SIGAP Bulletin - No 18 1968 11

Magazine Overview

This issue of the SIGAP Bulletin, dated November 1968, is the 18th edition and is published monthly for 1/-. The magazine is produced by the Surrey Investigation Group on Aerial Phenomena (SIGAP).

Key Articles and Features

Scientist To Aid S.I.G.A.P.

The main headline announces that Dr. Frank B. Salisbury, Head of the Plant Science Department at Utah State University, will serve as a consultant to SIGAP. Dr. Salisbury, known for his open-mindedness towards UFOs, has expressed willingness to examine sighting reports and offer his scientific opinion. The article quotes Dr. Salisbury on the scientific community's reluctance to discuss UFOs, describing it as 'extreme heresy'. He is also writing a book on UFOs, expected to be published soon. Dr. Salisbury's interest in UFOs stems from his exobiology studies, and he has written articles on the possibility of extraterrestrial life. His article "The Scientist And The U.F.O." in the "BioScience" Journal argued that UFOs are of 'most pressing interest to the exobiologist' and warrant scientific investigation. He questions whether the spaceship hypothesis can be rigorously eliminated, stating that it's impossible to definitively prove every UFO is not an extraterrestrial craft and equally unreasonable to state with certainty that alien beings cannot visit Earth.

Flying Saucer Fiasco

This section discusses the impending report from the Colorado University U.F.O. Committee. The author expresses skepticism, predicting it will not support the existence of UFOs as extraterrestrial spacecraft. The article reveals that two key members, Dr. David Saunders and Dr. Norman Levine, have been dismissed for incompetence, but the 'real reason' is alleged to be their revelation to Dr. James McDonald that the project was a 'cover-up' to dismiss the extraterrestrial hypothesis. Several committee members are rumored to have resigned in protest. The committee examined 1,500 UFO reports and is now compiling its thesis. The author anticipates conflict if the report dismisses UFOs as hallucinations or atmospheric phenomena, especially given Dr. James McDonald's strong belief in the extraterrestrial spaceship hypothesis.

S.I.G.A.P. TITBIT

The circulation of the SIGAP Bulletin has reached 100, a 20% increase attributed to a 'facelift' the bulletin has received. Positive feedback has been received, including letters from Judy Williams of Contact U.K. and Mrs. Kathleen Smith, Editor of U.F.O.L.O.G. The bulletin also reports that SIGAP Chairman Omar Fowler gave a talk on UFOs to the Sanderstead Young Conservatives on October 9.

New Members and International Correspondence

Three new members have joined SIGAP: Mr. Douglas Palmer, Mr. John Bostock, and Mr. Robert Francis. The bulletin also details correspondence with two foreign UFO societies. The Canadian Aerial Phenomena Research Organisation (C.A.P.R.O.) expressed interest in reciprocating publications and noted that 1967 and 1968 saw significant UFO waves in Canada. The U.F.O. Investigation Centre in Sydney, Australia, a group founded in 1950-51 with nearly 600 members, also sent its newsletter. They publish a review six times a year and have a mailing list of over 150 societies worldwide.

Meetings

Three important UFO meetings occurred in October. The first was a B.U.F.O.R.A. meeting on October 5, attended by SIGAP Chairman Omar Fowler and other members. Guest speaker Arthur Shuttlewood discussed UFO sightings in Warminster, claiming evidence for extraterrestrial spacecraft is 'overwhelming' and that visitors are 'watching our every move'. He has written two books, "The Warminster Mystery" and "Warnings From Flying Friends", which discuss topics like space probes, crashed UFOs, and propulsion methods.

The second meeting was the B.U.F.O.R.A.'s 1968 Northern Convention in Manchester on October 12, attended by Omar Fowler. Norman Oliver spoke on 'Contact Claims', detailing a case where a woman received messages from a UFO to question her husband about electronics. Roger Stanway discussed investigations in Staffordshire, and Omar Fowler presented on UFOs over Surrey with SIGAP member Dan Butcher's paintings. The convention featured exhibits from various groups.

The third meeting was SIGAP's own on October 15 at the Plastic Coatings Factory, Guildford. Jimmy Goddard of Contact U.K. gave a talk on "Leys and Orthoteny", discussing alignments of prehistoric monuments and earthworks, and how UFO sightings sometimes align with these 'leys'. He referenced Aime Michel's work on 'orthoteny', which involves plotting UFO sightings along great circle courses during 'flaps'.

Foreign Sightings and Contact Drive

SIGAP is increasing its coverage of foreign UFO sightings and is launching a drive to establish contacts with ufologists worldwide to gather detailed reports of UFO waves. They are seeking members who can translate languages, particularly German, Spanish, and Russian, to facilitate communication with foreign researchers.

Local Scene

West Ewell, Surrey: On September 17, two residents reported seeing a brilliant white light, described as 'smaller than the moon' but 'much bigger than a star'. The object oscillated, lurched, and zig-zagged horizontally.

Cobham, Surrey: On October 21, engineer Mr. Neil Meredith and two others witnessed two lights in the sky, described as 'definitely not aeroplanes or headlamps'. The lights moved across a cloud, and after five minutes, a third light joined them. Later, a white ball with a trail was seen.

High Wycombe, Beaconsfield, and Gerrards Cross: Mysterious zig-zagging lights have been reported, which the Ministry of Defence attributes to aircraft from London (Heathrow) Airport. However, Mr. E. M. Walker of Hazlemere disputes this, claiming one object had a hoop, was noiseless, hovered, and then shot off at high speed.

Auburn, Washington, USA: A yellow globe of light was observed by many people over a week, reported as a UFO by local radio stations. The lack of US Air Force interest drew criticism.

Dundas, Ontario, Canada: Mr. Fred Passmore, a former R.C.A.F. pilot, observed a 'box-kite' shaped object, orange in the centre and black at the edges, hovering and then moving west. No rational explanation was found.

New UFO Group: COS-MOS

A new UFO group, COS-MOS, will commence operations on January 1, 1969, with the aim of contacting saucers and their crew. Their objectives include obtaining details of British contacts and forming study groups to explore contact methods. Membership is £1-1-0d per year.

Other Events

An atmospheric disturbance was recorded at Aberdeen University on October 15, possibly caused by an H-bomb, meteorite, or rocket explosion. A school cycle shed at Writtle, Sussex, was struck by a thunderbolt described as a 'huge ball of fire'.

Upcoming Events

A special UFO section will be featured at The Daily Mail's New Year Show at Olympia, including SIGAP's UFO paintings by Dan Butcher. Members are invited to volunteer to man the exhibits.

SIGAP's next meeting is on November 12 at the Plastic Coatings Factory, Guildford, featuring color slides of Dan Butcher's UFO paintings.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The bulletin consistently promotes the investigation of UFO phenomena with a scientific yet open-minded approach. It highlights the importance of international cooperation and information exchange among UFO research groups. There is a clear skepticism towards official explanations that dismiss UFOs outright, particularly evident in the critique of the Condon Committee. The editorial stance supports the idea that UFOs warrant serious scientific inquiry and may represent genuine, unexplained phenomena, possibly of extraterrestrial origin. The growth and activities of SIGAP are emphasized, along with the value of its bulletin as a communication tool.