Merseyside UFO Bulletin - Vol 5 No 6 - 1973

Magazine Overview

MUFOB, the Merseyside UFO Bulletin, issue Volume 5/Number 6, is presented as a publication dedicated to the study of UFO phenomena. The cover features a cartoon illustrating the theme 'THE SCIENTIST AND THE FANTASTIC', depicting a scientist with a test tube and the shadow of a Bigfoot-like creature. The editorial panel consists of John Harney, John Rimmer, Peter Rogerson, and Alan Sharp.

Editorial: Respectability

The editorial discusses the growing efforts to make the study of UFOs scientifically respectable, quoting Dr. J. Allen Hynek's desire to contribute constructively to this goal. It notes that the FSR editor, Charles Bowen, observed increasing interest from the scientific community at the BUFCRA Northern Conference. Hynek's book, 'The UFO Experience,' is highlighted as having significantly encouraged this interest, particularly among scientists who had previously dismissed ufology. The editorial mentions that Hynek's criticism of the Condon Report has prompted a re-evaluation of its findings, with some scientists acknowledging that 'there really is a problem.' The piece concludes with the hope that sustained scientific interest could elevate UFO studies from mere amusement to a source of enlightenment.

The Scientist and the Fantastic: Two anomalous phenomena and their challenge to science

This article by Peter Rogerson reviews two books that explore 'fantastic' events and the scientific reaction to them: J. Allen Hynek's 'The UFO Experience' and John Napier's 'Bigfoot'. Rogerson notes that both authors address the scientific community's often misunderstood reaction to anomalous events. He draws parallels between UFOs and Anomalous Bipedal 'Monsters' (ABSMs), such as Bigfoot, pointing out their elusiveness, lack of hard evidence, reliance on eyewitness accounts, and the presence of ground traces (burnt circles for UFOs, footprints for ABSMs). Both phenomena also generate ambiguous photographs. Rogerson quotes Napier's skepticism regarding Bigfoot, stating that without hard evidence like skulls or captive animals, it's difficult for intelligent people to countenance such a creature. Rogerson applies this argument with even greater force to UFOs.

Despite the skepticism, both Hynek and Napier are presented as highly intelligent individuals who have undertaken serious investigations. Hynek, an astronomer, and Napier, an anthropologist and anatomist, both emphasize the weight of eyewitness testimony. While individual reports may be valueless, the similarity across a large number of reports suggests a consensus description. Hynek's approach is described as 'internal,' focusing on eyewitness descriptions, complementing Jacques Vallee's statistical approach. The article suggests that readers of MUFOB will gain insight from Hynek's work, particularly regarding elements to look for when investigating reports, noting that descriptions are often vague and the phenomena difficult to articulate.

Hynek categorizes UFO experiences into six types: nocturnal lights, daylight discs, radar-visual, close encounters with physical effects, close encounters with occupants, and the giant cloud cigar (a seventh category suggested by its rarity in America). The article notes that Hynek's book primarily targets scientists with limited prior knowledge of the subject.

Napier's book focuses on 'Bigfoot,' the generic term for hairy giants reported in the Himalayas and North America. Napier excludes 'semi-humans' like the 'Almas' and 'Orang Pendek' due to lack of concrete evidence. He finds the evidence for the Himalayan 'Yeti' negligible, with Sherpa tales difficult to separate from folklore and European traveler reports ambiguous, though Shipton's footprint photographs remain puzzling. However, for the Sasquatch of North America, there are numerous eyewitness reports and footprint evidence. Napier finds it inconceivable that two separate genera of ABSMs could inhabit the same area, as suggested by different footprint types, yet both show signs of authenticity. He points out contradictions in the stories, suggesting that the habitat is inadequate for a large, omnivorous creature population during winter. The article mentions that the Albert Ostman kidnapping story is flawed in its description of the creature's diet, and other pieces of evidence are easily dismissed.

International Catalogue of Type I UFO Reports (1900-1929)

This section, compiled by Peter Rogerson, presents a chronological list of historical UFO reports from the early 20th century. Each entry includes a date, time, location, a brief description of the sighting, and references. Notable entries include:

• Summer 1900, Caddwst (Wales): A twelve-year-old girl saw a huge ovoid object rise from behind trees and cross a meadow at low altitude.
• 1901, New Haven (Missouri): An elderly man and his family observed a dome-shaped object like a turtle with three lights in woodland.
• May 1901, Edenderry (Ireland): Children saw tall figures in black draperies by a gate, carrying a black draped box.
• October 1902, Gulf of Guinea: Crew members of the 'Fort Salisbury' saw a huge dark object with lights sinking slowly into the sea.
• June 1904, Rolling Prairie (Indiana): A family saw two luminous spherical objects hovering above the ground.
• September 1904, Everton, Liverpool (England): A scare was caused by rumors of a mysterious figure making prodigious leaps.
• December 1904, Egrynn (Wales): Three people observed a large light with a dark shape that emitted smaller lights and disappeared.
• February 1905, Darmouth (Wales): Two witnesses saw a 'gigantic human figure' followed by a ball of fire.
• March 1905, Llandedr (Wales): A ball of light appeared in front of a car, split, and reunited.
• March 1905, Llanfair (Wales): Multiple huge balls of fire ascended from the ground over two hours.
• July 1905, Ynysyewl (Wales): A glowing circular object rose from a mountainside.
• 1906, Woodville (England): Two figures were seen on a path, who then rose up and disappeared.
• October 1906, Atlantic Ocean: Crew members saw three objects fall into the sea, followed by a disc-shaped meteor.
• November 1906, Anadarko (Oklahoma): Men observed a luminous 'stovepipe' shaped object descending and disappearing.
• 1908, Coast of Delaware: A ship was surrounded by a thick luminous cloud that 'magnetised' everything on board.
• Summer 1908, Duncan (British Columbia): A girl saw a brilliant light that rose, became dark, and had dim lights before disappearing.
• May 1909, Clacton-on-Sea (England): A long, dark, cylindrical object hovered and then flew northeast.
• May 1909, Spalding (England): An inhabitant claimed to hear men talking as an aerial object passed overhead.
• May 1909, Lowestoft (England): A long, dark 'bottle shaped' object passed south-west, with a man steering.
• May 1909, Caerphilly Mountain (Wales): A large tubular object was seen with two 'smart young men' officers; it took off with a zig-zagging movement.
• May 1909, Maindee (Wales): An object resembling a 'big fowl' flapped and hovered.
• May 1909, Maesteg (Wales): Lights were seen over a street, with one man reporting an aerial craft with occupants.
• June 1909, Donghoi, Vietnam: An elongated object flew over the town and plunged into the sea.
• August 1909, Sounds (New Zealand): A man fishing observed an aerial object moving at low altitude, from which debris was thrown.
• August 1909, Kaikora (New Zealand): A farmer observed a grey, torpedo-shaped machine with three men who shouted in a foreign language.
• December 1909, Quinsigamond (Massachusetts): A figure about 2.4m tall was encountered in the woods.
• January 1910, Invercargill (New Zealand): Witnesses saw a cigar-shaped object hovering, with a man appearing at a lateral door.
• July 1910, Normandy (France): The crew of a fishing smack observed a large black 'bird-like' object that plunged into the sea and reappeared.
• August 1910, Manhattan (New York): A huge dark object resembling a biplane maneuvered low.
• September 1910, Dunkirk Waterworks (New York): An engineer reported a cigar-shaped object that descended and appeared to enter the water.
• 1912, Cologne (Germany): Two beings with human features were seen sitting on a bed, who then faded out.
• October 1912, Sheerness (England): An aerial object was heard at low altitude, with a light in the sky.
• December 1912, Portsmouth (England): An aerial object carrying the White Ensign remained stationary before returning.
• 1913, Valensol (France): A peasant couple saw a luminous, red, egg-shaped object descend and then ascend.
• February 1913, Seley (England): A party of businessmen saw an aerial machine project a searchlight and hover.
• February 1913, North Sea: An aerial craft with a powerful light approached a trawler.
• March 1913, Inverary (Scotland): A 'funny airship' was seen crossing a loch and town at low altitude.
• June 1914, Hamburg (Germany): A shining cigar-shaped object with illuminated windows was seen with four or five dwarfs.
• August 1914, Georgian Bay (Canada): Seven people saw a spherical craft on the water with small men on its deck.
• August 1914, Savernake (Australia): A biplane was visible at 30m altitude, not reflecting sunlight.
• September 1914, Greytown (South Africa): A farmer encountered a machine resembling a biplane while walking home.
• August 1915, Gallipoli (Turkey): A peculiar cloud engulfed a British regiment and was never seen again.
• 1916, Aldeburgh (England): A strange object, a platform with men standing on it, turned and disappeared.
• May 1916, Renselaer (California): A huge, metallic, elongated oval machine hovered and then accelerated away at high speed.
• October 1917, Youngstown (Pennsylvania): A saucer-shaped object with a platform and lights was seen in a field.
• November 1918, Sunbury on Thames (England): A dark object 'like a horse-drawn hearse with no horses visible' with a light on the back was seen.
• 1921, Marseilles (France): An undocumented report of an abduction by two beings in diving suits.
• February 1922, Hubell (Nebraska): A circular object intercepted starlight and landed, followed by a creature over 2.4m tall.
• April 1922, County Donegal (Ireland): Soldiers fired at an object that returned fire with jets of fire.
• September 1922, Barmouth (Wales): An object fell into the ocean slowly.
• 1925, La Mancha (Spain): A man encountered a strange being wearing a greenish uniform, propelled by discs.
• October 1927, Bakersfield (California): A metallic blue-grey object took off from the ground, leaving fused sand.
• Summer 1923, Anstey Lane (England): A girl saw a 'scarecrow' figure with a large head and a spherical object on legs.
• November 1923, Milton (North Dakota): A silver object resembling an inverted soup bowl projected beams of light.
• 1929, Hertford (England): Two children saw a tiny biplane land briefly, with a pilot waving.
• June 1929, Fermeneuve (Canada): A dark object with a yellow light was seen with four or five dwarfish figures.
• July 1929, Robsart (Canada): Five persons saw a huge ball of light giving off fiery colours that landed slowly and vanished.

Notes and Sources

The issue includes notes regarding the reliability and classification of certain reports, advising caution for some entries (e.g., 52, 53, 54, 56, 92, 93, 99). It also mentions that some reports are abbreviated and that material not from the SPR (Society for Psychical Research) is from Roger Sandell's research. Sources cited include various publications and researchers like Lorenzen, Fate, FSR, and Magonia.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the ongoing effort to legitimize UFO studies within the scientific community, the comparison of different types of anomalous phenomena (UFOs and cryptids like Bigfoot), and the presentation of historical evidence in the form of a detailed catalogue of early 20th-century sightings. The editorial stance appears to be one of cautious optimism regarding the scientific acceptance of UFO research, while also acknowledging the challenges posed by the nature of the evidence and the potential for hoaxes or misinterpretations. The magazine aims to provide detailed accounts and analysis for its readership, which seems to consist of individuals interested in ufology.

MUFOB Issue 5, dated May 1973, is a publication from the Merseyside UFO Bulletin, focusing on anomalous phenomena. The issue includes a review of books, a local UFO report, and discussions on scientific approaches to the subject.

Book Reviews and Analysis

The issue features a comprehensive list of books and publications related to UFOs and related phenomena, including 'Flying Saucer Occupants' by Coral and James Lorenzen, 'In the Wake of the Sea Serpents' by Bernard Heuvelmans, 'Invisible Residents' by Ivan T. Sanderson, and 'The Humanoids' edited by Charles Bowen. It also lists various UFO journals and bulletins from different countries.

A significant portion of the magazine is dedicated to analyzing the scientific community's engagement with anomalous phenomena, particularly through the works of J. Allen Hynek ('The UFO Experience: a scientific enquiry') and Ish02240 Napier ('Bigfoot; the Yeti and Sasquatch in myth and reality'). The authors critically examine the role of professional scientists and provide anecdotes about investigations like the US Air Force Project Blue Book and the Condon Committee. Hynek's anecdotes include interactions with Hector Quintanilla and Dale Spaur, highlighting perceived incompetence and bias within Project Blue Book. The Condon committee is criticized for poor data selection, inadequate procedures, and inherent bias.

Napier suggests that scientists are reluctant to study anomalous phenomena due to the difficulty of finding solutions and the fear of ridicule. The issue notes that this has led to the field being dominated by 'cranks', making the scientific community more wary. However, the authors reject the idea that scientists actively conspire to hide evidence, citing their garrulous nature.

Both authors propose improvements for UFO research. Hynek suggests a UNESCO-sponsored project to coordinate UFO groups and the use of full-time investigators. Napier advocates for grant-giving foundations and research councils to allocate a proportion of their budgets to students interested in investigating 'the insoluble, the outrageous and the offbeat'. The publication suggests that a private international body devoted to the study of anomalous phenomena could foster cross-fertilization of ideas and information.

Local UFO Reports

The issue details a UFO sighting that occurred in Hoylake, Wirral, Cheshire, in May 1973, as reported in the Birkenhead News on June 1, 1973. Douglas Fletcher and his girlfriend Dianna Smethurst reported seeing strange lights on at least three separate occasions. On one occasion, they observed a red light at the rear and a white light in front, moving at high speed along the Dee estuary. On another, they saw a huge yellow shape, the size of a bus, with a yellow light, moving about three miles ahead. A third sighting involved lights zig-zagging from a distance. Fletcher stated the sightings could not be boats or hovercraft, and both witnesses reported their eyes swelled and hurt afterward. They contacted the police, the Royal Navy, and the RAF. A spokesman from the Aeronautical Information Centre in West Drayton, London, stated that while explanations like cloud reflections or flares exist, all UFO reports are meticulously followed up.

Notice: Revision of Mailing List

The publication notes that only about 100-120 copies of each issue of MUFOB are printed, and they have reached a point where there are no spare copies for exchanges or new mailing list additions. Individuals on the current list who have not been heard from may be removed unless they respond.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the critical examination of scientific approaches to UFO phenomena, the exploration of mythological figures like Bigfoot, Yeti, and Sasquatch, and the reporting of specific UFO sightings. The editorial stance appears to be one of encouraging more rigorous and open scientific investigation into anomalous phenomena, while acknowledging the challenges and the role of public interest and 'buffs' in keeping the subject alive. There is a clear emphasis on the need for better organization and funding for serious research into the 'insoluble' and 'offbeat' aspects of these phenomena.