BUFORA Journal - Volume 01 No 03 - Winter 1964

Magazine Overview

Title: BUFORA JOURNAL AND BULLETIN
Issue: Vol. 1 No. 3
Date: Winter 1964
Publisher: BRITISH U.F.O. RESEARCH ASSOCIATION

This issue of the BUFORA Journal and Bulletin is dedicated to the exploration of Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) phenomena and related research. It serves as a publication for the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA), outlining its aims, membership structure, and contact information for its officers and regional representatives.

Editorial: Round the Dial

The editorial section, written by the Editor Charles A. Stickland, poses several questions to the readership regarding the identification of unusual sounds heard on radio receivers. The editor expresses a desire to distinguish between natural interference, such as that caused by storms, and potentially anomalous signals that might be related to UFO activity. Specific examples are given of persistent tones and Morse code transmissions at various kilocycles, prompting members with expertise in radio or interference to share their knowledge. The editor's goal is to gain a better understanding of what constitutes a 'normal' radio phenomenon versus something genuinely unusual.

News of Member Societies and Branches

This section encourages societies and branches to submit news of their activities for publication in the journal. Information should be sent to Alan Rawlinson.

Some Considerations regarding the Possibility of Contact with Intelligent Extra-Terrestrial Beings

This paper, authored by E. Conrad Miller and J. L. Smith, explores the probabilities surrounding first contact with advanced extra-terrestrial creatures. It discusses preparations for such an event and deductions that could be made from initial contact. The authors examine humanity's current position, noting its tendency towards domination and self-centeredness, yet acknowledging its drive towards space exploration. They consider the vastness of the galaxy and the likelihood of older, more advanced civilizations existing. The paper delves into the concept of alien intelligences, the ethics of space travel, and the potential methods of contact, including communication signals and physical encounters. It proposes that alien ships might be detected through various radiations, particles, and masses, and suggests possible attitudes alien visitors might adopt, ranging from belligerent to scientific or quizzical. The authors also outline data for evaluation in potential contact scenarios, such as relative velocity and signal emission, and subsequent actions like sending probes or signals.

The Alien Conception

This section further explores the nature of alien intelligences and the implications of interstellar travel. It suggests that a code of ethics governing contact may have evolved among spacefaring civilizations. The authors consider the possibility of unmanned alien craft and the 'Bug-Eyed' Monster concept, but lean towards humanoid aliens as a likely form, citing biological and evolutionary theories. They also touch upon the idea of human origins from space and the potential for medical science to adapt humans to alien environments.

Action Stations

This part of the paper discusses the practicalities of detecting and interacting with potential alien spacecraft. It highlights the limitations of current technology for avoiding space debris and the need for advanced detection instruments on hypothetical alien ships. A table (Table 1) lists various phenomena open to detection, including electromagnetic radiation, magnetism, gravity, particles, and masses. Another table (Table 2) outlines possible attitudes of alien ships, and Table 3 lists data for evaluation and subsequent actions.

An Epping 'Landing', 1965

This article recounts a UFO sighting that occurred on January 4th, 1965, in the Epping area. Mr. G. M., an engineer, reported seeing a bright, 'igloo-like' object shaped like an automobile but taller, parked under trees. The object vanished when illuminated by his car's headlights. Later, a bright object was seen flying away from the area. Investigations at the site by BUFORA members yielded no physical evidence. A corroborative witness, a lady returning from school, reported seeing a strange light moving aimlessly. The article notes similarities to a previous sighting in Ivychimneys in 1963. The author, G. G. Doel, expresses belief in the witness's account and suggests that the Epping area may be a frequent site for such phenomena.

Our Research Officer takes up the story

This section provides further details on the Epping sighting, including interviews with the witness's parents and fiancée. The parents believe their son is telling the truth, and the fiancée recalls a similar interest in a previous landing report. The mother expresses fear of extraterrestrial spaceships.

A More Recent Observation

This report details an observation made on March 1st, 1965, by Mrs. A. Murray in Waltham Abbey. She described an object emitting a steady white glow, like a bright star, that moved erratically with sudden, right-angled changes in course. The object did not flicker and gave the impression of triangular movement. It was observed for 10-12 minutes before disappearing.

The Longer Paper

This is a call for potential contributors who may have written papers but were deterred by space limitations. BUFORA is considering issuing occasional papers to overcome this, and welcomes contributions.

B.U.F.O.R.A. Library

This section is a request for members to donate, exchange, or sell specific back issues of the 'Flying Saucer Review' to complete BUFORA's files.

Feeling Lonely?

This section addresses a desire among members to connect with others in their vicinity to discuss UFO matters. Mr. V. W. Smithson has agreed to act as a contact point, putting interested members in touch with each other, though immediate replies may not be possible as a list is being built.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the scientific investigation of UFOs, the possibility of extraterrestrial contact, and the analysis of anomalous phenomena, including radio interference. The editorial stance, as expressed in the 'Round the Dial' section, is one of open inquiry, seeking rational explanations for observed phenomena while remaining receptive to the possibility of the unusual. There is a clear emphasis on encouraging member participation and the collection of evidence to support research efforts. The association aims to promote unbiased, scientific investigation and to coordinate efforts on a national and international scale.

This issue of Flying Saucer Review, dated November-December 1964, features a variety of articles and reports on UFO phenomena. The cover story highlights a meeting with Joel Rhenstrom, Information Secretary of INTERPLANETISTITRIY, Finland's sole UFO society. The magazine also includes detailed investigations into specific sightings and incidents, theoretical discussions on UFO behavior and detection, and correspondence from readers.

B.U.F.O.R.A. Meets Mr. Joel Rhenstrom from Finland

On January 29th, a meeting took place in London with Mr. Joel Rhenstrom from Finland. He is the Information Secretary of INTERPLANETISTITRIY, a Finnish UFO society with approximately 50 members. Rhenstrom was visiting London to study dry-cleaning methods, related to his own business in Finland. The Finnish term for 'Flying Saucer' is 'Lentava Lautanen'. Rhenstrom has published American saucer books in Finnish and donated a book titled "Olen Ollut Lentavalla Lautasella" ('Inside the Spaceships' by Adamski) to the library. He mentioned that a Swedish newspaper reported on a Russian cave painting depicting a 'Martian spaceman', suggesting that Russia might be preparing to announce the reality of flying saucers. Rhenstrom's attempts to interest Finnish air defense authorities in UFOs have been unsuccessful, though it's noted that such authorities worldwide are likely more informed than they let on. A contactee story from Finland in 1952 was recounted: a gardener, Mr. Valkeinen, encountered three 'mongolian featured' beings from a saucer while fishing. He was taken on a world tour, gaining historical knowledge. The conversation also touched upon 'trolls' and 'little people', with the suggestion that these might be UFO entities, a notion supported by Mr. Creighton's research into such claims.

Waveney Girvan

The magazine notes the death of Waveney Girvan, who was instrumental in bringing the topic of flying saucers to public attention. His work at Carroll & Nicholson led to Gerald Heard's book "The Riddle of the Flying Saucers". Later, as editor-in-chief at Werner Laurie, he published "Flying Saucers Have Landed" by Leslie and Adamski. He also edited the Flying Saucer Review and authored "Flying Saucers and Commonsense".

Investigations and Research

G. N. P. Stephenson, Research Officer, invites interested members to assist with investigations and research.

A Landing in New Jersey? (continued)

This section provides further details on an incident at Glassboro, New Jersey, reported in the "U.F.O. Investigator" by NICAP. Ward Campbell visited the site, a clearing in an oak forest on Frank Sergi's property. The clearing measured about 20 by 35-40 feet, with moss, oak leaves, white sand, and bushes. A central conical hole, approximately 30 inches across and 19 inches deep, had smooth, scorched black sides. Gravel was piled around the rim with eleven distinct impressions. Embedded in the gravel were globs of a chemical substance (varying from snow white to purplish black-green with orange and red traces) and metallic particles. Three surrounding imprints, about 9 inches square and 7-8 inches deep, appeared to be formed by extreme pressure. A nearby 12-14 foot sassafras tree was partially uprooted with three broken limbs, about 4-4.5 feet above the ground. The leaves on the side facing away were fresh, while those near the marking were discolored and wilted, with scorched ground beneath. The area within a 22-foot radius of the crater showed no scorch marks, but a 180-degree arc outward from the imprints was severely scorched and blackened. A faint aroma of hydrogen sulphide was noted. Tree experts Alphonse Zulli and Paul Gawanus examined the site. Zulli concluded that bending the tree would require heavy machinery or the weight of over ten men. Singed leaves from a 40-foot oak were destroyed. They considered a magnesium flame thrower for a hoax, but noted that tree limbs broken at various levels, out of reach, suggested a rough circle of 30-foot diameter. A two-foot pine seedling was found uprooted, suggesting air pressure. The experts concluded that a hoax was impossible to produce the observed damage.

Correspondence

Orthoteny: Nigel Stephenson, Research Officer, points out discrepancies in the previous issue's editorial regarding orthoteny, noting that alignments do not correspond to trajectories and sightings are not chronological. He quotes Michel, who emphasizes that each object is seen at only one point on the orthotenic line. The editor, however, suggests Michel's own statements imply movement along the line and that the additional comments support this.

Magnetic Fields and Cars: Mr. Alan Watts is credited with experimenting on the theory that UFOs cause power loss in cars due to magnetic interference. The article discusses the difficulty of explaining engine note changes and the potential for magnetic fields to affect ignition systems. G. Doel, the author, refers to a previous dismissal of magnetism as the cause of repulsion for Mr. Wildman's car due to the lack of remanent magnetism. He argues that an AC field of sufficient intensity would cause vibration or heating, and a DC field would leave remanent magnetism. Doel maintains that Mr. Wildman's car was likely affected by an 'anti-gravitational field'.

Foundations of Orthoteny by Peter M. Seeviour

This article explores the complexities of orthoteny, a statistical method for analyzing UFO sighting patterns. It discusses how 'corridors' of a certain width are used to represent 'fat' straight lines for mapping sightings. The author explains the concept of 'best corridors' and how to identify them. The statistical problem is framed as generating random points on a map of France to see how UFO sightings compare. Preliminary results suggest that 6 or 7 point 'lines' are improbable, while 3 and 4 point 'lines' are more expected. The author questions whether UFOs are due to objective or subjective causes, and if a tendency to follow lines could indicate a subjective cause. The article also touches upon 'global orthoteny', considering the Earth as a sphere.

UFO Detectors

The magazine welcomes information on UFO detectors. Members are reportedly building apparatus mentioned in the previous issue. Arnold West comments on the radiation from an ionized gas stream and the possibility of fixing UFO positions. Harry Bunting of DIGAP has provided details on 'Aitchison' and 'Cartwright' UFO detectors.

Advertisement

An advertisement from Tor Bay Astro-Research Club requests information on UFO detectors, communication equipment, and contact.

Correspondence (continued)

Orthoteny (continued): The author responds to Nigel Stephenson's points, clarifying that while orthotenic alignments may not represent trajectories, they can correlate with movement directions. The editor's note suggests that Michel's own work supports the idea of movement along orthotenic lines.

Magnetic Fields and Cars (continued): G. Doel comments on Mr. Watts' experiment with a Cortina's ignition system, finding the theory shaky. He discusses the potential for leakage flux and the saturation of the ignition coil's iron core. Doel questions the formula used and suggests a possible error in conversion factors. He analyzes the effect of DC and AC fields, concluding that the observed lack of engine trouble with the DC field is difficult to explain unless the current was in absolute amperes. He also discusses the strength of magnetic fields required to stall a car, estimating it to be around 5000 oersted at 20 feet from the saucer.

Stephen Smith on Magnetic Shields

Stephen Smith notes that a magnetic 'skin' one millimeter thick and 100 million oersted could shield occupants from cosmic radiation, questioning if saucers use this for protection and if magnetic fields are related to propulsion.

J. Cleary-Baker, Ph.D. on Epping Incident

Dr. Cleary-Baker suggests that a lightning strike was the cause of the Epping incident, with the soil composition (London clay with pockets of Pliocene gravel) potentially explaining the chemical analysis results if a high-silica foreign object was involved.

Estimation of Angular Size by Peter Haythornthwaite (CUGIUFO)

This article discusses the common practice of asking UFO witnesses to estimate angular size by comparing the object to a common object held at arm's length. It highlights that some witnesses misunderstand the question, providing perceived actual sizes instead of angular ones. Examples include comparisons to cricket balls, golf balls, and footballs. The article suggests that discrepancies often reveal the true nature of the object. It proposes asking for comparisons with the moon's diameter or using personal references like 'that chimney'. Experiments by CUGIUFO showed that about 75% of members overestimated angular size, with a modal exaggeration factor of 1.5. The author concludes that angular size estimates should be treated with caution and multiple methods should be used.

Home Reports

Emneth, Norfolk: Mr. G. Morton Sooley reported seeing red, yellow, and green lights while cycling. He felt warmth and noticed a smell like sulphur. His clothes showed burn holes consistent with a meteorite impact.

Oxford, Oxfordshire: Mr. Martin Elsworthy observed a luminous white elliptical object that dimmed, swayed, and glowed. It was approached by two smaller objects before all disappeared. A compass needle swiveled violently during the sighting, and TV interference was reported.

Oulton, Suffolk and Gorleston, Norfolk: Mr. Olaf Davey and his wife saw a bright yellow oval object with a green tail, accompanied by a smaller white object, travelling from the sea.

Salford, Lancashire: Margaret Nock and a friend saw a roughly bullet-shaped, dull silver object floating downwards slowly.

Overseas Reports

Epping, Essex: A brief report mentioning a previous journal entry.

Olton, Warwickshire: Mr. Samson observed a long tube-like object moving from west to south-east above clouds, tilted at an angle of 45 degrees. It was visible for nearly five minutes before being obscured by cloud.

Port Chalmers, New Zealand (M.V. Ionic): An object resembling a flashing white channel buoy was observed close to the zenith, fading in and out. It was of medium magnitude, slightly dimmer than Arcturus, and appeared to be stationary. The report dismisses astronomical explanations, satellites, aircraft, and balloons, suggesting an intelligent agency behind the light, possibly a signal from an unknown aerial craft.

Taiwan (S.S. FUNING): A cluster of lights with tails, similar to comets, was observed on the eastern horizon. The group moved quickly, appearing initially as planes with landing lights. Through binoculars, the stronger light had a greenish head fading to yellowish-white. The observation occurred in the Formosa Strait, moving towards the coast of China. The report notes the political tensions in the area and the unlikelihood of conventional aircraft being involved, suggesting the lights might be related to unidentified flying objects.

Gisborne, New Zealand: Mr. T. Foss and his son observed a bright white light travelling east, followed by a round disc-shaped object with fanned sides, blue glows, and bright jets at the back.

Conclusion: Unidentified Flying Object(s)

J. Cleary-Baker, Ph.D., Evaluation Officer, concludes that the observed phenomena in the Port Chalmers and Taiwan reports cannot be explained by conventional aircraft. The Evaluation Committee concurs with these findings.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently emphasizes the need for rigorous investigation and analysis of UFO reports, often involving expert opinions from various fields such as forestry, physics, and statistics. There is a clear stance against dismissing reports as hoaxes without thorough examination, as seen in the Glassboro case. The publication encourages reader participation in research and the sharing of information, particularly regarding UFO detectors. Theoretical discussions, like orthoteny and magnetic field effects, are presented as attempts to understand the underlying principles of UFO phenomena. The editorial stance leans towards the possibility of genuine, unexplained aerial craft and phenomena, while maintaining a scientific and analytical approach.

This document contains a report of a UAP sighting and a personal statement from the editor. The UAP sighting occurred in Mangere, New Zealand, on November 24, 1964, at 7:25 p.m. The report details observations made by Mr. V. Wright, his wife, and their 15-year-old daughter.

UAP Sighting Report

The sighting involved a blue-white light observed in the northern sky. It was moving very slowly in a northerly direction while steadily gaining height. Through an old telescope, the light appeared as an inverted teardrop for a time, and then like a small cluster of stars with light circles radiating from them. Mr. Wright's daughter also observed what appeared to be a tail with lights travelling along behind the main object. The light remained in view for 1-2 hours until it gradually faded from sight. The report credits Spaceview, No. 41.

Reports Section

A brief notice reminds members that all reports should be sent directly to the Information Officer for their region, a list of whom is provided in the front of the journal. This procedure is intended to save unnecessary correspondence and avoid duplication of effort.

A Personal Statement by the Editor

Charles A. Stickland, the editor, provides a personal statement explaining his resignation. He was invited to resign by four members of the committee due to delays in the journal's appearance. Stickland states that the delay in this issue was due to organizational reasons and illness in his immediate family. To preserve harmony within the committee, he is resigning for at least the next issue, and material for it should be sent to Dr. Cleary-Baker, who will be the Acting Editor, at 3, Devenish Road, Weeke, Winchester, Hants.

Stickland then outlines the principles he has followed in preparing the journal, apart from the general aims of the Association:

• No padding: Space has not been filled with material that has no connection with the subject, however interesting.
• Publication of technical material: No article has been refused on the grounds of its being too technical. The editor believes that if the Association is sincere in its aims, it has a duty to publish scientific material that may not find a ready home in more popular magazines.
• Approach to officialdom: Attacks on officialdom have not formed a substantial part of the journal. Stickland does not believe that an organization supporting scientific investigation is justified in spending energy looking for minor wrongdoings. He argues that if a conclusion differs from an official spokesman's, it should not be assumed that the spokesman is trying to deceive. The official may have made a genuine mistake or received bad advice. Therefore, officials should be given the benefit of the doubt. If the journal's own investigations are sound, there should be no particular worry about differing opinions.

Stickland concludes by stating that these are the principles he has tried to follow, and with only one exception, all letters received concerning the magazine have contained unqualified praise. He asserts that he will judge his successors by these principles.

The statement is followed by the printer's details: Bobbies (Printers), 47, Chase Side, Enfield.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this excerpt are the reporting of unexplained aerial phenomena (UAP) and the editorial philosophy of a publication. The editorial stance, as articulated by Charles A. Stickland, emphasizes a commitment to publishing scientific and technical information, maintaining a balanced and non-confrontational approach towards official statements, and prioritizing factual reporting over sensationalism or padding. The editor advocates for giving the benefit of the doubt to official sources and focusing on the integrity of the publication's own research.