SIGAP Newsletter No 02 1967-07

Magazine Overview

Title: S.I.G.A.P. Newsletter
Issue: No. 2
Date: July 10th, 1967

This issue of the S.I.G.A.P. Newsletter focuses on the activities and investigations of the Surrey Investigation Group on Aerial Phenomena. It details recent UFO sightings, reports on a significant skywatch event, and outlines the organization's progress and future plans.

SIGAP and its Aims

The Surrey Investigation Group on Aerial Phenomena (SIGAP) is affiliated with the British Unidentified Flying Object Research Association. Their primary goal is to promote unbiased investigation and research into Unidentified Flying Object Phenomena. Enquiries can be directed to the Hon. Sec., R. Best, at 16, Hillcrest Road, Guildford, Surrey.

The newsletter notes a current increase in UFO activity or reporting, attributing it to either a genuine rise in sightings or increased public willingness to report due to publicity from events like 'Skywatch'. The importance of proper investigation is stressed.

Guildford Sighting Report: June 25th, 1967

A report was received on June 26th concerning an oval white UFO that hovered motionlessly in the North East at an elevation of 20 degrees. Four witnesses in a car travelling along the Hogs Back, two miles West of Guildford, observed the object. It then appeared to travel North and dimmed to a pinpoint of light. Mrs. Pearce, a SIGAP member, later found another witness who had seen the same object from Beechcroft Drive off the A3, opposite Coombs Service Station.

The original witness, Mr. B. Knowles (a 21-year-old music student), also reported seeing a similar object a week prior, on Sunday, June 18th. This led a group of twelve people to investigate the junction of Beechcroft Road and the A3. On Sunday, July 2nd, at 22:25, they observed a bright shimmering light appear 40 degrees East of North. It hovered for 20 seconds, then dimmed sharply and moved North. Approximately two minutes later, the object increased in brightness to a magnitude of -2 (comparable to Venus). Dick Beet observed two bright lights close together moving North, rapidly losing altitude until they appeared to land near a position 25 degrees East of North. At the last moment, a flashing red light was seen directly behind the light source.

Subsequent investigation, including a daylight check, suggested the phenomenon was an aircraft landing at London Airport (at least 20 miles away), with its twin landing lights visible. A check with London Airport was arranged to obtain a list of aircraft landings for that period. The investigation was deemed worthwhile, and thanks were extended to the witnesses.

The International Skywatch, June 24th

This section details the 'International Skywatch' event held on June 24th, which was considered the No. 1 site in the country. The event was honored by the presence of the BUFORA radio van and the PANORAMA T.V. outside broadcast team. Attendees included members of BUFORA, International Sky Scouts, and SIGAP. The number of genuine spotters was 23, but local interest brought the total attendance to over 60 people by 1 am on Sunday.

The radio van made contact with other groups around London. The first UFO report came at 5:55 pm, describing a cigar-shaped object over Fayden Bois in Essex. The official night watch began at 7 pm. Due to poor visibility, reports were scarce until 11:23 pm when the cloud began to clear. A report of an orange light bobbing up and down in the W.S.W., about 5 degrees above the horizon, was noted, visible for only a few seconds.

Many onlookers saw satellites for the first time. At 12:25 am, a thin black line was spotted running across the moon, possibly a contrail from a high-flying aircraft, moving downwards. At 12:23 am, a bright twinkling light sped rapidly from West to East, described as a retrograde satellite. By 1:50 am, cold mist covered the sky. At 3:30 am, the cloud broke, and at 3:46 am, a small twinkling light was seen moving East, and a standard satellite was seen moving W.N.W. to E.S.E. The newsletter notes that satellites usually move West to East, and the Eastward movement suggested extra thrust against Earth's rotation.

After receiving more reports from other areas, particularly Manchester, the Sky Watch at Pewley Downs concluded at 7 am. While nothing 'spectacular' was seen at Guildford, the organization of the event was considered successful, providing valuable lessons for planning similar ventures by civilian bodies without official support. The film of the Skywatch was scheduled to appear on PANORAMA at 8 pm on Monday, July 10th. O. Fowler is credited with this report.

UFO Reports in Surrey

Since the first newsletter, SIGAP has investigated and listed a number of sightings. There has been a notable increase, with ten reports received in the Guildford and Woking area since June 1st, compared to an average of two per month previously.

Report 1 (Woking): A woman, feeling unwell, looked out her window at 1 am and saw a satellite. Her attention was then drawn to what appeared to be a red aircraft light that rapidly grew larger, reaching the size of two large plates glowing red. She became alarmed but her baby was asleep. The red light suddenly moved away at terrific speed. The next day, she told neighbours, and the police were informed via the International Sky Scouts group.

Report 2 (Newlands Corner): A retired R.A.F. Squadron Leader and his wife were walking at Newlands Corner on Tuesday, June 27th, at 12:30 pm. They were attracted by what appeared to be a white horse running in a field near Albury Church (approx. 1.5 miles away). They realized it was a brilliant white globe-like object, about 15ft in diameter. The object moved rapidly up and down the field, changed direction, and flew across at right angles to its previous course. It followed a hedge, flew over it, skirted a herd of cows, approached trees, and then floated up and over them, last seen moving Eastwards behind the church. This case is being investigated by ISS, BUFORA, and SIGAP.

Report 3 (Pewley Downs): Two boys camping in the Pewley Downs area heard a loud sucking noise at 1 am on June 3rd. Looking out of their tent, they saw a glowing white disc with lights around the edge flashing on and off. After hovering for about a minute, the disc sped off Northwards. The boys were interviewed independently, and their accounts were deemed credible.

The SIGAP Meeting, June 19th, 1967

The meeting took place in the canteen of Plastic Coatings Ltd. Discussions included the potential confusion of lenticular clouds with UFOs. A committee was formed, consisting of Mr. O. Fowler (Chairman), Mr. R. Beet (Secretary), Mr. A. Wake (Treasurer), and two further members, Mr. N. Wynn and Mrs. A. Pearce. A constitution was accepted, and copies will be distributed to members. An unplanned event occurred when Mr. J. Birch arrived to report a saucer sighting he had five years prior near Worplesdon Road. Miss Melissa Marston kindly donated a new UFO Detector to the group.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently emphasizes the importance of rigorous, unbiased investigation into UFO phenomena. It highlights the collaborative efforts between different UFO research organizations (SIGAP, BUFORA, ISS, International Sky Scouts) and relies heavily on witness testimony, which is then subjected to investigation and verification. The editorial stance is one of serious inquiry, acknowledging the growing public interest and the need for systematic data collection and analysis. There is a clear effort to debunk misidentifications, such as the Guildford sighting being attributed to an aircraft, while also presenting intriguing cases that remain under investigation.