European Working Team - Issue 02

Magazine Overview

This document is a NOTICE from the GROUPE DE TRAVAIL EUROPEEN (EWT) / EUROPEAN WORKING TEAM, dated December 1981, Volume 1, Issue 2. It is produced by GESAG and edited by Jacques BONABOT in BRUGGE, Belgium.

Key Content and Articles

Member Updates and New Addresses

The notice begins by welcoming contributions from Ted Bloecher and Keith Basterfield, researchers from overseas who have been informed about the EWT's existence through member Maurizio Verga. It clarifies that the EWT will remain a team with a reduced scale of members and correspondents, not aiming to become an extensive 'UFO group'.

Mr. Jean-Luc Overal's new address in Belgium is provided: 6 rue de la Brasserie, B-5700 KEUMIEE, Belgium.

Contributions from Ted Bloecher and Keith Basterfield

There are acknowledgments to Ted Bloecher and Keith Basterfield for their contributions to the NOTICE, noting they were informed of the EWT's existence via Maurizio Verga. The text reiterates that the EWT will not become a 'study group' but will remain a reduced-scale working team.

The Australian Entity Study Group (AESG)

Keith Basterfield provides information about the Australian Entity Study Group (AESG), formed in early 1977. The AESG aims to investigate and publish summaries of 'entity' related UFO reports. They have compiled a 110-page study on 67 Australian CE3 cases since 1868 and are interested in exchanging data on global entity cases, particularly abduction cases. Basterfield is the MUFON Continental coordinator in Australia.

The AESG has produced several publications, including a series of case documents and "An Australian catalogue of close encounter type three reports." They have collected and indexed 105 entity-type reports and have stored this data on a TANDY RADIO SHACK TRS-80 microcomputer.

• Publications mentioned by AESG include:
• A source of Australian UFO and related reports (52 pages).
• UBIX'd. Summaries of 350 CE including nearly 100 CE cases (Price Aust. $ 8.).
• An indepth review of Australian UFO related entity reports (110 pages) (Price Aust. $ 12.).
• AESG Case Documents' (9 famous Australian entity reports, 64 pages) (Price Aust. $ 7.50).

• Specific Australian cases presented include:
• Ten Mile Hill, Tas. (2.8.76)
• Ivy Tanks, SA. (9.73)
• Plymton, SA.(29.2.64)
• Wodonga, Vic.(24.8.67)
• Kimba, SA.(4.2.73)
• Salisbury, SA.(28.10.62)
• Risdon Vale, Tas. (9.11.78)
• Hobart, Tas. (28.11.78)
• Greenacre, NSW. (25.4.69)

This report is based on a document presented at UFOCON 5, 1980.

Some Brief Notes on HUMCAT by Ted Bloecher

Ted Bloecher shares notes on HUMCAT, a database he began developing while at NICAP in 1968-1969. The database, initially containing close to a thousand CE3 case references, was later developed into a computer program. By mid-1976, over 1500 case references were included, dubbed 'Hum.Cat'. The system allows sorting by Serial Number, Date, Time, Country, State, and Town. As of the notes, there are over 2200 entries dating from 1896 to 1979, with more waiting to be entered. Two features added in the past two years are a rating for each case (0-5) based on information quality and investigation, and a classification of case types (A-G, X for hoaxes) based on the association of entity to object.

• Bloecher's rating system:
• 0: Hoaxes and mistakes
• 1: Most newspaper clippings
• 3: First-hand report (depending on thoroughness and investigator reputation)
• 4: Particularly well-investigated case
• 5: Pretty iron-clad report

Jenny Randles' proposed set of definitions and levels (A-E) for investigation quality are also referenced.

Catalogue of 'Negative' Landing Reports in the Iberian Peninsula

This section presents a list of alleged type-1 UFO cases and other phenomena in Spain and Portugal since 1900 that have been explained in conventional terms. The information includes date, time, location, Spanish province or Portuguese code, type of explanation, and researcher or source. Examples include 'BALL LIGHTNING', 'HOAX', 'METEORITE', 'PRESS HOAX', and 'BALLOON'. Researchers credited include BALLESTER/FERNANDEZ, PRESS, REY, and others.

Listing of Australian Type 1 Events

Keith Basterfield provides a listing of Australian Type 1 events, which are UFOs observed on or near the ground, with a maximum height of tree height. Out of 560 collected events, over 100 fit this description. The listing is presented as a first step towards analysis, with the purpose of recording accurate basic details. The data is sourced from Australian UFO research organizations.

References are made to Basterfield's previous works: "An indepth review of Australian ufo related entity reports" and "A report on observations of ufos from aircraft members in Australia."

Tailles des Entites dans les Rapports de RR et Critères Anthropologique

Alain Gamard has established a classification system for entity sizes based on anthropological criteria from the LAROUSSE encyclopedia and the QUID. This classification includes categories from 'minuscule' (less than 35 cm) to 'géant' (over 200 cm), with codes attributed within the DATA/OVNI-HUMCAT EUROPE classification system.

Translation Services

Jenny Randles is available to provide precise translations of documents into English for EWT members.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the organization and dissemination of UFO research data, particularly concerning entity reports and Australian cases. The EWT's stance is to maintain a focused, reduced-scale team of researchers and correspondents, emphasizing data exchange and cataloging rather than expanding into a large 'UFO group'. There is a clear emphasis on systematic data collection, classification, and the importance of accurate investigation and reporting, as evidenced by the AESG's work and the HUMCAT system.