UFO Brigantia issue 21

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO BRIGANTIA
Issue: 21
Date: July/August 1986
Publisher: West Yorkshire UFO Research Group (WYUFORG)
Price: 60p

This issue of UFO Brigantia is a historical special, focusing on past UFO phenomena and research. It includes reviews of relevant publications and detailed accounts of various sightings and cases from different eras.

Reviews

UFO World '86

Compiled by Jenny Randles on behalf of BUFORA, 'UFO World '86' is reviewed as an attempt to cover the major happenings in the Ufological world over the previous twelve months. It is divided into four sections: an international news roundup of leading UFO groups, a chronological review of significant 1985 cases, two theoretical articles, and a list of major UFO publications from 1985. The reviewer, Darren P. Chanter, notes the absence of reports from Central and South America, the Near East, and behind the Iron Curtain, but deems it essential reading for anyone interested in ufology.

Psi-Eye: No.1 Feb. 86

This publication, edited by Mize Costello, aims to summarize recent research in paranormal areas. Issue 1 features articles on ASSAP, Dr. Robert Morris, and book/magazine reviews. A significant portion is dedicated to 'American infatuation with the near-death experience' (NDE), with an article titled 'Death Trip USA' examining the phenomenon, its media and religious responses, and its portrayal in fiction. The reviewer, Darren P. Chanter, finds it a worthwhile publication.

Editorial

The editorial discusses how historical events are often used by ufologists to support theories, particularly the 'Ancient Astronaut' idea. The editorial team at WYUFORG decided to focus this issue on the 'historical' aspect (pre-1947) to explore different submissions. While acknowledging that no aliens were submitted, the editorial highlights the quality of the articles, noting that David Clarke's and Nigel Watson's pieces focus on the recent past and suggest that UFOs of those periods may be explained by misperception, rumour, and suggestibility rather than extraterrestrial origins. Paul Screeton's piece is described as a balance between the 'ridiculousness' of the Ancient Astronaut subject and its popularity. Jenny Randles' article provides an insider's look at the early days of NUFON. WYUFORG's own contributions cover various subjects, including Earthlights and secret military testing.

Brief Reports

This section provides a round-up of reports received by VYUFORG during the past month:

• Bradford, West Yks. October 1977: A single witness saw a bright white oval object hovering over a power station, which flew west and then into the sky. Evaluation: Insufficient Data.
• Keighley, West Yks. Summer 1979: Ten people saw a hovering blue/grey disc about twenty feet above trees, which shot away at great speed. Evaluation: Insufficient Data.
• Bradford, West Yks. March 1980: A witness saw three lights in a triangular formation travelling across the sky, disappearing over rooftops. The witness claimed psychic experiences. Evaluation: Probable Aircraft.
• Pudsey, West Yks. 31st March 1982: Two witnesses heard a humming noise and saw an oblong of bright white lights hovering over a swimming pool before moving towards Leeds. Evaluation: Insufficient Data.
• Bradford, West Yks. 2nd April 1986: Three witnesses observed a bright light, flashing in the SW, which appeared as an oval shape covered with flashing red, blue, and green lights. A part of the shape split and zigzagged before returning to the main shape. Evaluation: Autokinesis on a bright star.

A BALLOON IN THE NORTH

By David Clarke

This article details numerous sightings of mysterious balloons and airships in the late 19th century, particularly around the time of Salomon August Andree's ill-fated North Pole balloon expedition in 1897. Reports poured in from around the world, describing objects that were initially believed to be Andree's 'Eagle' balloon. However, investigations revealed that the 'Eagle' was not responsible for many of these sightings. The article recounts reports from Winnipeg, British Columbia, and Northern Canada, describing objects with lights, large shapes, and unusual movements. It also mentions a dispatch about a mysterious balloon passing over Vancouver and surrounding areas, and a sighting by the crew of a Norwegian steamer. The article concludes by suggesting that ufologists should examine Victorian-era newspapers for more accounts of unknown airships and balloons.

The Entity in White

Fact or Folklore? by Andy Roberts

This article explores the 'Entity in White' case, a mysterious figure reported in Grafton Street, Bradford, in September 1926. The figure, described as being at least six feet two inches tall and dressed in white, appeared nightly for a week, causing a local stir and prompting police involvement. The press treated the affair with a light-hearted tone. The entity later moved its sphere of action to Bierley and Bingley, where it was seen peering through windows and vanishing. The article notes that the entity's eyes were sometimes described as 'glowing' and 'staring incessantly'. It concludes by questioning whether the phenomenon was a paranormal entity or a hoax, but emphasizes the panic it induced in the community.

THE FIRST COVER UP?

Research by Iain Johnstone

This account, based on an interview with the great grandson of Daniel Shires and an original diary, details a sighting in June 1868 near Shillington, West Yorkshire. Daniel Shires and John Skinner saw an unidentified flying object described as a huge box kite with a lateral cross piece, which creaked and appeared to be made of wood and canvas. Strangely, they saw a man sitting on the cross-piece. The object sailed over them and appeared to land, but no trace was found. Nearby, a troop of army sappers were stationed, who denied seeing anything. The article suggests this might have been a very early, secret experiment in man-lifting kites, possibly related to the army's later interest in kite corps, and that the troops were instructed to keep it quiet.

Ancient Astronaut Reflections

By Paul Screeton

This article examines the 'Ancient Astronaut' theory, which posits that prehistoric structures and myths are evidence of extraterrestrial visitors. It references Pundit Rodney Legg's suggestion that prehistoric cursus sites might be UFO runways. The article also mentions a report from the Mexican Secretary of Tourism about strange drawings in Baja California depicting large figures and 'devices' resembling spaceships. It touches upon Richard Crowe's belief that folklore figures like fairies and leprechauns were alien crews, and discusses how prehistoric structures like stone circles and barrows might have served as beacons for extraterrestrials. The article concludes that while chalk and limestone structures might have gleamed, there is no definitive proof of extraterrestrial connection.

The Good Old Days

Some Classic Yorkshire Cases From The Early Years Of NUFON
By Jenny Randles

This section presents several classic UFO cases from the West Yorkshire area:

• August/September 1975: A miner reported a brilliant blueish light materializing above the Emley Moor TV mast, which swooped down towards him, making him feel as if he had driven into a beam projected by the UFO.
• October 1975: NUFON appeared on BBC-2 to discuss UFOs, resulting in numerous phone calls and reports.
• 19th November 1975: Five sets of witnesses reported a blue light hovering above Saddleworth Moor, which bobbed up and down, similar to what was then called the 'mystery helicopter'.
• 1976: An investigator named Derek Skelton worked on a case involving Mrs. Oxley and her daughter, who saw two stationary 'headlights' with a dark mass between them, hovering and descending.
• Mid-1976: A 'contact case' involving a man referred to as 'Mr L', who reported two tall entities appearing in his bedroom. He claimed to have been 'projected' inside their craft and subjected to bizarre questions.
• Issue 31 of Northern UFO News: Featured a report on the Vessenden Moor case, which was described as the first truly inexplicable incident MUFORA had followed.

Archive Snippets

From Paul Bennett's files:

• August 12th, 1892: Many people in Dewsbury reported inexplicable flashes of light in the skies, occurring sequentially for hours. Scientists could find no explanation.
• Winter of 1750: Large spheres of white light were observed in Yorkshire, making a roaring noise. Earth tremors were felt prior to these sightings.
• End of 1755: Great tremors were followed by sightings of a 'large luminous body, bent like a crescent'. Reports of other luminous aerial phenomena were made from various places, accompanied by earth tremors and the appearance of 'clouds of solid, black material'.

Armies of Lits

A roundup by WYUFORG Research & contributors.

This section compiles historical accounts of aerial phenomena interpreted as 'armies in the skies'.

• June 28th, 1812: Anthony Jackson and Martin Turner reported a 'meteoric phenomenon' near Harrogate, described as a procession of red and white lights resembling a large body of armed men in military uniforms, performing aerial evolutions before disappearing, leaving a column of smoke.
• Folklore of the Northern Counties of England and the Borders: This section discusses the tendency to connect aerial events like the aurora borealis with historical events, wars, and omens. It mentions sightings of 'fighting men' in the sky before the French Revolution and other instances of aerial armies preceding significant events.

Allen Hynek

This section notes the death of Allen Hynek at the age of 75. It highlights his significant contribution to making UFO study more respectable, his founding of the 'Invisible College' with Jacques Vallee, and his book 'The UFO Experience'. His death is described as a loss to world UFO study.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of UFO Brigantia strongly emphasizes historical UFO research, presenting a wide range of cases and reports from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The editorial stance appears to be one of evidence-oriented research, as stated by WYUFORG, which holds no fixed ideas about the content and origin of UFO phenomena, believing it to comprise both subjective and objective facets. The magazine encourages communication with other researchers and welcomes new members interested in 'in the field' research. There is a clear interest in exploring historical accounts and debunking or explaining them through rational analysis, while still acknowledging the unexplained aspects of some cases.

Title: UFO BRIGANTIA
Issue: JUL/AUG '86
Date: July/August 1986

This issue of UFO Brigantia explores the intersection of ancient mysteries, modern UFO sightings, and historical aerial phenomena. It features articles that connect prehistoric sites with extraterrestrial theories, investigates early 20th-century airship scares, and examines unexplained lights.

Ancient Structures and UFOs

The issue begins by exploring the theories linking ancient stone circles to UFO phenomena. John Michell is cited as suggesting that the Rollrights site's legend recalls a "traditional association of the site with a powerful alien race" and that the circle's form commemorates a "vision of a spinning disc and the descent of it's occupants." Michell concludes that the spinning disc in the sky was the form that inspired early inhabitants, and that sun worship is a corruption of the UFO cult. V.G. Gray, in "The Rollright Ritual," supports the idea that human life originated from outer space and that standing stones represent early man's affirmation of this belief, which has evolved into the shape of spaceships. Gray also notes that standing stones are associated with planets, representing a return to the stars. He poses the question: "Surely it is significant that Man's first action on the Moon was lifting up a piece of stone?"

E.O. Gordon's "Prehistoric London" is mentioned for a snippet about Druids using a powerful mirror called 'Dyrch Haul Kibddar' to fill a circle with a blaze of glory, possibly a reference to a hovering UFO. The Triads are cited as listing the 'Stone of Ceti on Gower, Stonehenge and Silbury Hill' as great achievements. Thomas Bond's 19th-century work is referenced for a quote from an earlier writer, Hals, describing a "ball" over the Hurlers stone circle in Cornwall that appeared "immovably pendant in the air."

The similarity between stone circles, tumuli, pyramids, and UFO shapes is discussed, with F.V. Holiday asserting that if the Bronze Age was a UFO culture, artifacts should relate to the entire UFO phenomenon. Holiday draws parallels between sighted UFO shapes and prehistoric tumuli, though he is not sympathetic to Darwinian evolution. The article notes that "prehistoric models (vintage UFO rallies to Earth motivated by forces similar to those which lead people to annually traverse the Brighton to London road in antiquated automobiles?)" are used, and mentions cases of metal or rubber falling to Earth from these vehicles.

T.C. Lethbridge is quoted stating, "No I am not crazy," and suggesting that megaliths were meant to be seen from the air. He admitted being impressed by testimony that UFOs are not uncommon and wondered if, in the Bronze Age and before, they were also numerous and needed direction points. Lethbridge visualized Britain as densely afforested with exploration parties disembarking from spacecraft, using stone circles as direction markers.

Phantom Airships and Early Aerial Fears

The issue then shifts to historical aerial sightings, with an article by Nigel Watson titled "The Fear That Flies By Night Is Over Yorkshire," based on research by Granville Oldroyd. This section focuses on phantom airship sightings in early 1913. Newspaper accounts from that period are described as impersonal lists, often leading to bombastic editorials that debated whether witnesses were truthful or deluded, influenced by fears of a German invasion. Cases of misidentification and hoaxes were also used to fuel arguments.

A report by Captain Lundie of the Great Central mail steamer 'City of Leeds' is highlighted as particularly convincing evidence. Lundie, his second officer Mr. Williams, and other crew members observed an airship over the Humber mouth on February 22, 1913. Captain Lundie confirmed the official report he sent to the Admiralty. The precise details provided by Lundie, an experienced navigator, are considered difficult to doubt. The article suggests that these sightings provided a "solid foundation for the fears of an airship invasion," which experts considered "very soon be not only quite possible, but extremely probable."

The article details the heightened alert along the Yorkshire coast, with coastguards and lighthouse keepers acting on special instructions from the Admiralty and Trinity House. A new aerial law mandated instant notification of any airship presence. Coastguards at Hornsea reported a "strange light in the west moving from the direction of the sea," believed to be a dirigible. The "war" coastguard station on Flamborough Head is described, with men constantly watching the North Sea. The proximity of Heligoland, where a new German airship factory was reportedly being built, and Cuxhaven, where German naval authorities were acquiring land for airships, is noted as a potential concern for the UK's vulnerability.

Captain Boothby, assistant marine superintendent at Grimsby, confirmed Lundie's sighting, describing the airship as "cigar-shaped" and of "large size," stating that Lundie had ample opportunity to see it and would not mistake it for anything else. The possibility of it being a foreign design or a British secret experiment is raised. The airship was observed heading west-southwest, appearing to come from the North Sea and heading towards Hull. The distance from Cuxhaven to Grimsby is estimated at about 260 miles, a journey of approximately five hours for a swift dirigible.

Several members of the 'City of Leeds' crew also saw the airship, describing it as a "dark shape floating by, high in the moonlight."

Earthlights and Revival Phenomena

The issue then turns to "Earthlight At Burnsall?" describing an incident in the early autumn of 1897 where a farmer and his brothers witnessed a "brilliant sphere of dazzling brightness" moving slowly above their barn, filling it with light. This case is compared to contemporary UFO/UAP sightings and linked to the "Earthlights theory" in the area.

The section "1905, West Yorkshire & The Revival" discusses a year of unusual occurrences, including reports of wolves and jackals at large, poltergeist phenomena, and table lifting. The main focus is on the "Welsh Lights" or "Egryn Lights" seen in the Harlech region of Wales during 1904 and 1905, coinciding with an evangelical religious revival. These lights were seen following a revival preacher named Mary Jones.

The article notes that similar lights were reported in Yorkshire, leading to speculation about a connection. A poem from 'The Star' newspaper in February 1905 mentions "lights in the mountains of Vales" and "lights o'er the city of Leeds." The Daily Express reported "huge fireballs" sweeping across the sky at Leeds, described as expanding and contracting. However, the author concludes that these reports, including a "ball of fire" seen on February 13th and another on February 11th, were likely misreadings or misreporting of astronomical phenomena like fireballs, shooting stars, and meteors, rather than a UFO 'flap'. Local astronomers at the time attributed these sightings to natural causes.

Reviews and Competition

The magazine includes reviews of other publications in the UFO and folklore field, such as "Folklore Frontiers," "Earth," "Unknown," and "The UFO World '86." These reviews highlight articles on various topics, including Guinness-related tales, hitchhiker stories, paganism, mysticism, and the analysis of anomalous phenomena.

Robert Anton Wilson's LP "Secrets of Power" is also mentioned, featuring a track called "Lepufology," which explores the relationship between rabbits and UFOs.

A "Competition Time" section invites readers to identify a false phrase from a list of twenty, with the other nineteen being past article titles from British UFO journals. The prize is a "mystery prize."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of UFO Brigantia are the potential connections between ancient human history and extraterrestrial visitation, the interpretation of historical aerial phenomena (such as phantom airships and unexplained lights) within their contemporary social and political contexts, and the critical examination of UFO reports. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into these subjects, while also maintaining a degree of skepticism and a commitment to factual reporting, as seen in the debunking of the 1905 West Yorkshire 'flap'. The magazine encourages reader participation through a competition and provides reviews of related literature, positioning itself as a resource for those interested in UFOs and related mysteries.