EUFOSG Journal - 1977 03 - March 1977

Magazine Overview

This is the March 1977 issue, Volume 1, No. 2, of "EUFOSG The Official Journal", published by the Essex Unidentified Flying Object Study Group. The journal is a non-profit organisation dedicated to investigating UFO phenomena. The cover prominently features the group's name and the date, along with a stylized graphic.

Editorial

The editorial notes an increase in UFO activity in 1977, anticipating a 'big flap' by the end of the year. The journal has been well-received, with an increasing number of subscribers from outside Essex, leading to a call for reports and articles from other parts of the world. To accommodate more content, editorials are kept brief, and the journal's thickness is not being increased to avoid raising the subscription price.

Meetings

Next Group Meeting: Scheduled for Friday, 15th April 1977, at Harts Lane Lecture Hall, Barking, from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. This meeting includes a lecture on the hollow earth theory and a detailed account of an abduction near Winchester involving Mrs. Bowles and Mr. Pratt.

Special Meeting (14th February 1977): The first meeting of 1977 featured Mr. Rex Dutta, author, lecturer, and Director of "Viewpoint Aquarius", as the guest speaker. Accompanied by Mrs. Jean Coulsting, Editor of "Viewpoint Aquarius", Mr. Dutta addressed an audience of nearly 80 people. His talk covered the history of the flying saucer phenomenon from ancient times to the present, referencing Kenneth Arnold's 1947 sighting and the subsequent 'hushing-up' of such events after 1954. Mr. Dutta explained the intelligences behind saucers as more 'mind' than physical, operating on a higher 'plane' and potentially linked to Theosophy. He suggested UFO craft might be a 'front' for manipulating matter by thought, rather than 'nuts and bolts' machines. The discussion also touched upon the vast number of contactee cases worldwide. A specific case mentioned was a sighting near Winchester in November 1976 by Mrs. Bowles and Mr. Pratt, who, along with their car, were reportedly abducted in December.

Investigations

The journal presents several UFO case reports:

• Case No's. 1976–10–6,7,8 (Harlow, Essex): This case, previously presented in the January 1977 Journal, involved Mrs. Draper, who took ten photographs of objects. The negatives were lost in the post, and a thorough search by the Post Office yielded no results.

• Report No. 1 (Case No. 1976-8-6) - Strange light over Enfield: On a Sunday evening in August 1976, Mr. and Mrs. K. observed a 'falling star' that stopped, changed colour from white to red, zig-zagged, stopped again, changed back to white, and then flew off at great speed towards the east. The object's course was charted, with an initial elevation of 70° and a final elevation of 20°. The sighting lasted about 30 seconds, and the object had the brightness of an 'average star'.

• Report No. 2 (Case No. 1976-12-7) - UFO over Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire: On Christmas Day, 1976, at approximately 1:00 a.m., Mrs. H. and her husband observed a spherical, sharply defined, intensely pink object travelling from north to south over rooftops. The object was visible for about half a minute. Witnesses described its apparent size as equivalent to a 1-inch object held at arm's length, moving slowly but believed to be travelling fast due to its estimated distance of one mile. Mrs. H. thought the object had an antenna, while Mr. H. believed it had a tail.

• Report No. 3 (Case No. 1976-12-10) - UFO over Edmonton, North London: On Christmas Day, 1976, Mrs. J. observed a bright white light through her bedroom window. The light dimmed and brightened, showing a 'reflection of a shape'. Later, she and her daughter Tina observed the light zigzagging and pulsating, described as a 'saucer' or 'squashed oval shape', with a green light on one end and an orange light on the other. Mrs. J. observed the object until 2:30 a.m. The object's apparent size was estimated as a half pence coin or ping-pong ball held at arm's length. Dr. Keith Hindley, a fireball specialist, had no record of this object, suggesting it might not be a natural phenomenon. The object was first seen in the east-south-east at an elevation of approximately 55° and last seen in the south-west at 60° (Tina) or 30° (Mrs. J.). Weather conditions were cold, clear, and dry.

• Report No. 4 (Case No. 1976-12-12) - UFO's over Epping Forest: At 3:00 a.m. on Christmas Day, 1976, Teresa M. (aged 11) observed a spinning, 'cowboy hat' shaped object. To its left and higher was what appeared to be the full Moon. After about 10 minutes, the spinning object was gone, but the 'Full-Moon' remained. Teresa's father later learned of the sighting, and Mr. Doug Canning visited Teresa to gather details. It was discovered that the 'Full-Moon' Teresa saw was another UFO, lacking the dark patches of the real Moon. The saucer was tilted towards the witness. The objects were first seen in the east-south-east and last seen in the east-south-east, with elevations of approximately 55°. The Ministry of Defence reported no UFOs during the Christmas period. Teresa, described as truthful and with good eyesight, believes the objects will return.

• Case No. 1977-1-7 (Letter from a gentleman near Epping Forest): Dated January 11th, 1977, this letter describes a persistent, powerful, and consistent internal noise experienced by the writer, who is an electronics engineer specializing in audio. He estimated the frequency at about 1000hz. He also observed a bright light in the sky, which he defined as a 'fairly large object', appearing in the distance like a group of lights very close together. The noise and light were gone by dawn. The writer speculated the noise might be a modulated radio signal.

• Report No. 5 (Case No. 1976-12-4) - UFO's over Epping Forest: On Boxing Day 1976, Mrs. S. and her daughter observed a yellowish-white object moving slowly across the sky from left to right. The object was described as a 'distorted rectangle' with possible red lights dotted around the edges. Both witnesses made drawings that agreed closely. The object was first seen high up in the south-east.

EUFOSG Directory

The journal includes a directory listing the Head Office address (16 Raydons Road, Dagenham, Essex), Editor (Mr. Daniel J. Goring Jr.), General Secretary (Mrs. Gloria Saville), Public Relations Officer (Mr. Douglas Canning), Technical Advisor (Mr. Ronald Markwick), Field Research Equipment (Mr. John Saville), and Treasurer (Mr. Ronald Rider). It also notes that Mrs. Jean Easton is no longer the Membership Secretary.

Subscriptions

Subscriptions are £2.00 for one year, including 6 issues of the Journal. Cheques and P.O.s should be made payable to "Essex UFO Study Group" and sent to the Secretary at Head Office. Enquiries should include a stamped, addressed envelope (s.a.e.).

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are detailed UFO sighting reports from various locations in the UK, primarily from late 1976 and early 1977. The editorial stance is one of active investigation and openness to reports from a wide geographical area. The journal aims to present factual accounts and encourage reader participation. There is a clear interest in the 'flying saucer phenomenon' and its historical context, as evidenced by the special meeting's focus. The inclusion of a lecture on the hollow earth theory suggests an openness to broader, perhaps unconventional, explanations within the UFO field. The publication emphasizes its non-profit nature and efforts to keep subscription costs low.

This issue of "UFO Times" from March 1977, published by EUFOSG, focuses on UFO reports and analysis, featuring specific cases from various locations and a statistical look at sightings over time.

Study of UFO Activity in Essex

The issue begins with a "RESULT OF A STUDY - PART I" concerning UFO reports received for Essex during 1976. The study notes that while individual reports offer limited information about the phenomenon as a whole, they make for exciting reading. The analysis of material for Essex in 1976 is presented, with a comparison to 1975. It is stated that UFO reports for 1975 were few due to poor coverage of the Essex area, and thus should not be seen as representing a year of low UFO activity. The 1976 results, however, suggest an increase in sightings since 1975. The study acknowledges that only a small percentage of UFO activity is reported to UFO groups, limiting the analysis to a certain extent, though it is believed not to destroy the overall picture. Occasionally, reports from just outside Essex were included. The authors recognize that UFO activity is global and their results are not universally valid, but some graphical results do agree with other area graphs.

UFO Sightings: Monthly Distributions, 1975 & 1976

A detailed graph illustrates the monthly UFO distributions for Essex in 1975 and 1976. The graph shows the number of UFO sightings and misidentifications. For 1975, a peak is noted in July, with a general trend of sightings increasing towards the end of the year and dropping to a minimum in March or April. The graph for 1976 follows a similar pattern. The issue suggests that 1977 might see a large wave of UFOs starting in the summer. A potential 13-month period between UFO maxima is proposed, indicating January 1978 as the next month of maximum UFO visitations. The influence of the Sun and the planet Mars (noted to be near Earth during past UFO flaps) are mentioned as possible factors. The relative paucity of reports for September 1976 might indicate UFOs were visiting other areas. The article poses questions about whether witness activities throughout the year, weather, and differences between town and country dwellers could explain the graph's shape. Future issues are planned to cover UFO sightings versus time and UFOs on days of the week.

U.F.O. Case in Canada

This section details a UFO report from Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Caroline H., a young girl, reported seeing a strange object moving across the sky one night around 10:00 p.m. She described it as initially moving, then turning into an "enormous star" for a few seconds before reverting to its initial form. The object's disappearance is not detailed. The report includes drawings of the object, labeled "Caroline's UFO" and "The UFO seen by the two boys," depicting various shapes and colors, including red flashing lights and changing colors. The report notes that Caroline knows nothing about UFOs and her mention of a preceding earthquake is unexplained.

GENDARMES OBSERVE AN U.F.O.

This section presents UFO reports from two French newspapers, translated by Mr. W. Ager of EUFOSG. The case involves French Gendarmes in Haute-Marne and Aude departments.

St. Dizier, 26th February, 1974

Two gendarmes, Adjutant Robin and Gendarme Dormay, reported seeing and following an unidentified flying object for nearly 45 minutes. They described the "machine" as perfectly silent, moving slowly from east to west. The back part was luminous, greyish-blue, and the under part was brilliantly lit. They saw three small luminous crescents of vivid yellowish-orange, which changed to vivid red as the object moved away. The radar of the nearby St. Dizier air base did not detect anything.

Carcassonne, Aude Department

Monsieur Calmet, a farmer, reported seeing a UFO three times in a week. On the first occasion, he saw an egg-shaped mass about 10 meters long and 2 meters high, with projectors in front and back. Later, he saw a similar object moving and "searching" the ground. On the third occasion, the object's central part reddened, and it projected a luminous ray. Fluorescent antennas were also observed. Gendarmes investigated the site but found no traces.

"France Dimanche" Report

An exclusive testimony from Adjutant Robin and Gendarme Dormay of the gendarmerie of Chevillon is presented. On Sunday, 24th February 1974, they saw a UFO. They described it as a cigar-shaped object, initially perceived as a round, disk-shaped extremity of a luminous greyish-blue color. Below this were three superimposed disks with points emitting an orangy-yellow light, separated by darker sections. The cigar itself was cylindrical, bluish-grey, with dark zebra stripes. The object was silent and moved slowly, advancing by jerks. The light from the orange circles was cold and did not reflect on a dark, shapeless mass underneath, which seemed to absorb the light. The movement was described as queer, zigzagging and balancing. They followed it for eleven kilometers to Maigneux, where it accelerated and disappeared. They estimated its altitude at not more than 700 meters and its size as about twenty meters in diameter and a hundred meters long. Adjutant Robin expressed his conviction that the object was directed by intelligent beings.

"FLYING GIANTS" AROUND JUPITER

This short article reports on suggestions by Professors Carl Sagan and E. Saltpeter of Cornell University that giant flying creatures, possibly balloon-like animals, may exist in Jupiter's atmosphere, causing its frequent redness. They suggest these creatures could grow to huge sizes and move by expelling helium gas. Unmanned craft Mariners 11 and 12 are mentioned as potentially providing evidence on future fly-bys.

Advertisements

The issue includes advertisements for several publications and organizations:

• "SKYWATCH": A publication by the Manchester Aerial Phenomena Investigation team, covering general UFO news, letters, articles, and advertisements.
• "VIEWPOINT AQUARIUS": A newsletter with news of UFOs, ideas on Theosophy, Yoga, Meditation, Healing, and news from abroad.
• "FORESIGHT": A bi-monthly magazine on spiritual aspects, mysticism, philosophy, psychic development, UFOs, and world events.
• "FORTEAN TIMES": A non-profit bi-monthly miscellany of news, notes, and references on strange phenomena, affiliated with the International Fortean Organisation.
• "THE LEY HUNTER": A bi-monthly magazine on prehistoric sites, megalithic monuments, legends, UFOs, and supernatural events.
• ESSEX HEALERS' ASSOCIATION: Publishes a Newsletter on spiritual healing.
• EUFOSG Advertisement Rates: Information on advertising rates for EUFOSG publications.

Contact and Skywatches

Information is provided for pen pal requests with young Ufologists in Istanbul, Turkey. The EUFOSG is also organizing Skywatches at Coppermill Lane, London, E17, on specific dates in April, May, and June 1977.

UFO LANDING IN SOUTH WALES

This section reports an incident at a Broad Haven school near Pembroke, South Wales, on Friday, 4th February 1977. Children witnessed an unusual event involving a landed UFO. The headmaster, Mr. Richard Llewhelin, investigated the story. The children's accounts consistently described a cigar-shaped, silvery object with a dome and a light on top. The report notes there were two sightings at the same location: one at 12:40 p.m. lasting three minutes, and another at 3:30 p.m. lasting less than a minute. One report mentioned the UFO disappearing backwards behind trees. Approximately fifteen children, aged nine to eleven, saw the object, estimated to be 45 feet long and 15 to 20 feet high. A figure or occupant was also reported. Drawings by children Leslie Reohorn, Michael Webb, and David George are included, depicting the object and a figure in a silver suit.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the detailed reporting and analysis of UFO sightings, statistical examination of UFO activity over time, and the presentation of specific, often eyewitness, accounts of UFO encounters. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious investigation and documentation of UFO phenomena, encouraging contributions and providing a platform for discussion through its various sections and advertised publications. The inclusion of scientific perspectives (Sagan and Saltpeter) alongside anecdotal evidence suggests an open yet analytical approach.