Flying Saucer News - No 09 - 1955 Summer

Magazine Overview

Title: FLYING SAUCER NEWS
Issue: No. 9
Date: Summer 1955
Editor: Richard Hughes
Publisher: JOURNAL OF THE BRITISH FLYING SAUCER BUREAU AND FLYING SAUCER CLUB

This issue of Flying Saucer News, dated Summer 1955, is presented as No. 9 and edited by Richard Hughes. It is published by the British Flying Saucer Bureau and Flying Saucer Club. The cover prominently features an illustration of a cigar-shaped object flying above an airplane, with the headline "ANOTHER AIR-TO-AIR SIGHTING!". The issue includes an editorial, special feature articles, photographs, and reader contributions.

Contents and Articles

Cover Story: Another Air-to-Air Sighting!

The main feature details a sighting by the crew of a Portuguese Airlines "Skymaster" who observed a mystery 'cigar'-shaped object while flying between Epsom and Dunsfold. Flight-engineer Jose Eilva described it as a "silver cigar" that approached from the port side and passed under their nose, with no smoke trail. Radio-officer J. O. Almeida noted its terrific speed and that it appeared to be made of aluminium. Pilot Capt. Durval, like Capt. Howard of BOAC, was non-committal, stating, "I don't know what it was." The article connects this sighting to the Kilimanjaro incident of February 19th, 1951, where a similar cigar or bullet-shaped craft was observed.

Editorial: That elusive TEN PER CENT!

This editorial discusses a report by the R.A.F. on flying saucers, which the Air Ministry chiefs allegedly concluded were "No" – but the public were not to know the details. Major Patrick Wall questioned the Deputy Air Minister, George Ward, in Parliament. Ward's reply was that about 90% of reports are explained as meteors, balloons, or flares, and the remaining 10% are unexplained due to lack of data. Mr. Christian Petersen, News Editor of the Sunday Dispatch, confirms the existence of the report and suggests the Air Ministry will not release it. The editorial questions the secrecy, particularly regarding unexplained phenomena like radar contacts of formations of objects two miles up, and dismisses the Air Ministry's explanations of "secret weapons" or "Met. balloons" as "utter nonsense."

"It Is—bigger, you know!"

This introductory note explains that the use of small type has allowed for more reading matter in this issue. The editors express a hope to expand the number of pages in future issues, dependent on circulation, and encourage readers to help with distribution by persuading local newsagents to stock the publication.

TAPED....

An apology is made for a previous error regarding the Adamski Controversy. It is clarified that Mr. Jerrold Baker does not have a tape recording and has not met Mr. Leslie. The tape heard was of Ric Williamson affirming Baker took a photo, but subsequent letters from Baker suggest he was not truthful in earlier statements. The matter is to be followed up.

OF MINDS AND MEN ...

This speculative piece suggests that "Saucerians" might resemble humans physically, but possess exceptional powers to project an image or hypnotize observers. This could be a strategy to avoid shocking humans with their true appearance, leading to hostility. The article posits that this hypnotism might explain why they are difficult to photograph, as it wouldn't affect photographic emulsion.

THE BRITISH F.S. BUREAU and F.S. CLUB

This section details the amalgamation of the British Flying Saucer Bureau (founded 1953) and the Flying Saucer Club (founded 1952) in April 1954. It outlines the activities of the Bureau, including meetings and research at its Bristol headquarters, and public meetings. Club membership is international for those unable to attend Bureau meetings. All members receive the NEWS, a membership card, and eligibility for the 'Postal' column. Annual subscription is 10/-, with the Registrar at 30 Melbourne Tce., NEWTOWN, BRISTOL, 2.

Britain's Number One 'Flying Saucer Detective'

This announcement highlights Arthur Constance, a journalist, author, and broadcaster with thirty years of experience collecting information on "odd happenings and 'inexplicable' phenomena." His library contains 16,000 books and two million press cuttings. He recently presented an 18,000-word report on the "Meteor Incident" of March 24th to the Air Ministry. Flying Saucer News has secured an exclusive article from him for the next issue.

Recent British Sightings

This section compiles several recent UFO sightings across Britain:

• Hawick, Scotland: The Graham family reported watching a strange black 'cloud' for half an hour on March 27th. It changed shapes, resembling a sea-serpent and parachute, before taking the form of a giant plate or saucer and spinning at high speed.
• Norfolk Headmaster Sees "Flying Jellyfish": Mr. G. A. Fell and four boys at Upwell school saw a strange object resembling a flying jellyfish on May 17th, described as gliding swiftly and like a large semi-deflated balloon. The editors express skepticism, suggesting it might have been a balloon.
• Liverpool: Four U.F.O's Seen Over City: On June 1st, Roger Pepper, a cinema projectionist, saw three round, silver, shining objects flying from Birkenhead towards Warrington, followed by a fourth. He stated they were not aircraft and flew much higher and faster than normal aircraft.

"Ufo-graph" - from SUSSEX

This article presents a photograph taken by Mr. B. V. Simmons of Brighton on July 5th, 1954. He saw an illuminated object hovering near the Henfield-Brighton road. The photograph shows illuminated rings of an orange color around the object, with a greenish glow from below. Mr. Simmons was sure the rings were the only source of light. The object was compared to Adamski and Coniston saucers but did not match. It is suggested the object was very large, possibly up to a mile away. The object hovered for minutes before shooting vertically upwards and disappearing.

DISCRETION THE BETTER PART...?

This short piece notes the absence of saucer news from the American magazine VALOR after a story about a Heligoland landing was debunked. It also mentions that Dr. George Williamson, one of Adamski's witnesses and formerly in charge of Valor's "Saucer Symposium," has left the magazine.

The FILTRATION of Flying Saucer reports

By Squadron Leader A. G. Fenn, A.M.I.Mech.E., A.M.Inst.P.Tech. This article proposes a system for categorizing flying saucer reports into three categories: "Factual-confirmed" (Category One), "Doubtful" (Category Two), and "Improbable" (Category Three). The author suggests that reports falling outside Category One should be relegated to the inferior categories. The article speculates that "silent, businesslike parent ships" use "speedy little scanning discs" for information gathering. It suggests that these craft may have difficulty landing due to Earth's magnetic field interfering with their method of absorbing magnetic power. The author also considers the possibility of another type of disc that could effect landings, likely focusing on vegetation and geographical phenomena while avoiding populated areas. Contact with humans would only be attempted with "very strong support, both in numbers and equipment."

Observation Post

This section provides brief news items:

• Mrs. Dana Howard claims to have married a man from Venus after a short visit.
• A "saucergraph" was taken by Warren Siegmond on a New York rooftop.
• Desmond Leslie is reportedly interested in "leprechuans."
• Columbia Film Studios is producing a film based on George Pal's "Flying Saucers from Outer Space," possibly titled "The Attack of the Flying Saucers."
• A "Saucer-lark" on Radio Luxembourg involved a contestant taking a photo of saucers to a news editor.
• A "Pertwee Show" segment featured dramatic announcements about saucer landings.

feature article: the Swedish GHOST Rockets

By S. H. Jones. This article analyzes the many UFOs seen over Scandinavia in the summer of 1946, referred to as "Flying Saucers" or "ghost rockets." At that time, the term "Flying Saucer" was not yet coined, and they were often assumed to be Russian guided missiles. The article summarizes press reports, noting over 1000 sightings (unofficial estimates up to 2000) between May and September 1946. The objects were generally rocket or cigar-shaped, with no wings, and displayed orange or green flame/smoke at the rear. They were mostly soundless or made a whistling noise. Speeds were generally subsonic (around 400 mph, with a maximum estimate of 1000 mph), and altitudes varied from 1000-3000 feet (maximum estimate 12,000 feet). The range was over 600 miles. A photograph from near Stockholm, reproduced by permission of the DAILY TELEGRAPH, showed the object within the flame track. Special phenomena included reports of mid-air explosions with intense white light, but no fragments were found. Material evidence was lacking, with one case of alleged fragments identified as ordinary coke or slag.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around unexplained aerial phenomena, government secrecy, and the investigation of UFO sightings. The editorial stance is critical of the Air Ministry's perceived lack of transparency and dismissive attitude towards UFO reports, advocating for the public's right to know. There is a strong emphasis on documenting and analyzing sightings, with a call for more rigorous scientific approaches, as exemplified by Squadron Leader Fenn's proposed "Filtration" system. The magazine also highlights the work of dedicated researchers like Arthur Constance and features reports from various individuals and organizations dedicated to the study of flying saucers. The speculative nature of some phenomena, such as the "Minds and Men" piece, is also present, exploring potential explanations for the nature of the visitors.

This issue of FLYING SAUCER NEWS, dated Summer 1955, is published by the British F.S. Bureau and F.S. Club. It features a mix of investigative articles, reader contributions, and organizational updates.

Swedish Rockets and German/Russian Possibilities

The lead article, "RADAR TRACKING," discusses the Swedish 'rockets' phenomenon. It references a statement by Hr. Hansson in the Riksdag on August 15, 1946, emphasizing the lack of information regarding the nature and source of these objects. Statements from the Swedish Defence Staff in August and October of the same year indicated that while most sightings (about 80%) were dismissed as ordinary celestial or meteorological phenomena, reliable evidence suggested some rocket-like objects of unknown nature were being directed across Sweden from an unknown source. The article then explores "GERMAN POSSIBILITIES," stating that in 1945, Germany was supreme in guided missiles, but details of their built and planned missiles did not resemble the reported objects. It also notes that newspaper reporters realized the 'rockets' were far advanced for any German missile. "RUSSIAN POSSIBILITIES" are deemed even more improbable, as in 1945 Russia had no guided missiles or jet aircraft. The first Russian jet, the YAK-15, only made its public flight in August 1946, and Soviet copies of German missiles were being built in quantity by 1946-47, but still did not correspond to the UFOs in question. The article argues that no nation would risk revealing advanced weapon secrets by flying them in large numbers over foreign territory in peacetime. "GENERAL REMARKS" highlight the impossible combination of characteristics for the 1946 technological level, such as reaction propulsion, lack of wings, low noise, low speed, low altitude, flat trajectory, and long range, which defied scientific laws. Even in 1955, nothing known fits the case, with various advanced machines like the A.4b, A.9/A.10, Martin Matador B.61, Northrop Snark B.62, Saenger Project, and Dornberger Project not matching the observed details.

The Swedish Staff's statement that about 80% of reports were unreliable implies the remaining 20% were reliable, amounting to 200-400 sightings. The article draws a parallel between the Swedish UFO episode and the American position a year later. The "PEENEMUENDE" section notes that this German rocket development center was partly wrecked by the RAF in 1943, and by May 1947, British reporters found the Russians had completed extensive demolitions, rendering it no longer a military or research center.

"'SAUCER' COMPARISONS" find a close similarity between the Swedish 'Ghost Rockets' and the less frequent 'smaller-rocket-type' or 'Keyhoe's Type Three' UFOs seen in the USA from 1947. The Chiles-Whitted sighting at Montgomery, Alabama, on July 24, 1948, is detailed: cigar-shaped, no wings, a flame about 50 feet long, brilliant white light in the nose, horizontal trajectory, subsonic speed (500-700 mph, max 1500 mph), low altitude, about 100 feet long, intense blue glow along the sides, metallic silver color, two rows of windows. Project Saucer found no answer to UFO identity by April 1949. The comparison shows excellent agreement with the Swedish UFOs on points i-vii, suggesting they were not Russian guided missiles and must now be categorized as saucers, adding to the 'Great Saucer Mystery' and pushing back the start of large-scale sightings by a year.

Discussion of Evidence and Reader Contributions

Under "Readers write...", Gavin Gibbons comments on the magazine's "NEW FORMAT," suggesting the elimination of all caps, italics, bold caps, and bold face for a more professional and cleaner appearance, preferring uniform grey text. Pete Campbell, Editor of 'Andromeda', disagrees, liking the bold type for emphasis and the overall attractive production. The Editor acknowledges the difficulty in pleasing everyone.

The "ADAMSKI QUESTION" is addressed by Mrs. G. S. T., who emphasizes the importance of investigating George Adamski's claims to avoid discrediting 'Saucery'. She notes the national dailies have dropped the subject, possibly due to rumors of Adamski fooling everyone. The Editor clarifies that they were reporting Desmond Leslie's views and intend to follow events through, stating that even if 'Saucer-men' claims were hoaxes, saucers are real. However, if Adamski's desert contact is proven to be rigged, it would seriously affect public acceptance of saucers.

In "MATTER OF FAITH?", a contributor expresses fluid views, leaning towards Keyhoe's idea that visitors are from outer space, not this solar system. They question why Adamski infers Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune are inhabited, while seemingly accepting the scientific theory that Mercury is too near the sun for life, finding this inconsistent.

John Lytheer's letter discusses the Adamski story, questioning how to distinguish truth from falsehood and noting that the story rests on George Adamski's testimony and witness affidavits, which are now under suspicion. He agrees with Stubbs Walker that most cases rely on personal testimony. He lists various UFO types and encounters, suggesting that these stories are becoming a matter of faith and that the classical mythological background stories are already present, quoted in books and articles.

Fred Walker offers an intriguing idea in "STAR IN THE EAST," comparing the biblical story of the star guiding the wise men to a flying saucer sighting: a motionless, shimmering star that moved slowly and sometimes failed to appear. He suggests it's easier to believe such stars were sent to guide the wise men than that stars were moved out of the heavens, posing the question of how many ancient stars were friends from outer space.

A "MYSOGINIST'S LAMENT" expresses horror at 'Saucer Romance' in the Spring issue, calling the column a menace and a danger of becoming a Lonely Hearts Club.

Thomas E. Russell from Ohio, USA, requests correspondence.

BFSB Newsletter and Updates

The B.F.S.B. Newsletter for June 1955 announces the resignation of the Hon. Secretary, who has had to withdraw due to other commitments. Mr. W. E. Nicholas has been elected as the new Hon. Secretary. The newsletter mentions a personal tape recording from Mr. Adamski, covering his recent visit to Mexico City. A new HQ address is provided for all correspondence to Mr. W. E. Nicholas in Bristol, England.

The newsletter discusses Mr. Nicholas's views on science, astronomy, and physics, noting that while some technical members of the Bristol group disagree, his recording is considered fascinating and illuminating, and he is seen as a sincere man. The writer defends themselves against accusations of being pro-Adamski, stating they believe a man is innocent until proved guilty and that Adamski has been constant in his expressions.

"THE MOSELEY/PITT STATEMENTS" section indicates that the committee's discussion of the alleged desert contact with a Venusian by George Adamski and his witnesses is ongoing, with a formulated, unbiased opinion to be published later. The article states that Adamski's photographs stand up to photographic analysis better than most.

An "INVESTIGATION" section details a visit by committee members to the midlands, facilitated by Mr. George Watts. They plan to interview Harold Cummins, Mr. & Mrs. Roestenberg, and others who have recently seen UFOs.

Mr. Arthur Constance, an author and broadcaster, visited Bristol to confer with Mr. Graham Knewstub, Director of Research. The BFSB offered assistance with his forthcoming book on Flying Saucers, and Mr. Constance expressed interest in the Meade Layne theory. He plans to devote a chapter to saucer clubs and the BFSB.

"BLAZER BADGES" are mentioned as being expensive, with the Bureau opting for lapel badges instead.

Summer Convention and Sightings

Sympathy is extended to Miss June Barlow-Morris for her recent illness, and thanks are given for her efforts in organizing the proposed Summer Convention. The response has been low, but the idea is not dropped. A suggestion for renting a large country house for a fortnight for the convention is mentioned, with Coniston being a popular venue. Further votes are requested due to Miss Barlow-Morris's illness.

"SIGHTING REPORTS" should be submitted to Mr. Graham Knewstub. "PRESS CUTTINGS" should be sent to The Hon. Editor (c/o BFSB), and while not always acknowledged, they are appreciated.

"SUBSCRIPTIONS" are encouraged to offset expenses. The "OVER AND OUT" section is the Hon. Secretary's farewell, expressing regret at resigning due to Civil Defence commitments. He reflects on his time with the Bureau, noting its growth from a small group to a large organization, which proves there is something worthy of investigation. He asks for continued support for the voluntary project and courtesy to his successor, Mr. Nicholas.

Specific Sightings and Puzzles

"The Weston Rhyn Sightings" details an incident investigated by Gavin Gibbons. On August 3, 1953, Mr. C. B. Phillips and James Buckley saw a long cigar-shaped object moving from the S.S.W. It was divided into three parts: incandescent whitish-blue at the front, bright orange in the middle, and dull red at the rear. It changed direction and disappeared N.N.W. It was silent, except for a slight 'whoosh,' and at its highest point was at a 45-degree angle. Mr. Phillips did not think it emitted a trail. The Daily Herald reported a similar object seen over Rhyl. Mr. Phillips estimated the object took about one minute to cross from horizon to horizon. He is described as a retired miner and Special Constable, thus reliable. Mr. J. W. Jones, two miles away, also saw the object at a 45-degree angle to the westward, disappearing over Chirk Castle. He heard no noise and estimated it was about 30 degrees high when over Weston Rhyn. Unlike Mr. Phillips, he claimed it left a whitish trail about twice its length.

A "REAL WELCOME !" section quotes the Toronto Daily Star about North Cobalt miners keeping rifles ready for flying saucers, noting that these objects have become a topic of conversation in the mining area.

"Coniston puzzle" discusses a hitherto unpublished photo taken by young Stephen Darbishire as the saucer was moving off. The reproduction and diagram show a distorted image, with angles slewed around, prompting speculation about whether the UFO was caught in the act of changing shape or warping into another dimension. The magazine admits they cannot account for the picture and asks for reader views.

An extract from Stephen Darbishire's account, written half an hour after taking the photo, describes being in a small hill valley, with grass shown under the saucer, and that it made no sound. A "COMMENT" section questions whether the account was written after seeing the print, noting the use of the present tense. The "CONCLUSION" suggests the explanation might be that the account was written after seeing the print, or that details were added later. The statement appeared in numerous press reports and is quoted in a book.

Back Numbers and Allingham Witness

The "BACK NUMBERS!" section lists available re-print editions of the magazine with their prices. "Allingham Witness Found?" reports that Desmond Leslie stated at a Penzance lecture that the elusive witness to the Allingham story had been located. However, Mr. Duncan had reportedly retracted his statements. The correspondent acidly suggests that if Mr. Duncan has married a woman of 167, it would automatically render him unreliable.

"ANOTHER ONE AT IT!" mentions a letter in the Bristol Evening Post asking for information on flying saucer sightings over the British Isles, suggesting another book is in preparation.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include the analysis of unexplained aerial phenomena, particularly the 'Swedish Rockets,' and their potential origins in advanced German or Russian technology, ultimately concluding they were likely UFOs. The magazine actively engages with reader feedback, discussing the presentation of content and the validity of witness testimony, particularly concerning the controversial George Adamski. There's a consistent effort to maintain objectivity while acknowledging the intriguing nature of the subject, as seen in the BFSB's approach to investigations and the handling of witness accounts. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, encouraging debate and the sharing of information, while cautioning against sensationalism and the formation of cults around specific individuals or theories. The BFSB itself is presented as a growing organization dedicated to the serious investigation of flying saucers.