AFU Newsletter - No 41 - 2001

Magazine Overview

Title: AFU NEWSLETTER
Issue: 41
Date: September 2001
Publisher: Archives for UFO Research Foundation (AFU), Norrköping, Sweden
ISSN: 0283-6378

This issue of the AFU Newsletter focuses on the unresolved mystery of the "ghost fliers" that were reported over the Scandinavian Arctic during the winters of 1933-34 and 1936-37. The newsletter presents a summary of eight articles and letters published in Svensk Flyghistorisk Tidskrift (SFT), the journal of the Swedish Aviation Historical Society.

Ghost Flier Mystery Unresolved

The main article details the ongoing interest and debate within the Swedish aviation historical community regarding the "ghost flier" phenomenon. It outlines the contributions of various historians and researchers who have published their findings in SFT over the past decade.

Article Summaries:

1. Jan Waernberg (SFT 2/1992): Based on official archives from the Military Record Office (Krigsarkivet) in Stockholm, Waernberg's article details the organization of the Swedish Air Force's hunt for the ghost fliers. During the winter of 1933/34, 96 reports came from Sweden, 234 from Norway, and 137 from Finland. The search involved planes from the F4 wing at Östersund and the newspaper plane "Viking." In January 1934, Air Force planes were moved to the Umeå and Holmsund areas, and a ground-based reconnaissance was organized. Four J-7 (Bristol Bulldog) planes were transferred to Boden. The hunt resulted in six crashes for the Swedish Air Force, while the phenomena themselves seemed unaffected. This period also marked the beginning of Swedish signal reconnaissance, with coded messages originating from the Murmansk area, though a connection to the aerial sightings remained unproven.

2. Eric Hemtke (SFT 3/1998): Hemtke, who was a scout in an S6H reconnaissance aircraft, recounts his experience. He was recalled from Christmas vacation for a mission in bad weather with snow storms and -18 Centigrade. His plane crashed, but he and the pilot survived. Bad weather prevented further reconnaissance. He notes the fear in local villages, where people refused to open doors, mistaking them for the ghost fliers.

3. Owe Bergfeldt (SFT 5/1998): Bergfeldt suggests the planes were German, developed for long-distance radio navigation. He believes Germany needed to verify a system, possibly using a Heinkel He 59B on floats for flights over the Baltic. He claims Swedish authorities understood the mystery but silenced it out of respect for Hitler.

4. Ingemar Strandberg (SFT 1/1999): Strandberg claims to be one of the few Swedes who saw a "ghost flier" in reality over his home in Boden in the winter of 1934. He describes a huge, four-engine monoplane with two long, blue-white exhaust flames, flying at an estimated altitude of 200-500 meters, resembling a Soviet TB-3. He dismisses the German Heinkel theory, noting the cold weather and lack of open waters for floatplanes. He mentions a Soviet "Red Star" article about bomber wing crews being appointed Heroes of the Soviet Union for successful technical tests.

5. Lennart Andersson (SFT 6/1998): Andersson, an expert on the Swedish Air Force, doubts the German theory. He notes that in January 1934, only three prototypes of the Heinkel He 59 existed in northern Germany, and while theoretically possible, it's unlikely. He suggests the Soviet theory is more plausible.

6. Sven-Erik Ersbacken (SFT 1/2001): Citing Sven Wäsström, former head of FRA, this article presents arguments pointing to Germany as the origin of the ghost fliers. These include the opinion that the planes had a mobile base west of Norway, reports from the Gulf of Bothnia suggesting bases in Finland, German Navy testing of catapult starts and blind flying, a visit by the German supreme command to the Norwegian Atlantic area, and German air-mail services. Wäsström also notes Germany's reasons for experiments in the polar area as a replacement for Soviet Ukraine territories.

7. Ingemar Strandberg (SFT 2/2001): Strandberg reiterates his conviction that the plane he saw was a large, low-winged, four-engine monoplane not existing in Germany at that time. He points to a report by Lieutenant Colonel Wernstedt suggesting flights originated from Soviet Union airbases at Alexandrovsk and Kandalaksja. He also notes that Norwegians caught Soviet agents trained in the Soviet Union.

8. Jan Waernberg (SFT 2/2001): Waernberg addresses the persistent German Navy theory, attributing it partly to television series. He argues that the facts presented often concerned the summer of 1934, after the ghost flights had ceased. He concludes that debate will continue until evidence from ex-Soviet or ex-Nazi-German archives emerges, or a "ghost pilot" comes forward. Waernberg leans towards the Soviet theory.

The Soviet TB-3 Aircraft:

An illustration and caption identify the Soviet-Russian TB-3 (Ant-6) four-engined bomber, noting its maiden flights in 1932 and operational status by the winter of 1933/34, making it a potential candidate for the observed phenomena.

French Books by Jean Sider

Jean Sider, a French author, has sent two recent books to AFU: "OVNIS: dossier secret" (1994) and "OVNIS: la solution du mystère" (2001). The latter is a comprehensive review of the UFO mystery, covering topics from Roswell to the Gaia hypothesis, with appendices on astronomer UFO sightings and other phenomena.

Hector Quintanilla on Blue Book

AFU has acquired the UFO memoirs of Lt. Col. Hector Quintanilla, who headed the US Air Force Project Blue Book from 1963 to 1969. This 114-page document was downloaded from the NIDS website.

'Understanding' and Early AFU Archives

The newsletter discusses "Understanding," a monthly newsletter founded by American contactee Daniel W. Fry in 1956. AFU received early 1970s copies, prompting a look into the early days of Swedish ufology. Daniel W. Fry was influential in the 1950s and 1960s, and his work led to a correspondence with Edith Nicolaisen of Parthenon publishing in Sweden, who aimed to educate Swedish youth about "visitors from space." Fry's "Understanding" magazine became a model for Edith's planned Swedish journal. An attempt was made in 1964 to publish a Swedish edition of "Understanding." Fry's organization, Understanding Inc., had local units, which influenced UFO-Sweden. Fry visited Sweden in August 1970, embarking on a tour described in "European pilgrimage" in "Understanding." He appointed Per Axel Atterbom and Edith Nicolaisen as "Honorary International Directors." UFO-Sweden, initially a New Age group, evolved towards more objective studies.

AFU Archives Growth and Organization

AFU has acquired 68 new meters of shelving from IKEA, adding to its existing 400+ meters. The "B" archive is being structured to house sorted collections of UFO-related journals, science fiction, paranormal and occult prints, topographical maps, and newspaper clippings. The "A" archive is being organized to include private and organizational files, audio and video tapes, and a picture library. The archives also store paraphernalia and have a microfilm reader and an old IBM computer.

The Bruno Ericsson Collection

The first part of the Bruno R Ericsson collection has been delivered, including a Thomson video recorder, American, British, and Swedish video cassettes, and micro cards containing about 2,000 pages of Bruno Ericsson's private theories on UFOs.

Libraries in Sweden

The Swedish Society for Technical Documentation's directory lists AFU as one of 806 publicly available libraries. AFU's collection of 4,000 volumes and 75 magazines is comparable to those of institutions like the Institute for Futures Studies and the Swedish Space Corporation, but AFU operates on a meager budget funded by ufologists.

AFU as a North European Archive?

Theo Paijmans, a Dutch ufologist, has decided to will his UFO collection to AFU in Sweden, citing its strong track record in preserving UFO collections. AFU is planning to seek grants to transport collections from other countries.

Recent Visitors to AFU

Several visitors are noted: Mats Nilsson and Gunnar Karlsson from UFO-Sweden studied organizational and private correspondence files. Dan Eklund, an AFU member, visited the book library and back issues collection of the Journal of Scientific Exploration. Four members of the Söderköpings Arkivförening visited, and Clas Svahn and his wife Anneli delivered materials from Gunnar Schelin and video tapes.

Operation Dacapo

Operation Dacapo was a joint project between Swedish Customs and Defence investigating territorial violations by air in west-Sweden during the 1970s. Speculation suggested drug smuggling. Anders Liljegren visited Customs archives in Karlstad and found related documents.

Recent New Exchanges

AFU has exchanged publications with "Skepsis" (Norway), a skeptical organization, and "Folkvett" (Sweden), an organ of Vetenskap & Folkbildning. The editor expresses frustration with the skeptical stance of "Folkvett."

Interview with Erich von Däniken

An interview with Erich von Däniken is mentioned, along with articles on the Star People tradition, Mikael Rothstein, and Graham Hancock's theories.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently emphasizes the importance of archival work in preserving UFO-related information and promoting serious research. The editorial stance is one of open inquiry, encouraging critical discussion while acknowledging the challenges of obtaining definitive proof. There is a clear dedication to documenting and understanding UFO phenomena, even when faced with skepticism. The AFU Newsletter itself is presented as a quarterly publication by AFU, a non-profit foundation aiming to build a Swedish-International UFO library and research archive.