Pre-1947 UFO Bulletin - 1981 No 3

Magazine Overview

Title: Pre-1947 UFO Bulletin
Issue: No. 3
Date: April 1981
Content Focus: This issue delves into historical parallels between wartime anxieties and the phenomenon of phantom airship scares, drawing connections to potential triggers for UFO waves. It primarily uses information from Barbara Tuchman's book 'August 1914' to illustrate how fear, rumors, and propaganda influenced events during the early days of World War I.

Historical Context: August 1914

The bulletin presents a series of events from August 1914, as detailed in Tuchman's book, to highlight the atmosphere of fear and misinformation:

• Page 114: On August 2, 1914, German newspapers reported French aerial bombings near Nuremberg. Although unsubstantiated, these reports were used by the Germans to justify their ultimatum to Belgium and their subsequent declaration of war on France.
• Page 126: The German Ambassador in Paris, Baron Wilhelm Eduard Schoen, delivered the declaration of war, citing 'French acts of "organized hostility"' and air attacks on Nuremberg and Karlsruhe, along with the violation of Belgian neutrality by French aviators, as causes for war.
• Pages 176-175: On August 6, German Zeppelins bombed Cologne, aiming to force Belgian cooperation. This action, coupled with invasion scares on the night of August 5, led to the British sending only four instead of six divisions to aid the French, with soldiers deployed to defend the east coast.
• Page 207: On August 4, rumors circulated in Frankfurt claiming Cossack brutalities in East Prussia. This allegedly distracted the German General Staff from their concentration on the Western Front.
• Page 246: The Germans mistakenly believed, based on false cavalry reconnaissance reports, that the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) had disembarked at Ostend, Calais, and Dunkirk on August 13.
• Pages 319-320: A seal mistaken for a periscope in Scapa Flow caused Admiral Sir John Jellicce to order the entire fleet to sea, leaving the North Sea vulnerable to German access had they been aware.
• Pages 374-375: German Taube aircraft bombed Paris for the first time on August 30. These daily bombings provided 'excitement' that compensated for the government's prohibition of absinthe.
• Pages 377-379: Thousands of Russian troops were rumored to be arriving in Britain to reinforce the Western Front. An Edinburgh-based Scottish army officer described them as wearing 'long gaily-coloured coats and big fur caps,' carrying bows and arrows, and riding 'Scottish ponies only bonier'—a description that matched Cossacks from a century prior.

The Impact of Fear and Rumors

The author posits that the anticipation of fearful events can significantly influence actual occurrences. The threat of an assault on British shores, for instance, reduced support for the French, mirroring how German resources were diverted eastward due to fear of Russian hordes. The bulletin notes the ironic possibility of the 'British Lion' being 'slaughted by the innocent activities of a playful seal.'

Furthermore, the article highlights how rumors of aerial attacks were strategically used by the Germans to legitimize their war efforts and to intimidate enemies. The phenomenon of 'wished-for apparitions' also plays a role, as seen in the Russian troop appearances in Britain and the mistaken observation of British landings in Ostend.

UFO Waves and Social Factors

While acknowledging that these dramatic factors might be less apparent during peacetime, the bulletin suggests that aspects of pre-1914 airship scares could offer insights into UFO waves. The previous bulletin examined how social, economic, and political factors might trigger airship scares, similar to how fear during wartime generates such phenomena.

However, the author includes a quote from Carl Groves, who expresses skepticism about theories that UFO waves can be caused wholly or significantly by combining social factors. Groves finds it difficult to identify places that haven't experienced social upheavals or crises, making it easy to find symbolic connections with UFOs. He questions the mechanism that translates social tension into multiple-witness UFO sightings and why certain UFO characteristics (like rapid acceleration and right-angle turns) remain invariant across different waves.

Call for Comments

The bulletin concludes with a request for reader input on these theories. Nigel Watson invites anyone with answers or comments to contact him at Westfield Cottage, Crowle Bank Rd, Althorpe, South Humberside, DN17 3HZ, England.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme of this issue is the psychological impact of fear, rumor, and propaganda, particularly in wartime, and its potential relevance to understanding UFO phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of critical inquiry, exploring historical precedents for mass psychological reactions and questioning simplistic explanations for complex phenomena like UFO waves. There is an open invitation for further discussion and research into these connections.