastofIreland.It'ssometimesdubbed"TheCelticAtlantis".Theother sites read like aNewAgeholidaywish-list: theGreatPyramid, theNazcaLines,andSedona.Again,isthisproofthatthemessageisgenuine,orthatit isconfabulated?Havethevariousexpertssomehowshoehornedthedataintosomethingthatfitstheirownbeliefsystems?Isallthisjustwishful thinking?Or is themessagemore subtle? Is thereamorecomplexmessagehiddendeeperwithintheobviousone?Ihavenoanswershere,whichiswhyweproducetherawdataattheendofthebook.Maybeotherexpertswillcomeupwithanalternativetranslation.

Finally,IshouldsaythatwhileIworkedonMoD'sUFOprojectandwasawarethattheUKGovernmentdabbled in other paranormal areas such as remote viewing, I am not aware of any UK Governmentresearchintotimetravel.IamawareofsomerumorsthattheUSgovernmentconductedsuchresearch,butwhilestoriessuchastheMontaukProjectandthePhiladelphiaExperimenthavebeenwidelytold,Ihavenevercomeacrossanyofficialcorroborationofthis.

WiththeRendleshamCoderevealed(thoughnotnecessarilyexplainedordecoded)thetimehascometoconcludethisextraordinarystory,asJohnBurroughsandJimPennistontrytomakesenseofnotjustthecodes,butthewholeincident.

Inthisnextchapter,Imakenocommentatall.BurroughsandPennistonwanteditthisway,sothattheirmaterialwouldstandalone.They,afterall,weretheoneswhoexperiencedthisandhadtolivewithwhathappenednext.

ChapterNineteen–FinalThoughtsfromJohnBurroughsandJimPenniston

ThenightwewalkedintoRendleshamForest,Iwent inasaSecurityPoliceSupervisor,withonlyonething inmind; to ascertainwhat exactly itwas and if I confirmed that itwas an aircraft crash, renderassistancetosurvivor(s),set-upanEntryControlPointforrespondingemergencypersonnel;andifitwasoursIwaspreparedtoset-upaNationalDefenseAreaaroundit,whichwouldhavesecuredtheperimeterandentryforU.S.personnelonly.

But,thatwasnotthecase.AfterwhatIhadseenintheearlymorninghoursonthatnight,IleftthatforestadifferentmanthanwhenIwalkedin.Iwasinaweofthetechnologyandyes,aknowingthatitwasnotanaircraftwhich couldhavebeenmanufactured in1980or evennow.The replicationof this craft inmyassessmentisfarmoreadvancedthananywecoulddevelopinthenextfewcenturiesattheveryleast.

I have had difficultywithwhat I saw andwas exposed to out there that night.Withinweeks after theincidentIwasbeingtreatedfornewalimentsIhadnothadbefore:vertigo,headachesandthenmemoryissues and unknown infections; all treatable, but always re-occurring. The interesting thing was that IneverthoughtoftimeoutthereintheforestwithJohnimmediatelyaftertheincident,asifitwasonlyanexperiencewhich no doubt could never be explained. I really can't explain that, since the night of theincident,itallseemspushedtothebackburnerforme,oratleastthroughmyremainingtimeintheUSAF.Afterretirement,auniqueandstrangethinghappened.ForafteravoidofnightmaresanddreamsaboutRendlesham,thenaftermyretirementitallstartedtohappen.Forthelast20yearsIhavealsosufferedfromchronicfatiguesyndrome.Ofcourse,astimewentonitbecamemoreprevalent.Icansayitwasanevolvingprocessforme.Iwouldlookoccasionallyatthenotebookwhichhadthestrangeglyphs,notes,andthememoryofmymadnessafterthenight.

Ioftenthink,soifmymemorywasmessedwith,thentheobviousquestioniswhy?Andifthiswasdonebyourowngovernmentthentherewerethingsusedforcontainmentpurposes,thenwhywouldtheyallowthe information about the binary codes and glyphs to exist inmynotebook? I am sure that informationcouldhaveallbeenextractedunderdrugsorotherpartsoftheinterrogation,asdescribedinmyoneandonlyhypnosissession.ThenofcoursethereistherecallofinformationfromgoingbacktothelandingandtakeoffareaatRendlesham.Thenotherrecallfromoneofthebinarylocations.Allofthisandmyquestionis of course,why?The conduct of the agents,while Iwas under the operational control of theUSAF,makesmewonderwhytheAirForcewouldallowsuchthingstobedonetotheirpersonnelwhileonabase?Whywouldthey,myfellowAmericans,treatusasenemycombatants?Orevenworse.

Oristheanswerassimpleasthis:whenIwastakenintothebuildingfordebriefandsodiumpentothal,theagentsrevealednothing,fortheyweremetwithsilenceandwhatIknewwouldremainsilencedforyears.Onlytobereleasedbydesign.Justathought;whoreallyknows?

Idotakemedicationwhichcurtails thenightmaresandflashbacksfromthenight.Thediagnosis isPostTraumaticStressDisorder(PTSD).Isupposethosethingsarejustnormalformetoday.AsIsearchforthe answers and live with the debilitating effects from that night and follow-up days, by my fellowcountrymen's interrogations, thereareoneor twoquestions that Iwant toaskandhaveanswered. It is"WhatwasitthatwesawandwhyhastheUnitedStatesandtheUnitedKingdomdoneeverythingtocoveritupasaUFOevent?"-"Whatisittheyaresoafraidofthepublicfindingout?"

WhateveritisthattheywanttobekeptsosecretobvioushasnothingtodowithUFOs(ETorAlien)asisclearlyshowninthedeclassifieddocuments,whichclearlytalksaboutthisphenomenon.ButIcouldnotsummarizethiseventwithouttalkingaboutGeneralWilliams(formerWingCommanderatthetime)justa

littlebit,andsomeofthethingshehassaidtomethathasmademefeellikewearegoingwhereJohnandIshouldbewith this incident.Recently Ihavebeen incontact throughemailsandphonecallswith theformerWingCommander,thenowretiredMajorGeneralGordonWilliams.JohnandIhaverecentlymetwithhimtoo.TheGeneralwasandisalwayswillingtotalkandmeetwithus.DuringoneoftheemailexchangesIwashavingwithhim,Ifeltguilt-riddentotelltheGeneralthatonthedayIbriefedhim,IwasunderordersoftheAFOSIandtheysaidanactiveinvestigationwasunderway.TheinformationItoldhimandtheotherstaffofficerswastheAFOSI-sanitizedversionoftheeventanddidnotgointoallthedetailofmyexposurewithmyteamwiththephenomenon.TheGeneralsaid"Iknowyouguyswerenottreatedfairly and [theAFOSIAgent] couldbe real tough". Iwas thinking tomyself "how interesting", since Iknew [the agentGeneralWilliamsnamed], or at leastwhat he looked like, andhewasnot oneof thepeoplewhointerviewedme.IrememberwhenIwasvisitingJohninArizona,togaininformationforthisbook,IhadleftavoicemailonGeneralWilliams'scellphone,tryingtoarrangeameetingwithGeneralWilliams, John andme in Tucsonwhere the General lives. I promptly received a call back from theGeneralwhileIwaswithJohnandothersattheStupainSedona.TheGeneralagreedtomeetusinafewdays.TheonethingthatwassostrangewiththeGeneraliswhathesaidtomeonthephonecallsettingupmeeting.Hesaid"Youguysarethemostpersistentsons-of-bitchesIhaveeverseen,goodonya!""You'rejustlikefighterpilots;youseeyourtargetandyadon'tstoptillyagetitdone."IfoundthisveryindicativeofGeneralWilliams,minusthecharmschoolstuff.Healwaysseemedsosupportive;inastrangewayheseemedproudthatwewerecontinuingourquestsforthetruth.

TheGeneralagreedtomeetwithJohnandIontheweekend.WhenmeetingatasmallcaféinTucsoninOctober2012itwasastrangesensationasweallshookhands.Aftersittingdowninthebooth,JohnandIon one side and across from me was the man whom I had not seen for thirty-two years. My mindwanderedabitinthoughtasIranbacktothetimeIfacedthismanwiththosesteelblueeyeslookingbackatme.IrealizedthelasttimeIlookedthismaninthefacewasthedayIwasreportingwithJohninhisoffice,atthe81stWingCommander'soffice,reportingwhathadhappenonnightone.Tomyleftinasmallseating area in the General's office were seated Colonel Conrad and Colonel Halt, listening to usattentively.IgavetheGeneralthebriefthatwaspreparedforme.WhatwassocuriousatthetimewasthatwhenIfinishedwithmybrief tohimhesaid"Iwant to thankyoumenfordoingagreat job,andIthankyouforyourcandor;wewilltakeitfromhere".Ilefttheofficewithapersistentquestionaboutthatmeeting:itwasthattheGeneraldidnotaskonequestionofus.HowstrangeIthoughtthatwasthen.Littledid I know that thirty-twoyears later Iwould knowwhyhe didn't. Itwas because of the declassifieddocumentexplainingthephenomenonandhewasawareatthetimeofit.

WhenJohnwasreadytolettheGeneralknowthatwehadfoundthedeclassifieddocumentandaskedifhewouldliketoseeittheGeneral,withoutemotion,said"Don'ttellme,youhaveastampeddocument?"Johnsaid"YesSir,thatiswhatwehave".JohngotupandexcusedhimselfforafewminutesanditlefttheGeneral andme at the booth. TheGeneral took his index finger and followed each line and read thedocument which stated all Wing Commanders were briefed on this phenomenon and what he wassupposedtodowithitifitcameupunderhiswatch.Well,littledidheknowitwouldhappentohim.TheGeneralsaid"Whateveryouneedmetodo,justask".WeleftwiththeGeneralpickingupthelunchtab.

Whathasalwaysmademewonderthemostaboutthoseofficersovermewastheiron-goingsupport.NotjustGeneralWilliams,butalsoColonelConradandothersthatwereinvolved.Itseemstheyareofferingsupport,notsomuchforus,but,itseemstheyhaveguiltinvolvedwithwhatseemslikesupport.Washowalltheofficersovermeatthetimestillsupportusdonewithoutquestion?Ormaybeitisonlythattheycontinuetofollowtheordersandtheprogramwhichdealtwiththisphenomenonfromsolongago.IwasalsohauntedwithwhatIknewfrombeingoutintheforestthatnight,andwhatIobserved;keepingsecrets

thatIcanonlyhavetoldatthispointintime.

Afterthetwoofusmetagainforthefirst timeinmid-2009,thefirst timewereallyeversatdownandstarted discussing theRendleshamForest Incident, new enlightenments of time loss and further humantragedybegan to surface, asatourmeetingwebegan to recall and remembermore.Wesoonbegan torealize that dreams and nightmareswere actually pieces of our persistentmemorywhichwere finallycoming forwardafteryearsof suppression.The following ishowJohn remembers the incidentand thestrangethingsthatfollowed,andwhathasbroughtustothispointinhistory.

Ourjourneyhasneverreallyendedfromthenightweenteredtheforestuntilthepresentday.Somethinginsideofus through theyearshas continued topushus towards findingoutwhatweencounteredoverthosethreenights,December26-28,inRendleshamForest.AsJimhassaid,"WhatIoncebelievedisnomoreandwhat I'vewitnesseddefiesall that Ihaveever imagined.""Iamtruly inaweover thewholeincident, andnoone can fully understand themagnitudeof such an event, unless theywere there."Wewere brought in after the incident and treated like enemy soldiers would be treated if they had beencaptured. Jim remembers being interrogated and having drugs used on him.What I remember is beingcalledinandaskedtowriteastatementbytheDeputyBaseCommander,CharlesHalt.AfterwritingmystatementI,SSgtPennistonandAICCabansagweredebriefedinHalt'soffice.Weweretoldnottotalkabout the incident toanyone, that therewasanongoing investigationand thenAICCabansagJimand Iwere dismissed and then taken into the Wing Commander's office with the Base and Deputy BaseCommanderspresent.TheAFOSI-sanitizedaccountwasbriefed to theofficers.TheWingCommander,ColonelWilliams,thankedusforthereportandaskednoquestions,whichwasthebeginningofhowourCommandstaffleftustohangoutontheclotheslinetodry.

Inthespringof2009Idecidedthatitwastimetodosomethingaboutwhathappenedtous.Iwastiredofreadingandhearingaboutwhathappenedtousfromnon-witnesses.SoIdecidedtodoaninvestigationtotryandputeverythingtogether.ThefirstthingIdidwascontacttheguywhostoodnexttomeinthefieldthatcoldDecembernightin1980.IcontactedJimviae-mailandfollowedupwithseveralphonecalls,withusfinallymeetinginasmallcaféonhighway39,halfwaybetweenFreeportandNormal,Illinois.Wedecidedtoworktogetheronthisandputallthepiecestogetheronceandforall.Aswedroveawayfromthatdinnerinthatlatesummerafternoonneitheroneofushadanyideaofthethingstocome!IreturnedtoPhoenixandJimandIstartedputtingthepiecestogether.Aswedidso,wewentbackandforthonwhatwouldbethebestwaytogetallofitoutafterwefinishedtheinvestigation,finallydecidingtoputitinabook.

Whatwelearnedalongthewayshockedustothecore.InOctober2011IcameacrossanarticlewrittenbyNickPopetalkingaboutProjectCondign(seeChapter14).AfterreadingthearticleIcontactedhimaskinghimiftherewasmoretothestory.HesentmebackareportwhichIreadover,leadingtomorequestions.OneofthequestionsIaskedwaswhatfileswereusedtowritethereport?HethensentmeaPDFfilethatcontainedallofthosedocuments.WhenIopenedupthosefilesIwasblownawaybytheinformation they contained. In this report it talked about our incident. It talked about how if certainstatementsweremadebywitnessesthentheyknewthattheyhadphenomenon–aphenomenonthatUSAFWingCommandershadbeenbriefedon;becauseoftheincidentthathadhappenedwithmilitaryaircraft,thena teamwouldbe sent in to investigate the incident and interview thewitnesses.Oneyear later inOctober2012,whileJimwasinPhoenix,weconfirmedinarestaurantinTucsonwithGeneralWilliamsthathewasawareof thephenomenon; that thestampeddocumentweshowedhimwasrealand thathewassurprisedithadbeendeclassified.

As Iwent through thedocuments I alsonoticed that someof the informationwas still classified, for a

varietyofdifferent reasons, so IaskedNickwho theauthorwasandwhether someof this informationbeendeclassifiedsincethefileswerereleased.Hisresponsebacktomecaughtmeoffguard.Hestatedhewasnotawhistleblowerandhecouldnotcommentfurtheronthedocuments.Hedidsaythistooneofmyquestionsaboutwhymoreofwhatinthesedocumentshadnotbeendiscussed.Herepliedbackthat"ManyufologistshavelookedattheCondignReportandmadeFOIrequestsinrelationtoit.Theproblemisthatitwaswrittenbysomeonewithabackgroundinscientificandtechnicalintelligenceandwasverymuchadocumentforagovernment/militaryaudience.Assuch,withoutwantingtobeoverlypatronizing,ufologistsaren'treallycapableofanalyzingitandundertakingmeaningfulfollow-up.Therewasasortofschoolboyish excitement in the UFO community that such highly-classified documents had been madepublic,buttheydidn'treallyunderstandwhatthey'dgot.

Sothismightexplainwhyevenafterthosefileswerereleased,ufologistsdidnotfollowuponwhattheyhadbeengiven.

Oneof thecover-upswebelieve shouldbeexposed (seechapter13) is this, taken fromaBBCNewsreportdatedMarch2,2011:

"UFO files reveal ‘Rendlesham incident' papers missing. Intelligence papers on a reported UFOsighting known as the "Rendlesham incident" have gone missing, files from the National Archivesreveal.ThemissingfilesrelatetoareportofmysteriouslightsfromUSservicemenatRAFWoodbridgein Suffolk in 1980. The disappearance came to lightwith the release of 8,000 previously classifieddocumentsonUFOs.Officialsfounda"huge"gapwheredefenseintelligencefilesrelatingtothecaseshouldbe,thepapersshow."

Theseclassifieddocumentsneedtobereleasedtothepublic.

InthepastthreeyearsIhavedevelopedaseriousheartissue–almostdyinginJulyof2012–andInowhave a pacemaker defibrillator controlling my heart. My doctor needed to see my military medicalrecordsbecausehecouldfindnoreasonwhyIwashavingthisheartissue.WiththehelpofattorneyPatFrascognaIcontactedSenatorJohnKyl'sofficewithaletterandsupportdocumentsaskingforhishelp.SenatorKyl'sfirstattempttogetmyrecordswasdeniedbytheUSDepartmentforVeteransAffairs(VA).TheytoldhimIneededtofileaVAclaimfordisabilityandthencamethestunningpartoftheletter;theytoldhimtheyfeltmyrecordscouldbelocatedintheVAclassifiedrecordssectionandthatiftheywere,itwouldbeup to theUSAFto release those records to theSenatorandmydoctor for treatment,orevenallowtheVAtotreatme.

Iwasshockedmycountrycouldbeholdingupmytreatmentbecausemymedicalrecordswereclassified.Whatitclearlyshowsisthis:thatI,alongwithmanyotherveterans,canhaveourhealthputonholdwhilesomeonedecidesifwasworthbeingtreatedornot.IfilledoutthepaperworkinJuneandturneditintotheVA.IthennotifiedtheSenator'sofficethataclaimhadbeenfiled.Afterhearingnothingbackforseveralmonths I sent Senator Kyl another letter, mailing it onVeterans Day 2012. In December I received aresponsebacksayinghewasretiring,thathewasunabletogetmymedicalrecordsandthatIneededtotry again with Senator McCain office. So a new packet has been sent into Senator McCain's office.SenatorMcCainhasrepliedbacksayinghewillseewhathecanuncover.WillSenatorMcCainbeabletogetinformationthatnooneelsehasbeenabletogettheirhandson?InformationthatwillhelpJimandI,whoservedourcountryforoveraquarterofacentury,overhalfofourlifetimes,whichwillallowustogetthetreatmentweneed?Orbecauseourrecordsremainclassified,wewillcontinuetosufferfromtheeffectsofexposuretosomeasyetunknownphenomenon–theexistenceofwhichwasknownandunderstudybytheUnitedStatesmilitary–receivingnomedicalcare,givennoinformation,allowingcontinuing

languishinginthesilencesurroundingtheeventsofthatweek,withusbeingsomeofthelastvictimsoftheColdWar!

Inclosing,it'sourbeliefthattheRendleshamForestincidentisabiggerandmoresignificantUFOcasethan Roswell. It has been devilled bymisinformation, disinformation and by peoplewanting to writethemselvesintothestory.Ithasbeenourintention,inthisbook,toplaceintothepublicdomaineverythingthatweknowabouttheextraordinaryseriesofeventsthattookplaceatBentwatersandWoodbridge,bothduring the encounters themselves, and in the aftermath.While there have been previous books on thesubject,theyhavebeenwrittenbypeopleintheUFOcommunity.Now,themilitarypersonnelattheheartof this incidentwill finallyhave theirsay.Weintend toset therecordstraightand tell the fullstoryoftheseextraordinaryevents for the first time.Wedoso inorder to reveal the truthaboutevents thatwebelieveareofimmensehistoricalsignificanceandpublicinterest.Wealsodosoforthemenandwomenstationed atBentwaters andWoodbridge at the time,many ofwhomhave suffered as a result ofwhathappened.Itisourhopethatthepublicationofthisbookwillleadtothewrongstheyhavesufferedbeingrighted. We had hoped to show why Nick Pope made this statement "I've gone on record sayingRendleshammightbetheturningpointinhistorythatleadstotheexplanationoftheUFOphenomenon".Asfarasweseeit,isthistheremoretobetold?Absolutely!ThisbookdescribestheeventsfromAtoZonthehistoricalaspectsoftheRendleshamForestIncident.Itfurthergoesintodetailaboutsomeofthesupporting information. It doescover thebinary releaseand some thoughtsonwhatwe, thewitnesses,think.Itisthemostaccurateandfactualbookwrittentodate.Buttherealquestionforthereaderstoaskis:isthisreallythestoryofthewitnessesandhaseverythingfromthewitnessesbeenaddressed?Istheremoretocome?Yes,thereismoretocome.

Conclusion

Thisthen,isthestoryoftheRendleshamForestincident.Ithasbeenthestorynotjustoftheworld'sbest-documented and most compelling UFO encounter, but of the effect these events have had on the twomilitarymenattheheartoftheincident.

WhathavewelearnedaboutthesesensationalUFOsightingsthatreallyarebiggerthanRoswell?

WeknowthataUFOlandednexttooneofthemostsensitivemilitaryinstallationsintheNATOmilitaryalliance.

We know that the UFO was seen on three consecutive nights by dozens of highly-trained militarypersonnelandthatthewitnessesincludedtheDeputyBaseCommander.

WeknowthatlightbeamsfromtheUFOstruckthegroundjustfeetinfrontoftheDeputyBaseCommanderandapartyofmen,andthatlater,theUFOwasseenfiringlightbeamsontothebaseandinparticular,intotheWeaponsStorageArea.

WeknowthattheUFOwastrackedonradar.

Weknowthattherewasphysicaltraceevidenceatthelandingsite,includingdamageandscorchmarksonthe trees and radiation levels that theMoD's scientific staff assessedasbeing significantlyhigher thanbackgroundlevels,raisingtheterrifyingpossibilitythatJohnBurroughs,JimPennistonandmaybeotherwitnesseswereirradiatedbythiscraft.

WeknowthatinaUKstudyclassified"SecretUKEyesOnly",intelligencestaffexpressedtheviewthat"several observerswere probably exposed toUAP radiation",when theUSgovernmentwill not evenacknowledgethattheincidentoccurred.

WeknowthatdespitetheUSgovernmentstatingthatUFOsightingshavenotbeeninvestigatedsince1969,thisincidentwasnotonlyinvestigated,butthattheseniorUSAFgeneralinEuropeflewintobebriefedandremovedevidence,withouttellingtheUKgovernment.

WeknowthataformerChiefoftheDefenseStaffintheUK,a5-Starmilitaryofficer,believeshisowngovernmentwascoveringupthetruthaboutthisincident.

Weknowthatsomeofthekeyfilesanddocumentsthatmighthaveprovidedanswersaboutwhathappenedhaveapparentlybeendestroyedorlostinmysteriouscircumstances.

WeknowthatmilitarymedicalrecordsforJohnBurroughsandJimPennistonarelodgedinaclassifiedrecordssectionof theDepartmentofVeteransAffairsand that theyhavenotyetbeenreleased,despiteextensiveandhigh-levellobbyingandthethreatoflegalaction

Weknow thatwhile theUSandUKgovernmentshave consistently sought todownplayor ridicule theUFOphenomenon,behindthescenes,thesubjectistakenextremelyseriously,butmaylargelyhavebeenmovedintotheprivatesectortotakeitoutsidethescopeofFOIAlegislationandtomakeCongressionalscrutinymoredifficult.Theinterestwouldbefurtherhiddenbyavoidingusingthephrase"UFO".

Whatwedon'tknow,withalotofthis,iswhy.Whythesecrecy?Whycan'tthewitnessesbebriefedonwhathappenedtothem?Whycan'tthepublicbetoldthetruthabouttheRendleshamForestincidentandaboutsomeoftheothercasesmentionedinthisbook?Therearesomeintriguingclues.ProjectCondigntalkedabout thepossibilityof"weaponization". If there is anunknown technologyhere–whatever the

source–thenation(orcorporation)thatfirstacquiresitandmastersitwillbeinpossessionofsomethingofincalculablepowerandvalue.This,wesuspect,meansthestakesaresufficientlyhighinsomepeople'smindstojustifythesecrecy,thelies,andthehangingouttodryoftheloyalmilitarypersonnelwhowerecaughtup inall this.Theonlyalternative is that thesecrecygoesbeyond technologyacquisitionalone,andhasbeenputinplacetopreventsomerevelationsoearth-shattering,thatthepowersthatbewouldgotoalmostanylengthtopreventdisclosure.WhatmightthatsecretbeandcouldtheRendleshamCodebethekeytothis?Onlytimewilltell.

Despite the obstacles being put in their path, JohnBurroughs and Jim Penniston continue to press theauthoritiesforanswersandmaybeanapology.Theseeventshavehadaprofound(andoverwhelminglynegative)effectontheirlives,notleastintermsofongoinghealthissues.Theircampaign,spearheadedbytheir tenaciousattorney,PatFrascogna,willcontinue. It ishoped that thisbookwillplayakeypart inraisingtheprofileoftheseeventsandultimately,inprovidingtheexplanation–andthustheclosure–thatBurroughsandPennistonwant.

WhileBurroughsandPennistonwerethetwowitnessesmostcloselyinvolvedintheRendleshamForestincident andhavebeen the focusof thisbook,dozensofothermilitarypersonnel stationed at the twinbasesofBentwatersandWoodbridgewitnessedthesamecraftBurroughsandPennistonencounteredorwereinvolvedintheeventsinsomeotherway.Someofthesestorieshavebeentoldinthisbookbutotherwitnesseshaveyet tocomeforward.BurroughsandPennistonarecampaigningnot just for themselves,butforeveryoneinvolved.

ItishardtoescapetheinevitableconclusionthatsomeoneintheUSgovernment,militaryorintelligencecommunityknowsmoreaboutthisthantheyarecurrentlysaying.Thismaybeoutofembarrassment.Afterall,theUSGovernmenthasconsistentlytoldthemediaandthepublicthatithasnointerestinUFOsandhas not investigated sightings since Project Blue Book was closed down at the end of 1969. ThewitnessesandtheUSAF'sowndocumentstellaverydifferentstory.Butitgoesmuchfurtherthanthis.WeknowfromadeclassifiedMoDdocumentthattheseniorUSAFofficerinEuropevisitedthebasesintheimmediateaftermathoftheincident,wasbriefedonitand–totheabsolutefuryoftheMoD–removedevidence without briefing the UK authorities. That's where the trail goes cold, but clearly somebodyknowswhathappened.

Theprediction thatBurroughsandPennistonmadeat theendof thefinalchapter, that"there ismore tocome", has already come true. FromApril 29 –May 3 2013, an event called theCitizenHearing onDisclosure was held at the National Press Club inWashington DC. Organized by Stephen Bassett, aregisteredlobbyistwhohaslongcampaignedtoendwhathecalls the"truthembargo"aboutUFOs, theformatoftheeventmirroredtheCongressionalhearingsonUFOsthatmanyintheUFOcommunitywanttosee.

This was certainly no conventional UFO conference. The involvement of a number of formerCongressional Representatives (Republican, Democrat and Libertarian) brought genuine gravitas anddiscipline to proceedings.The researchers andwitnesseswere arranged onto themed panels and gaveevidenceto theCommitteeofformerRepresentatives.Eachpanelist readanopeningstatementontotherecord,butthereafter,thequestionswereatthediscretionoftheCommittee.

Unsurprisingly, JohnBurroughs and Jim Pennistonwere the oneswhomost caught the attention of theCommittee. Burroughs and Penniston discussed their concern that they were irradiated by their closeproximity towhatever it was that they and somany othermilitarywitnesses had encountered back in1980.Theyexpressedtheirfrustrationwiththeirinabilitytosecurethereleaseoftheirmedicalrecords

fromtheclassifiedrecordssectionoftheDepartmentforVeteransAffairsandPatFrascognabriefed theCommitteeontheperceivedstonewallinginrelationtotheFreedomofInformationActrequests,andtheannouncedtheintentiontofileafederallawsuit.

ThepoliticiansontheCommitteeweresooutragedbythetreatmentmetedouttoBurroughsandPennistonthat they contacted them immediately afterwards, both directly and through staffers, and signed theirnamestoaletterrequestingthatthemedicalrecordsofBurroughsandPennistonbereleased,sothattheycouldreceiveaproperdiagnosisandtreatment.

The letters were sent to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and to the President of the United States.Perhaps, finally, this will help unlock the secrets of what happened in Rendlesham Forest and helpprovidesomeanswers.

That'sallBurroughs,Pennistonandtheothermilitarywitnesseswant–answers.Afteralltheseyearsandaftertheloyalservicethey'vegiventheircountry,theydeservethismuch.

SelectedDocumentsandImages

1.Lt.Col.CharlesHalt'sofficialreportoftheUFOencounter

2.JimPenniston'ssketchoftheUFO,fromhisoriginalpolicenotebook

3.JimPenniston'ssketchofthesymbolsonthesideofthecraft,fromhisoriginalpolicenotebook

4.ADefenseIntelligenceStaffdocumentassessingtheradiationreadingstakenatthelandingsite

5. A Defense Intelligence Staff document confirming that CINCUSAFE visited theBentwaters/WoodbridgebasesimmediatelyaftertheUFOencounter

6.TranscriptofthetaperecordingLt.Col.CharlesHaltmadeduringhisencounter

THEHALTTAPE-TRANSCRIPT

TotalTime:18:13:00

00:00.000

HALT: 150 feet ormore from the initial, [background voices] or I should say suspected, impactpoint.Havingalittledifficulty-can'tgetthelight-alltowork.

HALT[checkingonrecordingatlaterdate]:Doesitwork?

HALT:Seems tobesomekindofmechanicalproblem.Gonnasendbackandgetanother light-all.Meantimewe'regonnatakesomereadingswiththeGeigercounterand[pause]chasearoundtheareaalittlebitwaitingforanotherlight-alltocomebackin.

INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION:BUSTINZA:Six…standingup.

INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION:BustinzatoSecurityControl.

INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION--BUSTINZA:Yes?

ENGLUND:…that'smarkoneofthepod…podnumber…

HALT:OK,we'renowapproachingtheareawithinabout25-30feet.Whatkindofreadingsarewegetting?Anything?

NEVELS:Justminorclicks.

HALT:Minorclicks.

[HALTduringtape-over]:Areyougonnafeelmuchbetterafterthis?…No?[Unintelligible]

HALT:Wherearetheimpressions?

ENGLUND:There'samark…

HALT:Isthatallthebiggertheyare?

ENGLUND:Well,there'sonemorewell-definedoverhere.

INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION:SergeantBustinzatoSecurityControl.

HALT:We'restillgettingclicks.

NEVELS:gettingclicks…

INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION:SergeantBustinza…BobbyDiaz-Security6boarding…EastGate.

HALT:Canwereadthatonthescale?

01:36.799

NEVELS:Yes, sir.We're now on the five-tenths scale, andwe're reading about uh, third, fourthincrement.

HALT:OK,we'restillcomfortablysafehere.

INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION-BUSTINZA:Doyouallhavealight-all?Fullgasready?

INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION:Comein,Security…

INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION-BUSTINZA:Canyouhave‘emstartloading…Security6havealight-allwithgas…uh,please…

HALT:…stillminorreadingsthesecondpodindentation…

INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION:Security,BaseSecurity

NEVELS:Nope.

HALT:Thisone'sdead.Let'sgoovertothethirdoneoverhere.

BACKGROUNDINTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION:SergeantBustinza…

(Walkingnoise)

BACKGROUNDINTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION:SergeantBustinza…

(Geigercounterclicks)

NEVELS:Yes,nowI'mgettingsomeresidual.

BACKGROUNDINTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION-BUSTINZA:Security

HALT:Icanreadnow.Themeter'sdefinitely…givingalittle…pulse.

BACKGROUNDINTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION:(garbled)…copy.

ENGLUND:aboutthecenter…

HALT:Iwasgonnasaylet'sgotothecenteroftheareanextandseewhatkindofareadingwegetoutthere.

ENGLUND:OK

HALT:You'rereadingtheclicks,Ican'theartheclicks.

ENGLUND:Yessir.

HALT:Thataboutthecenter,Bruce?

ENGLUND:Yes.

HALT:OK,let'sgotothecenter.

NEVELS:Yes,I'mgettingmore…

02:01.481

HALT:That'sthebestdeflecting…bestdeflectionoftheneedleI'veseenyet.OK,canyougivemeestimation?We'reonthepointfivescale…we'regetting…havetroublereading…

ENGLUND:AtCarbineatapproximately01.25hours…

[TAPEOVER-CoughorPossiblesoundofPianobench]

NEVELS:We'regettingrightat,uh,ahalfofaMilliroentgen.

[TAPEOVER-PianoMusic]

[TAPEOVER-HALT:TESTPOINT]

HALT:Ihaven'tseenitgoanyhigher.

NEVELS:It'sstillflyingaround.

HALT:OK,we'llgoouttowardthe…

NEVELS:Nowit'spickingup.

HALT:Thisisouttowardthenumberoneindentationwherewefirstgotthestrongestreading.Yeah,it'ssimilartowhatwegotinthecenter.

NEVELS:rightinthepod-it'smainlyinthecenter.

ENGLUND:Thislookslikeanareaherepossiblythatcouldbeablast…(Heavybreath)…it'sinthecenterofthetriangle…

03:01:569

HALT:It'shardtotell…Heretakethis,myfingersareabouttofreeze.

NEVELS:Yourstoo.

ENGLUND:Uptowardsseven…

HALT:What?

ENGLUND:Justjumpeduptowardsseven-tenths.

HALT:Seven-tenths?Rightthereinthecenter?

ENGLUND:Uh-huh.

HALT:Wefoundasmallblast–whatlookslikeablastedorscuffedupareahere.We'regettingverypositivereadings.Let'ssee,isthatnearthecenter?

ENGLUND:Yes,itis.Thisiswhatwewouldassumewouldbethedeadcenter.

NEVELS:Pickingupmoreasyougoalong–thewholeareaherenow…

CLICKS

HALT:Uptoseventenths?Orseven-

[BACKGROUNDVOICECALLINGOUT5.55Carbines]

HALT:-units,let'scallit,onthepointfivescale.OK,whydon'twedothis:whydon'twemakeasweep–here,I'vegotmyglovesonnow–let'smakeasweepoutaroundthewholeareaabouttenfootout,makeaperimeterrunaroundit,startingrightbackhereatthecorner-backatthesamefirstcornerwherewecamein,let'sgorightbackhere…(Heavybreathing)…I'mgonnahavetodependonyoucountingtheclicks.

04:04:035

NEVELS:Right.

HALT:OK,let's…?

NEVELS:I'lltellyouasitgetslouder…

HALT:…thenIcanputthelightonitandsweeparoundit.

HALT:(Talkingloudlytosomeoneindistance):Areweflagged?

HALT:Putitonthegroundeveryonceinawhile.

BACKGROUNDINTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION: (indistance–garbled…onby…byGBI)

ENGLUND:Thislookslikeanabrasiononthetree…

HALT:OK,we'llcatchthatonthewayback,let'sgoaround.Moveback.Hitit,there.

ENGLUND:We'regettinginterestrightoverhere.Itlookslikeanabrasionpointingintothecenterofthe…

HALT:Itis.

ENGLUND:…landingarea.

HALT:Itmaybeold,though–theremaybesapmarksorsomethingonit.Let'sgoonbackaround.Allright?

NEVELS:Yeahsir,youhavetogivesomeextensiononit…

HALT:Hey,thisisanawkwardthingtouseisn'tit?

NEVELS:Iusuallycarryitaboutmyears,butthisonebroke…

05:01:306

HALT:Arewegettinganythingfurther?I'mgoingtoshuttherecorderoffuntilwefindsomething.

NEVELS:Pickingupgood.

HALT: Picking up? What are we up to? We're up to two, three units deflection; you're gettinganythingclosetoonepod.

NEVELS:Pickingupsomehere…pickingup.

HALT:OK,it'sstillnotgoingabovethreeorfourunits.

NEVELS:Pickingupmorethough–morefrequent.

Halt:Yes.

NEVELS:Closertogether.

HALT:You'restayingsteadyuparoundtwotothreetofourunitsnow.

ENGLUND:ColonelHalt?

HALT:Yeah!

ENGLUND:Eachoneofthesetreesthatfaceintotheblast,whatweassumeisthelandingsite,all

haveanabrasionfacinginthesamedirection,towardsthecenter,thesame…

HALT:That'sinteresting.Well,let'sgotherestofthewayaroundthecirclehere.Turnitbackdownhere.

NEVELS:Pickingupsomething.

ENGLUND:Collection.

HALT:Letmeseethat.

ENGLUND:Youwantone?

06:01:277

HALT:That'sgotafunny…that's…you'rerightabouttheabrasion!I'veneverseenatreethat'sah…

NEVELS:Smallsapmarks…

HALT:Neverseenapinetreethat'sbeendamagedreactthatfast.

NEVELS:Yougotabottletoputthatin.

HALT:Yougotasamplebottle?

ENGLUND:Putinthesoil…putthecapon.

HALT:Here,sitthisontheground.

BALL:Ifyounoticethey'reallatthesameheight.

HALT:Fromnowon, let's, let's identifythataspointnumberone–thatstakethere.Soy'allknowwhereitisifwehavetosketchit.Yougotthat,SergeantNevels?

NEVELS:Yessir.

HALT:OK.

NEVELS:ClosesttotheWoodbridge.

HALT:ClosesttotheWoodbridgebase.

NEVELS:Bepointone?

HALT:Bepointone.

INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION:SCREECHINGNOISE

HALT:Let'sgoclockwisefromthere.

BALL:Hereyougo.

NEVELS:Pointtwo.

HALT:Pointtwo.

BALL:Goahead,Ed.

HALT:Pointtwo.Sothistreeisbetweenpointtwoandpointthree.

INTRA-BASE RADIO TRANSMISSION: You have Airman Burroughs and two other personnelrequestingtoride‘emoveronajeepatyourlocation.

ENGLUND:Tellthemnegativeatthistime.We'lltellthemwhentheycancomeouthere.Wedon'twantthemouthererightnow.

HALT:Thesample…you'regoingtomarkthissamplenumberone.

NEVELS:Yes,sir.

HALT:Havethemcutitoff,andincludesomeofthatsapandall…isbetweenindentationtwoandthreeonapinetreeabout…uh…fivefeetaway,aboutthreeandahalffeetofftheground.

07:06.685

NEVELS:Justputitinhere…I'vegotsomemore…we'll…

HALT:There'saroundabrasiononthetreeabout,ah,threeandahalf,fourinchesindiameter…itlookslikeitmightbeold,but,uh…strange,there'sacrystalline-

[Backgroundradiotraffic]-pinesapthathascomeoutthatfast.Yousaytherewasothertreesherethataredamagedinasimilarfashion?

ENGLUND:Yes,allfacingintowardthecenterofthelandingsite…

HALT: OK, why don't you take a picture of that and remember your picture, we ain't gonna bewritingthisdown.Oh,it'sgonnabeonthetape.

ENGLUND:Yougotatapemeasurewithyou?

HALT:Thisisthepicture;yourfirstpicturewillbeatthefirsttree,theonebetween…marktwoandthree.MeantimeI'mgonnalookatacoupleotherofthesetreesoverhere.

NEVELS:Wearegettingsome…

HALT:You'regettingreadingsonthetreeyou'retakingsamplesfromonthesidefacingthesuspectedlandingsite?

ENGLUND:Fourclicksmax.

HALT:Uptofour.Interesting.That'srightwhereyou'retakingthesamplenow.

08:00:967

[UNKNOWN]:Four.

HALT:That'sthestrongestpointonthetree?

NEVELS:Yessir.Andifyoucometotheback…there'snoclickswhatsoever.

HALT:Noclicksatallontheback–it'sallonthe…

NEVELS:Maybeoneortwo…

HALT:…sidefacingthe…interesting.Theindentationslooklikesomethingtwistedasitdropped…asyouknow,as it satdownon them.Looks likesomeone tooksomethingandsat itdownandtwisteditfromsidetoside.

ENGLUND:Uhhuh

HALT:Verystrange.

[BALL?]:We're lookingat thesametreewetookthesampleoffwith this–whatdoyoucall it–starscope?

ENGLUND:Uhhuh,starlightscope.

HALT:Andyou'regetting…gettingadefiniteheatreflectionoffthetreeabout,what,threetofourfeetofftheground?

ENGLUND:Yes,wherethespotis…

HALT:Sameplacewherethespotis,we'regettingaheat…

BALL:…andaspotonthetreedirectlybehindusIpickedupthesamething,andoneofftoyourright.

ENGLUND:Allright,letme…

HALT: Three trees in the area, immediately adjacent to the site, within ten feet of the suspectedlandingsite,we'repickingupheatreflectionoffthetrees.

ENGLUND:Givemethelight,Bob.

HALT:What'sthatagain?

ENGLUND:Well,shinethelightonitagain,Bob.

HALT:What,areyouhavingtroublehearinghim?

ENGLUND:Yeah…keepitrightonthespot,andthenwhenyouwanthim.

9:00:791

HALT:OK,turnthelightoff.

ENGLUND:…You'llnoticethewhite…

[High-pitchedelectronicwhine]

HALT:Hey!You'reright.There'salittlewhitestreakonthetree!

ENGLUND:Indicatesaheat…

HALT:Letmeturnaroundandlookatthistreeoverherenow.Justasecond–watch,'causeyou'rerightinfrontofthetree.Icanseeit.OK,givemealittlesidelightingsoIcanfindthetree.OK.Ah…

INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION:AlphaTwoSecurity.

HALT:NowI'velostthetree.

INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION:Security…

HALT:OK.Stop,stop.Lightoff!Hey,thisiseerie.

BALL:Whydon'tyoudothepodspotsandthenthecenter?

HALT:Thisisstrange.Here,someonewannalookatthespotsontheground?Whoops,watchyou[horn]don'tstep…you'rewalkingallover'em.[Clearsthroat]

ENGLUND:Pardonmesir.

NEVELS:Wannastepback?

HALT:OK,let'sstepbackandnotwalkallover'em.

10:01:011

[UNKNOWNSTALKINGINBACKGROUND]

HALT:Comebackhereandsomebodyputabeamon'em.You'regottobebacktenorfifteenfeet.Youseeit?

[Unknown]:Yeah

BALL:OK,fine.

HALT:OK,lightsoff.

[UnknownMale–Southernaccenttape-over]:Hetookthislongtodoc(ument)-

HALT:Whatdoyouthinkaboutthespot?(Longpause).

INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION:Anyproblems?(Pause).

[Unknown]:One.

HALT:Yeah…pause…thatlooksthefirstspot?OK,that'swhatwecallspotnumberthree.Let'sgotothebackcornerandgetspotnumberone.

[Unknown]:Unintelligible

HALT:Spotnumberone,here'sspotnumberonerighthere!Spotnumberone,rightHere…doyouneedsomelight?Thereitis,rightthere.Youfocused?

BALL:Focused.

HALT:OK.Lookingnowatspotnumberonethroughthe…starlightscope.

BALL:PickingupaslightincreaseinlightasIgooverit.

11:02.065

HALT:Slight increase in lightatspotnumberone.Let'sgo lookatspotnumber two.Spotnumbertwoisrightoverhere.Righthere–seeit?

BALL:…Thatisspotone…[unintelligible].

Halt:OK,getfocusedonit.Tellmewhen.OK,lightsoff,let'sseewhatwegetonit.

BALL:Slightincrease?

HALT:Justaslightincrease?

BALL:Trythecenter.

HALT:Thecenterspot…wellitreallyisn'tthecenter,it'sslightlyoffcenter.It'srightthere.

BALL:Righthere.

ENGLUND:Let'smarkthatasthecenter.

HALT:OK…We'regonnagetyourreadingonitrightthere.

BALL:OK.

HALT:Tellmewhenyou'reready.

BALL:Ready.

HALT:OK,lightsout.It'sthecenterspotwe'relookingatnow,oralmostthecenter.

BALL:There'saslightincrease.

HALT:Slightincreasethere?Thisisslightlyoffcentertowardtheuh,one-twoside.It'ssometypeofanabrasionorsomethinginthegroundwherethepineneedlesareallpushedbackwherewegetahighradioac…ah,ahighreading,about,ah…deflectionofah,twotothree,maybefour,dependingonthepointofit.

12:11:152

BALL:Someonewannacheckit?

ENGLUND:Yes.

HALT:Yousaythereisapositiveafter-effect?

ENGLUND:Yes,thereis,definitely.That'sonthecenterspot.Thereisanafter-effect.

INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION:(garbled)

NEVELS:Whatdoesthatmean?

ENGLUND:Itmeansthatwhenthelightsareturnedoff,oncewearefocusedinandallowtimefortheeyestoadjust–wearegettinganindicationofaheatsourcecomingoutofthatcenterspot,asah,whichwillshowupon-

HALT:Heatorsomeformofenergy.It'shardlyheatatthisstageofthegame.

ENGLUND:Anditisstill…

HALT:Lookingdirectlyoverheadonecanseeanopeninginthetrees,plussomefreshlybroken,ah,pinebranchesonthegroundunderneath.Lookslikesomeofthencameoffabout15to20feetup-somesmallerbranchesaboutaninchorlessindiameter.

HALT:01.48.We'rehearingverystrangesoundsoutofthefarmer'sbarnyardanimals.

ENGLUND:48.7.

HALT:They'revery,veryactive,makinganawfullotofnoise.

13:03.224

ENGLUND:Itwasn'tafigmentation.

HALT:Youjustsawalight?Where?Waitaminute.Slowdown.Where?

ENGLUND:Rightonthispositionhere.Straightahead,inbetweenthetrees–thereitisagain.

[UNKNOWN]:(faint)Wow.

HALT:What!

ENGLUND:Watch–straightahead,offmyflashlighttherenow,sir.Thereitis.

HALT:Hey,Iseeit,too.Whatisit?

ENGLUND:Wedon'tknow,sir.

NEVELS:SocanIgetsomeofthose…morelights?

HALT:It'sastrange,smallredlight,lookstobeoutaquartertoahalfmile,maybefurtherout.I'mgonnaswitchoff.

HALT:Thelightisgonenow.Itwasapproximately120degreesfromthesite.

ENGLUND:Yeah,it'sbackagain.

HALT:Isitbackagain?

ENGLUND:Yessir.

HALT:Welldousetheflashlightsthen.Let'sgobacktotheedgeoftheclearingsowecangetabetterlookatit.Seeifyoucangetthestarscopeonit.Thelight'sstillthereandallthebarnyardanimalshavegottenquietnow.

ENGLUND:Yeah.

HALT:We're heading about 110 -120 degrees from the site out through to the clearing now, stillgettingareadingonthemeter,abouttwoclicks.

HALT:Needle'sjumped,threetofourclicks,gettingstronger.

[ENGLUND?]:Nowit'sstopped.

14:00.251

[ENGLUND?]:Nowit'scomingup…Holdon.Therewego…aboutapproximatelyfourfootofftheground,atacompassheadingof110degrees.

HALT:Allright,he'sturnedthemeteroff.Gottasaythatagain.Aboutfourfeetofftheground,about110degrees,gettingareadingofaboutfourclicks?

[UNKNOWN]:Yes,sir.(Sneezes).Excuseme.Nowit'sdying.

HALT:Now it's dying. I think it's somethingother than theground. I think it's something that's…something-somethingvariable.

ENGLUND:Inthattreerightover…

HALT:We'vejustbumpedintothefirstnightbirdwe'veseen.We'reabout150or200yardsfromthesite.

[UNKNOWN]:Anotherone…

HALT:Everythingelseisjustdeathlycalm.

HALT:Thereisnodoubtaboutit–there'ssometypeofstrangeflashingredlightahead.

ENGLUND:Sir,it'syellow.

HALT:Isawayellowtingeinit,too.Weird!Itappearstobemaybemovingalittlebitthisway?It'sbrighterthanithasbeen.

[UNKNOWN]:Yellow.

HALT:It'scomingthisway.Itisdefinitelycomingthisway.

[UNKNOWN]:Piecesofitshootingoff…

HALT:Piecesofitareshootingoff.

[UNKNOWN]:Ateleveno'clock.

HALT:Thereisnodoubtaboutit.Thisisweird!

[Unknown]:Totheleft!

15:00.788

HALT:Definitelymoving.

NEVELS:Twolights–onelightjustbehindandonelighttotheleft.

HALT:Keepyourflashlightsoff.There'ssomethingvery,verystrange.Gettheheadseton;seeifitgetsanystronger.

NEVELS:Ihave.

HALT:OK.Giveusyour…

NEVELS:Makeanotationthatthisisonabetareadingtoo.

HALT:It'sonabetareading?

NEVELS:Thebetashieldhasbeenremoved.

HALT:OK.Piecesarefallingoffitagain!

ENGLUND:Sir,itjustmovedtotheright.

HALT:Yeah!

ENGLUND:Justofftotheright.

HALT: Strange!Huh!One again left? Let's approach to the edge of thewoods up there. Do youwannadoitwithoutlights?Let'sdoitcarefully.Comeon.

HALT:OK,we're looking at the thing;we're probably about two to three hundredyards away. Itlookslikeaneyewinkingatyou.Stillmovingfromsidetosideandwhenyouputthestarscopeonit,itsortoflikehasahollowcenter,adarkcenter,it's…

[ENGLUND]:…likeapupil.

HALT: Yeah, like a pupil of an eye looking at you, winking. And the flash is so bright to the

starscopethatitalmostburnsyoureye.

[INTRA-BASERADIOTRANSMISSION](Garbled):They'restoppinghere.

HALT:We'vepassedthefarmer'shouseandarecrossingthenextfieldandnowwehavemultiplesightingsofuptofivelightswithasimilarshapeandall,buttheyseemtobesteadynowratherthanapulsatingorglowwitharedflash.

16:06.728

HALT:We'vejustcrossedthecreek.

[UNKNOWN]:Herewego.

HALT:Andwe'regettingwhatkindofreadingsnow?

[UNKNOWN]:Threeclicks.

HALT:We'regettingthreegoodclicksonthemeterandwe'reseeingstrangelightsinthesky.

HALT:At2:44,we'reatthefarsideofthefarmer's…thesecondfarmer'sfieldandmadesightingagainabout110degrees.Thislookslikeit'sclearouttothecoast.It'srightonthehorizon.Movesaboutabitandflashesfromtimetotime.Stillsteadyorredincolor.Alsoafternegativereadingsinthecenterofthefieldwe'repickingupslightreadings,uhfourorfiveclicksnowonthemeter.

HALT:3:05.Weseestrange,uh,strobe-likeflashestothe…rathersporadic,butthere'sdefinitelysomething…uh,somekindofphenomenon.

HALT:3:05.Atabouttendegrees,horizon,directlynorth,we'vegottwostrangeobjects,ah,half-moonshape,dancingabout,withcoloredlightson'em.But,Iguesstobeaboutfivetotenmilesout,maybeless.Thehalf-moonshavenowturnedintofullcirclesasthoughtherewasanellipse-eclipseorsomethingthereforaminuteortwo.

17:16.974

HALT:Now3:15,nowwe'vegotanobjectabout10degreesdirectlysouth.

[UNKNOWN]Waitaminutetotheleft.

HALT:10degreesoffthehorizon.

NEVELS:Totheleft.

HALT:Andtheonestothenortharemoving-one'smovingawayfromus.

[UNKNOWN]:Moving.

NEVELS:Movingoutfast.

[UNKNOWN]:Thisoneontheright'sheadingaway,too!

HALT:They'rebothheadingnorth!Hey,herehecomesfromthesouth,he'scomingtowardusnow!

[UNKNOWN]:Weird.

HALT:Nowwe'reobservingwhatappearstobeabeamcomingdowntotheground!

[UNKNOWN]:Colors!

HALT:Thisisunreal!(Incredulouslaugh).

HALT:3:30,03:30andtheobjectsarestill in thesky,althoughtheone to thesouth looks like it'slosingalittlebitofaltitude.We'returningaroundandheadingbacktoward,uh,thebase.

HALT:Theobjecttothesouth-theobjecttothesouthisstillbeamingdownlightstotheground.

18:01.347HALT:04:00hours.OneobjectstillhoveringoverWoodbridgebaseataboutfivetotendegreesoffthehorizon,stillmovingerraticandsimilarlightsandbeamingdownasearlier.

18:13.080ENDOFCASSETTETAPERECORDING

8.AletterdraftedbyPatFrascogna,Esq.tothePresidentoftheUnitedStates,attherequestofandsignedbysixformerCongressionalRepresentatives,askingthatthemedicalrecordsofJohnBurroughsandJimPenniston be retrieved from theClassifiedRecords section of theDepartment ofVeteransAffairs andreleasedtothem.