SAUCER FORUM

Magazine Overview

Title: SAUCER FORUM
Issue: Vol. 3, No. 3
Date: July-August-September 1965
Editor: Jimmy Goddard
Publisher: SAUCER FORUM
Country: United Kingdom
Document Type: Magazine Issue

This issue of SAUCER FORUM delves into various aspects of UFO phenomena, with a particular focus on the intriguing connection between UFO sightings and ancient ley lines, as well as the concept of 'orthoteny'. The magazine features a mix of editorial commentary, reader-submitted accounts, and summaries of lectures and meetings.

Editorial: The Connection Between UFOs and Ley Lines

The editorial, written by Jimmy Goddard, highlights his new role as secretary of "The Ley Hunter," a magazine edited by Philip Heselton. The upcoming issue of "The Ley Hunter" will feature an article on the connection between UFOs and ley lines. Goddard poses the question of why UFOs would fly along alignments of prehistoric points and asserts that the connection is certain, based on available information. Several theories are discussed, including magnetic lines for recharging and aids for navigation. One contactee is quoted as saying that places where magnetic currents cross are comparable to a 'cross-roads sign.' Goddard proposes a theory that the larger, more prominent ley points (like hilltop clumps and artificial water expanses) were constructed by 'UFO beings' themselves in prehistoric times. The smaller sites, such as mark stones and temples, were likely built by primitive natives who may have seen 'UFO gods' flying along the alignments and wished their own structures to be built there.

New Publications

The magazine section "NEW PUBLICATIONS" lists several related magazines and societies:

• Cosics: The magazine of the UFO Truth Research Society, a new UFO group in Birmingham. Available for 2/6 per year from Peter Coleman.
• THE SAUCERIAN: Published bi-monthly by UFC-Worldwide, a society aiming to overcome the 'Silence Group.' Available from Michael Montgomery.
• THE LEY HUTTER: The magazine of the Ley Hunter's Club, which researches the alignment of ancient monuments. Available for 4/6 for four issues from the editor of SAUCER FORUM.

Reader Correspondence and Sightings

Several readers share their experiences and reports:

• Derek Andrews of Yeovil, Somerset, forwards a newspaper cutting about mysterious noise and a strange shining object seen over Warminster, Wiltshire. The noise is described as a high whining that has allegedly killed pigeons and caused physical distress. On Friday night, June 11, 1965, 17 people reported seeing a cigar-shaped object south of the town, which hung for 25 minutes, appeared to turn on its axis, and then vanished. Mr. Holton, a scientist investigating the phenomena, stated that interference from outside the planet must be considered, suggesting the Earth is under survey and potential invasion.

• Peter Coleman of Birmingham shares two sightings. His first, on April 11, involved an object blinking like the Echo I satellite but not disappearing completely. It moved rapidly towards him and then away, with no engine noise. He felt a curious sense of anticipation and mind-searching during the sighting. His second sighting, on May 16, involved a small silver disc travelling fast and disappearing behind a cloud. He also expresses regret at the death of George Adamski.

• Lucius Ferish of Arkansas, USA, writes about the death of George Adamski on April 23 in Washington, D.C., calling him perhaps UFOlogy's most controversial figure and noting that he will be missed.

• Stuart Hatch of Lancashire reports a local 'flap' that turned into a 'flop.' He initially saw bright moving stars from April onwards, observing nine objects in total, five appearing simultaneously. He also received a report about a small UFO, about the size of a car, that came out of the sky, skidded around a chimney, and shot off, repeating the maneuver.

UFO-WORLDWIDE

This section, from Bradford, Yorkshire, advocates for a Public Enquiry board to correlate UFO information, citing the consistent refusal of official quarters to acknowledge the phenomenon. It suggests that the 'Silence Group' has been able to dismiss sightings as hallucinations or unreliable research, but argues that undue pressure has forced many groups to cease work or abandon their progress. The call is to form a solid group to demand that UFO information be considered, lest the topic be relegated to myth and fantasy.

BUFORA MEETINGS: Lecture by Gordon Creighton

Gordon Creighton delivered a lecture titled "SOME DISAPPEARANCES AND ABDUCTIONS" on April 24, 1965. He discussed the 'darker side' of the UFO enigma, beginning with disappearances at sea. A notable case from 1948 involved a ship where all crew were found dead, lying face upwards with expressions of horror, and the mast tops broken off.

The lecture then covered land disappearances, including:

• Benjamin Bathurst (1809): Disappeared while travelling by stagecoach from Vienna.
• A drunken tramp (1865): Vanished while walking along a road, with his tracks ending abruptly.
• A farmer: Vanished in an open field in front of five witnesses.
• Oliver Lurch (December 1890): Vanished while getting water from a well in Indiana, with cries heard fading and footsteps ending abruptly in snow.
• Sherman Church (January 15, 1900): Vanished after walking from his office into a nearby building.

Creighton also recounted reports of a 'Thunderbird' in North American legends that carried off men. He shared two chilling reports from Russia: one about a female parachutist who vanished after jumping from a plane, reappearing three days later with a message for the chief of police, the contents of which remain unknown. Another Russian case involved a Soviet plane found intact in a field with its crew missing. A similar report from Iraq concerned an R.A.F. aircraft found intact with its pilot missing, the pilot's tracks ending abruptly.

The lecture mentioned the Ken Arnold sighting of nine UFOs, which occurred while Arnold was looking for a missing plane. This plane was later found crashed with no bodies inside.

Finally, Creighton described the Fred Regen incident. Regen's aircraft was hit by a 'flying lozenge' at 8,000 feet, causing him to fall out. He stopped falling and was drawn into a UFO by a sticky, clinging force. Inside, he saw strange shapes and was eventually returned to Earth, cured of cancer, with a message stating, 'Think of us in kindness.' Regan later died of brain degeneration, attributed to intense atomic radiation.

Lecture by Michael Holt: "ORTHOTENY - KEY TO THE ENIGMA?"

Michael Holt's lecture on May 22, 1965, addressed the concept of 'orthoteny.' He argued that until Autumn 1954, UFO sightings were isolated and non-repeatable, leading to scientific skepticism. However, he stated that isolated incidents cannot be studied scientifically and that witness testimony is the domain of lawyers, not scientists.

On September 17, 1954, the situation changed with Aime Michel's discovery of 'orthoteny' (from Greek words meaning 'stretched out in a straight line'). This refers to alignments of UFO sightings taken on a 24-hour basis. The first discovered was the 'Po di Grocca - Southend line,' spanning 700 miles from Italy to Britain with five sightings on the same day.

Holt emphasized that the interest in orthoteny lies in the fact that the observation exists, questioning whether sightings could be misinterpretations, hallucinations, or hoaxes, but noting it's unlikely they would fall along a straight line by chance.

He mentioned the R.V.I.C. orthoteny discovered by Aime Michel, calculated to have a twenty-six to one chance against appearing by coincidence. The orthotenic center at Poncey, France, discovered by Michel on October 2, 1954, had nine orthotenies crossing the town, where a large illuminated cigar-shaped UFO was seen. Most sightings on particular days fell on an allotted orthoteny.

Holt noted a sighting in Portugal that occurred on the same day as other R.V.I.C. sightings and fell on that line, which Aime Michel was unaware of until two years later. Michel later plotted the line as a great circle around the globe, finding that UFO 'waves' occurred on or near this line, suggesting they might be permanent flight paths.

Holt concluded by stating his opinions on how to approach the problem: the discovery should be treated as a whole, searching for patterns. He identified two loose ends left by Michel: the chronological order of sightings and the directions of motion were not considered. However, he expressed confidence that orthoteny would become a research method and a key to the enigma.

The Star Rally

The annual Rally of the STAR Fellowship was held on June 12. Despite touching on fascinating topics, attendance was very poor, with only five people present. Tony Wedd, the organizer, showed photographs supposedly taken by an Italian named Monguzzi, depicting a landed UFO with a man beside it. Wedd noted the unusual aerial and 'walkie-talkie apparatus' on the man. He initially suspected a hoax but was swayed by a later story where a newspaper allegedly paid Monguzzi for the photos and then printed a false account of them being fakes made with household items.

Mr. Wedd also discussed the Silpho Moor object, which he found to be made of pure copper and too heavy for an amateur hoaxer. He believed only one firm in the country had the apparatus to make such a disc. The message inside was written using phonetic numbers and symbols representing sounds, forming a phonetic code for the English language, suggesting extraterrestrials gained knowledge from radio broadcasts.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of SAUCER FORUM consistently explores the intersection of UFO phenomena with ancient mysteries, particularly ley lines and alignments. The editorial stance, as expressed by Jimmy Goddard, is one of open inquiry and a belief in the reality of UFOs and their potential connection to ancient civilizations. The magazine actively promotes related publications and societies, fostering a community of researchers. The recurring themes include unexplained disappearances, alleged alien encounters, and the search for patterns and explanations within UFO data, such as the concept of orthoteny. There is a clear undercurrent of frustration with official dismissal of UFO reports, as highlighted by the UFO-WORLDWIDE section, which calls for greater transparency and investigation.