SIGAP Newsletter No 15 1968-08

Magazine Overview

This document is Bulletin No. 15, dated August 1, 1968, from The Surrey Investigation Group on Aerial Phenomena (S.I.G.A.P.). It details recent UFO sightings reported to the organization, covering events from June and July 1968. The bulletin provides contact information for the Chairman, Omar Fowler, and Secretary, Dick Beet.

UFO Sightings Reported

Glowing Ball Over Wanborough

Arthur Langley of 8 Manor Farm Cottages, Wanborough, reported seeing a UFO on July 6, approximately 12:20 a.m. He described it as a round ball, about three feet in diameter and slightly transparent, moving slowly. It glowed brighter as it moved towards the Hogs Back. Langley and his wife observed the object for 15-20 minutes until it disappeared over the horizon. His wife also reported seeing several peculiar lights recently, including six or eight fairly large, whitish lights in a semi-circle formation, about 20 feet below the Hogs Back, which she observed one morning at 2:40 a.m. either at the end of June or beginning of July.

Cigar-Shaped Object Over Gatwick Airport

On June 30, at 5:10 p.m., Mr. A. G. Pyatt, a salesman, observed a bright object in the sky while driving from Lowfield Heath to Charlwood. Mrs. Ingersoll was with him and also saw the object. Pyatt described it as hovering and not appearing to move, seeming cylindrical and not of aircraft shape. The object was visible for three to four minutes. Investigator R. J. A. Snow of S.I.G.A.P. noted that there was no noise associated with the sighting, which he found significant given the usual airport activity. He confirmed the object eventually disappeared without sound or trace.

Flying Saucer Over Hindhead

Miss Ellinor Austen of 14 Heatherbank, Tower Road, Hindhead, reported seeing a silver, very bright, classic "flying-saucer" shaped object at 1:30 a.m. on July 6. Standing outside her house, she felt that the object contained instruments and people.

Bright Light Over Hogs Back

Mr. R. K. Thackray, a S.I.G.A.P. member, saw a "very bright large white light" over the Hogs Back at 11:25 p.m. on July 3. He was in Elstead at the time, and the object was also seen by John Enever and Stuart Reffold. Thackray described the object as moving steadily from west to east at a constant height, the size of a pea held at arm's length, with constant brilliance. He heard no aircraft noise and saw no navigation lights.

Star-Shaped UFOs Over Guildford

Two star-shaped UFOs, appearing to be joined, were observed by Mrs. Dorothy White and Mrs. Irene Skinner around 10:30 p.m. on June 13. Mrs. White saw them from her home in Peasmarsh, Guildford, while Mrs. Skinner observed them from the back of Guildford's Odeon Cinema. Mrs. White described one large bright star with a smaller one suspended underneath, which was reddish and did not move. Mrs. Skinner's description was similar, noting they stood out as unusual but looked like stars, did not change color, and did not move.

UFOs Galore in Wales

During a skywatch on Caerphilly Mountain, Wales, on June 15, Mr. Derek Toombs, a Welsh S.I.G.A.P. member, documented several unidentified objects seen by a group of 20 participants:

• S.97.A (23:52-23:53): A whitish-yellow star-like object traveling west to east with zig-zag, pendulum, and curved motion. Weather was semi-clear with cloud patches.
• B (02:10): A small white star-like object traveling south to north in a zig-zag pattern, making no sound. Ten people observed this.
• C (03:04-04:15): One large object and five or six small green objects with varying luminosities, behaving irregularly. The larger object moved from north-west to south-east. A diamond-shaped formation of UFOs was also seen traveling east to south. Weather was hazy and thundery.
• D (03:48-04:04): An ellipsoidal-shaped UFO, with its length more than three times its breadth. The leading edge was green, the trailing edge red-orange, with a bright white central area that sometimes appeared blue. The object was pulsating constantly. Weather was clearing.

Surrey UFO Report

Another report comes from S.I.G.A.P. member Richard Colborne, who saw a yellow-white, cylindrical-shaped object with tapered ends while traveling to Woking at 4 a.m. on June 29 with Mr. Edgar Ingrams. The object was seen above Guildford Technical College and was below cloud level. They followed the UFO for two miles by road before it disappeared behind houses on Bellfields Estate.

Lost and Found

An item from The Contact Group at Shepperton is included, reporting that one of their folding chairs disappeared during the National Skywatch on June 15th. They are seeking its return.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The bulletin consistently highlights eyewitness accounts of unexplained aerial phenomena, emphasizing details such as shape, color, movement, and the absence of sound. The S.I.G.A.P. organization appears dedicated to collecting and investigating these reports, with its members actively investigating and documenting sightings. The tone is factual and reportorial, presenting the accounts as credible observations, with investigators like R. J. A. Snow offering personal assessments of witness reliability. The recurring theme is the prevalence of UFO sightings during the summer months of 1968 across various locations in the UK.