Merseyside UFO Bulletin - Vol 6 No 3 - 1974

Magazine Overview

MUFOB (Merseyside UFO Bulletin), Volume 6, Number 3, published in what appears to be 1973 based on the context of the articles, is a UK-based publication focusing on UFO research and related phenomena. The issue features an editorial, research articles, a catalogue of international UFO reports, and book reviews.

Editorial: Those 'Sceptical' Scientists

The editorial addresses the perceived skepticism of scientists towards UFO phenomena, contrasting it with the credulity often found within ufology. It uses the case of Uri Geller, whose psychic abilities were investigated by the New Scientist magazine and the Sunday Times, as a primary example. The editorial highlights that professional magicians pointed out that Geller's feats were achievable through sleight of hand and misdirection, and notes that Geller had faced exposure in Israel. The professional magician Romark is quoted as saying scientists are easily fooled by tricks and that people want to believe in phenomena like Geller's. The editorial concludes that the problem with ufology is not skepticism but the credulity of those involved, leading to sensationalism and speculation over sober theories.

A Research Project for UFO Groups by John Rimmer

John Rimmer discusses the current state of local UFO groups in the UK, asserting that most engage in speculation rather than practical research. He praises groups like the Scunthorpe UFO Research Society for their efforts in cataloguing and coordinating sighting reports and subjecting them to basic statistical analysis. Rimmer emphasizes that this work is in its infancy but suggests the methodology could be adopted by other groups. A critical point raised is the lack of high-quality research journals to disseminate findings, with many existing journals being mere platforms for group gossip and speculation. Rimmer argues that a more technical and specialized approach is needed, but general circulation journals may not be viable due to economic constraints. He criticizes the existing group system for being fragmented by petty jealousies and calls for an adequate publishing system for research findings, lamenting that proposals to BUFORA for such a system were dismissed as impractical.

Introduction to the Scunthorpe Catalogue by Nigel Watson

Nigel Watson introduces a catalogue of 19 Scunthorpe UFO reports spanning 19 years, taken from a larger file of nearly 50 reports. The remaining reports will form a future analysis of negative sightings. The catalogue is updated annually. Watson refers readers to a previous article by Peter Rogerson in MUFOB 5:4 for an introduction to the International Catalogue of Type I Reports. He outlines the standard form used for recording reports, including date, location, approximate duration, time, description of the event, source of report, interviewer, and witness details (name, age, address). A time distribution chart shows sightings conform to patterns observed by Vallee and others, with most occurring between 1700 and 2400. An age pyramid of witnesses also corresponds to findings by Vallee and Ballester Olmos.

International Catalogue of Type I UFO Reports - Part 5 compiled by Peter Rogerson

This section presents a detailed list of UFO sightings from 1953, with entries numbered 263 through 311. Each entry includes:

• Case Number and Date: e.g., 263 1953
• Time: e.g., 0100
• Location: City, State/Province, Country
• Witness(es): Name(s) and brief description (e.g., Mica miner, Three persons, Cab driver)
• Object Description: Shape, size, color, features (e.g., beautiful woman, aerial object 8-13 m long, luminous object, bright metallic-coloured, disc-shaped, shiny wingless machine, silvery object, strange shadow, flat 'moonlike' object).
• Encounter Details: How the object was observed, its behavior (e.g., approached, landed, hovered, moved slowly, climbed rapidly, shot upwards, descended, oscillated, flew vertically, rose from the sea).
• Effects/Traces: Physical effects on witnesses or environment (e.g., intense heat, scorched skin, fierce headache, pricklings, watch stopped working, car paint changed colour, broken bushes, flattened grass, yellowish moss).
• Sources: References to publications or individuals providing the information (e.g., FSR, Atic, Ribera, Wilkins, Hervey).

Notable incidents include:

• Case 263 (1953, Argentina): An encounter with a woman with serpent-like feet.
• Case 264 (1953, USA): An object described as two soup bowls stuck together.
• Case 265 (1953, Brazil): A landing with two beings in lead-colored suits emerging, one using a strange instrument.
• Case 266 (1953, Australia): A bright light and a smaller red one circling a truck.
• Case 267 (1953, USA): A disc-shaped object observed by a former USAF Intelligence Officer, followed by mysterious livestock deaths.
• Case 270 (1953, Korea): A shiny wingless machine observed by multiple witnesses during a military observation mission.
• Case 271 (1953, USA): A silvery object landing, with an occupant collecting water.
• Case 272 (1953, USA): A 'flying man' with bat-like wings and a torpedo-shaped object.
• Case 274 (1953, USA): A large aircraft-like object with red lights and a cabin, observed near a house, followed by yellowish moss.
• Case 275 (1953, Spain): Three dwarfs emerging from a metallic 'water jug' shaped object.
• Case 277 (1953, Poland): A metallic object with openings, possibly with Russian markings.
• Case 281 (1953, France): Two objects and three men with oversized heads, one object transforming into a butterfly-like shape.
• Case 284 (1953, Norway): An object causing a car's paint to change color and witnesses to feel unwell.
• Case 286 (1953, Canada): Indescribable shadows and a round object emitting blue-green lightning.
• Case 288 (1953, USA): A round object pulsating and emitting red lights, with alleged occupants.
• Case 290 (1954, France): A round luminous object seen near an airport, with alleged traces found.
• Case 291 (1954, USA): A craft on the ground with a woman nearby, causing a witness to go into shock.
• Case 292 (1954, USA): A dull grey metallic object described as two saucers joined together.
• Case 293 (1954, Brazil): A football-shaped machine with two men, one collecting grass samples.
• Case 294 (1954, Brazil): A tall man and two women described as scientists, discussing Brazil's natural riches.
• Case 295 (1954, Australia): A spherical object causing a horse to nearly throw its rider, emitting smoke and turning at right angles.
• Case 296 (1954, USA): A cigar-shaped object of grey color landing, with smoke observed.
• Case 297 (1954, USA): An 'aluminium' colored, cylindrical object with a transparent dome containing five men.
• Case 298 (1954, USA): A lens-shaped object the size of a house landing, kicking up sand.
• Case 300 (1954, Australia): A glowing oval object with 'shadowy figures' inside.
• Case 301 (1954, Canada): A circular object made of translucent metal, with two figures in luminous suits visible.
• Case 304 (1954, Canada): A disc with a dome and rotating lights, leaving a large circular spot.
• Case 305 (1954, England): A golden, domed 'crab-like' object with projections, hovering and moving in sweeps.
• Case 306 (1954, England): A very tall man in a metallic-blue suit and translucent helmet encountered in a house.
• Case 307 (1954, Canada): A landed object with numerous projections, from which emerged three men with strange burning eyes.
• Case 308 (1954, Norway): An object causing a car's paint to change color and a watch to stop.
• Case 309 (1954, USA): A flat 'moonlike' object rising from the ocean.
• Case 310 (1954, Canada): A brightly lighted orange object rising from a field, leaving flattened grass and tracks.
• Case 311 (1954, France): A strange object hovering low over a house.

Book Reviews

Peter Rogerson provides book reviews, though the specific titles and content are not detailed in the provided scan.

Editorial Panel

The editorial panel consists of JOHN HARNEY, JOHN RIMMER, PETER ROGERSON, and ALAN SHARP.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the critical examination of scientific skepticism towards UFOs, the importance of rigorous and systematic UFO research (cataloguing, statistical analysis), and the dissemination of findings through dedicated journals. The editorial stance appears to favor a more scientific and less speculative approach to ufology, while acknowledging the public's fascination with the unexplained. The extensive catalogue of sightings suggests a commitment to documenting and analyzing UFO events from a historical perspective.

MUFOB, Volume 6, Number 3, dated January 1974, is an informal journal focused on ufology and related subjects. This issue, identified as MUFOB 6, contains a collection of UFO sighting reports, primarily from 1954, along with notes on the reliability of these accounts and book reviews.

UFO Sightings from 1954

The issue meticulously details several UFO encounters, cataloged with dates, locations, and witness accounts:

• August 23, 1954, Lugrin, France: Elise Blanc reported an object like an aluminum trailer with two small, grunting beings. The craft turned fiery and flew away.
• August 21, 1954, Boston Creek, Ontario, Canada: Bill Supa observed a wingless flying object land approximately 2 km away. Upon his approach, it took off and departed, leaving flattened grass.
• August 28, 1954, Henningford, Quebec, Canada: Mrs. Coupal and her two sons witnessed a spherical object land. Three men, about 2.20 m tall with 'big round eyes' and dressed in black, emerged.
• August 30, 1954, North Bay, Ontario, Canada: Sgt. Durdle saw a brilliant circular object flying across Lake Nipissing. It had an oblong canister hanging from a central section and a spinning lobe on top. Six brilliant appendages, like necklaces, were observed. Four Air Force personnel also witnessed the object spiralling away.
• September 3, 1954, Souk-El-Khemis, Tunisia: Numerous workers in fields saw an object made of transparent plastic fly over houses. It stopped on edge, swung like a pendulum, and performed erratic jumps before resuming its horizontal position and flying away.
• September 7, 1954, Harponville, France: Bricklayers Emile Renard and Yves Degillerboz observed an object floating over a field, described as an 'unfinished haystack' with a plate on top, measuring 10m in diameter and 3m high. It took off, releasing smoke.
• September 10, 1954, Mouleras, France: A farmer, Antoine Mazaud, encountered a helmeted being who made friendly gestures before entering a cigar-shaped object about 4m long. This object flew towards Limoges, where a disc-shaped, red object was reported leaving a bluish trail.
• September 10, 1954, Quarouble, France: A metal worker, Marimus Dewilde, witnessed a dark object on railway tracks and two dwarfs who caused him to become paralysed with an orange light. The creatures were under 1m tall, bulky, and wore dark diving suits. Traces of an object estimated to weigh 30 tons were noted by French Air Force and police.

Notes on Reports and Classification

The 'Notes' section provides commentary on the reliability and classification of various UFO reports, often expressing caution. For instance, report 312 is treated with suspicion, and report 277 is considered marginal and potentially a 'refugee tale'. Some reports are noted as potentially misinterpretations of fireballs or fireworks. The accuracy of dates and locations is also questioned in several instances, with references to sources like Vallee and Wilkins.

Introduction to the Scunthorpe Catalogue

This section, continued from a previous page, discusses a study of primary witnesses to sightings. It notes the age distribution of witnesses, their activities at the time of the sighting (mostly walking), and the number of witnesses per sighting (with most cases having only one witness). The analysis indicates males outnumbered females 20 to 11 in the sample. The concentration of sightings in 1971 is attributed to the activity period of the Scunthorpe Society. A significant critique is made of defunct groups failing to pass on their reports, leading to duplication of effort and secrecy.

UFO Investigation in Britain

The editorial content emphasizes the challenges of UFO research in Britain due to a lack of a central clearing house for reports. It suggests that a more representative sample could be gathered if major UFO groups coordinated their efforts. The issue highlights the apathy of local groups and the difficulty for researchers in publishing their work or reading others' findings. The lack of a British journal dedicated to recording every publicly notified UFO sighting is identified as a major inhibiting factor.

Book Reviews

Cults of Unreason by Dr Christopher Evans

This review by John Rimmer examines Dr. Evans' book, which covers Scientology, UFO cults, medical 'Black Box' cults, and quasi-Eastern occult groups. The reviewer finds the UFO cult chapters disappointing, describing them as a re-hash of contactee stories. The main focus of the ufological section is the Aetherius Society. The review notes that while the book is well-written, it offers little new information for ufologists and is not worth the considerable cost.

Can You Speak Venusian? A guide to the independent thinkers by Patrick Moore

Reviewed by Peter Rogerson, this book is criticized for its superficial treatment of pseudo-scientists and their beliefs. The reviewer finds Moore's research limited, his historical perspective poor, and his understanding of contemporary cults sketchy. Moore's admiration for 'independent thinkers' is questioned, as many espouse views considered absurd. The review notes Moore's apparent ignorance of serious parapsychology and ufology, with only a bare mention of key figures like Rhine, Hynek, and Heuvelmans. The UFO section is deemed superficial, focusing on Adamski, Allingham, and others. Rogerson criticizes Moore's tendency to resort to invective and arguments from authority, and his black-and-white presentation of issues. The review concludes that Moore is not a scientist and should not be regarded as a representative scientist.

Notes, Quotes & Queries

• John Rimmer marries: The wedding of John Rimmer and Miss Judith Tyrer took place on October 19, 1973, in Liverpool.
• Tatty cover: An apology is issued for the duplicated cover of this issue, which replaces the usual artistic productions.
• Phantom helicopter: Publicity is noted regarding alleged phantom helicopter sightings over Cheshire and Derbyshire, with a promise to publish a round-up in the next issue.
• John Rimmer's New Address: A change of address for John Rimmer is noted.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of MUFOB include the cataloging of UFO sightings with detailed witness accounts, critical analysis of UFO-related literature, and commentary on the state of UFO research in Britain. The editorial stance appears to be one of critical inquiry, emphasizing the need for rigorous research, data collection, and a cautious approach to unverified reports. The publication aims to be a forum for discussion and research, open to specialized articles that larger journals might overlook. There is a clear emphasis on the scientific approach to ufology, with criticism directed at superficial treatments and unsubstantiated claims.