Rendlesham Forest Incident

The Rendlesham Forest Incident is the namedirectly in the center ground level, there was a
given to a series of reported sightings ofred light blinking on and off 5 to 10 sec intervals.
unexplained lights and objects in the sky, and theAnd a blue light that was being for the most part
alleged landing of an extraterrestrial spacecraft, insteady."
December 1980, in the vicinity of RendleshamThere were some strange noises, too. Burroughs
Forest, Suffolk, England. Along with the Berwynreported a noise "like a woman was screaming"
Mountain Incident, it is perhaps the most famousand also that "you could hear the farm animals
UFO event to have happened in Britain, rankingmaking a lot of noises". However, wildlife experts
amongst the best-known UFO events worldwide.note that there were no animals on the nearby
It has been compared to the Roswell UFO incidentfarm and that the noises were most likely made
in the United States and is, amongst Americans,by wild animals such as deer. Burroughs'
commonly referred to as "Britain's Roswell" or thestatement also states that "We could see a
"English Roswell".beacon going around so we went towards it. We
Sceptical viewpointsfollowed it for about two miles [3 km] before we
Sceptics dismiss the more extreme claims andcould [see] it was coming from a light house."
offer rational explanations of the observedPenniston's statement is the only one that
phenomena: for instance they claim that the initialpositively identifies a mechanical object as the
sighting of an object apparently descending intosource of the lights. He states that he was within
the forest was caused by a bright fireball and that50 metres of the object and "it was defidently
the flashing light subsequently seen from themechlanical in nature" [sic].
forest edge was caused by the beam from aThe witnesses were unnerved by their
nearby lighthouse; nor, they say, was thereexperience and believed that they had witnessed
anything unusual about the radiation levels.something, as Buran expresses it, "out of the
Believers do not accept that the sceptics canrealm of explanation".
adequately refute eyewitness, documentary,The Halt Tape
photographic and radiological evidence.Also, in 1984, a copy of what became known as
Following the event, the Ministry of Defencethe "Halt Tape" fell into the hands of researchers.
(MoD) denied that it posed any threat to nationalUnfortunately, because of static and the fact that
security and that it was thus never investigatedthe tape had been dubbed on an old machine,
as a security matter. However, later evidencemuch of its background conversations could not
indicated that there was a substantial MoD file onbe discerned. The US Sci Fi Channel has now
the subject and this has led to claims of aacquired the original recording, which documents
cover-up. Some have interpreted this as part of aLt. Colonel Halt (USAF) and his patrol investigating
larger pattern of suppression of information ina UFO sighting in Rendlesham Forest in December
regard to UFO/Alien existence/knowledge by both1980. This tape not only reveals much more of
the US and UK Governmentsthe background conversations but features
Like the Roswell incident, it occurred in thenames that could not be heard on the poor-quality
proximity of two military bases, RAF Woodbridge1984 dub. The tape has also been transcribed by
and RAF Bentwaters (now abandoned), whichresearcher Ian Ridpath, who includes a link to an
were being used by the United States Air Forceaudio download.
(USAF), eight miles (13 km) outside Ipswich,Suffolk Police log
Suffolk. At the time these USAF/RAF NATOSuffolk Constabulary have a record, dated 26
bases were under the command of Major GeneralDecember 1980, of a report from the law
Gordon E. Williams (ret.) and under the DeputyEnforcement Desk of RAF Woodbridge, stating
Base Commander Colonel Charles I Halt.that "We have a sighting of some unusual lights in
Rendlesham Forest is owned by the Forestrythe sky, we have sent some unarmed troops to
Commission and consists of approximately 15investigate, we are terming it as a U.F.O. at
square kilometres (3700 acres) of coniferouspresent". The police investigated this report and
plantations, interspersed with broadleaved belts,the result is recorded as follows: "Air Traffic
heathland and wetland areas. It is located in theControl West Drayton checked. No knowledge of
county of Suffolk, about eight miles (13 km) toaircraft. Reports received of aerial phenomena
the east of the town of Ipswich. The twoover southern England during the night. Only lights
airforce bases in the area (both being used by thevisible this area was from Orford light house.
USAF, at the time) were RAF Bentwaters, whichSearch made of area - negative." A scan of the
is situated just to the north of the forest, andreport is available at Suffolk Constabulary's
RAF Woodbridge which extends into the forestwebsite.
from the west.Other military installation involvement
The main events of the incident, including theSome researchers have claimed that personnel
supposed "landing", took place in the forest,from Porton Down [4] visited Rendlesham in 1980
almost a mile (1600 m) to the east of the mainafter the Rendlesham Forest Incident. However,
east gate of RAF Woodbridge.no evidence has been presented and there seems
Orford Ness lighthouse is about six miles (10 km)to be confusion with other alleged UFO incidents.
almost due east of this location.Lord Hill-Norton (himself a reviewer of Bruni's book
26 Decemberon the incident, mentioned below) asked Her
On the evening of 26 December 1980, a residentMajesty's Government: "Whether they are aware
of Sudbourne, a village approximately 6 miles (10of any involvement by Special Branch in the
km) to the North East of Rendlesham Forest,investigation of the 1980 Rendlesham Forest
reported a mysterious shape (like an upturnedIncident [HL303]". Baroness Symons of Vernham
mushroom) in the sky above his garden. AnDean gave the reply that "Special Branch officers
Unidentified Flying Object was also reported atmay have been aware of the incident but would
the nearby USAF Woodbridge air base, wherenot have shown any interest unless there was
servicemen initially thought it was a downedevidence of a potential threat to national security.
aeroplane but, upon entering the forest toNo such interest appears to have been shown."
investigate, they saw many strange lights moving(Quoted in Georgina Bruni's book You Can't Tell
through the trees, as well as a blinding light fromthe People)
an unidentified object.The British Government has released its files to
Some of the airmen claim to have seen a conicalresearchers (with the exception of a small
metallic object, suspended in a yellow mist,number of documents) [5], [6], [7], but the United
hovering over a clearing in the trees, with aStates continues to remain silent despite the SciFi
pulsating blue and red circle of light above. OneChannel-sponsored investigation entitled "UFO
eyewitness claims to have seen triangular landingInvasion at Rendlesham", the History Channel's
gear on the object. The servicemen further"UFO Files - Britain's Roswell" and Coalition for
claimed that the object seemed clearly aware ofFreedom of Information inquiries.
their presence and moved away from them,Other possible explanations
forcing them to give chase. Later the servicemenScience writer Ian Ridpath investigated the
were said to have been found in a dazed state,incident, initially for BBC TV's Breakfast Time, and
and some reports claim that local farmyard andon 5 January 1985 wrote an article for The
domestic animals had been behaving in a state ofGuardian that did much to discredit the accounts
fear and panic.of the UFO sightings at Rendlesham. Ridpath
The airmen were allegedly debriefed, threatenedasked local residents about the lights, and most of
and ordered to sign documents that vowedthem indicated that the light originated from a
silence; one even claimed to have been forced tonearby lighthouse, which can create the
sign a document claiming the UFO was aimpression of a light hovering slightly above the
lighthouse. Some reports suggest that they wereground, especially in weather conditions where
reportedly ordered to stay quiet, with the warningthere are patches of freezing mist amongst the
"bullets are cheap".trees. Also, if a UFO was present, the airmen
The next morning, servicemen returned to theshould have reported a second source of light
small clearing where the conical object had been(the lighthouse). In the Halt tape (mentioned
seen, and found three small impressions in aabove), one can hear an unidentified airman call
triangular pattern, as well as burn marks andout "There it is again...there it is." with the same
broken branches on nearby trees.frequency at which the Orford Ness lighthouse
28 Decemberflashes. Further analysis of the case can be found
They returned again on the evening of 28on Ridpath's website [9].
December with radiation detectors, although theLocals in the area also believed the alleged "landing
significance of the readings they obtained ismarks" simply to be "rabbit diggings." Moreover,
disputed . That night, the lights returned, and thethe supposed burn marks in the trees were
servicemen witnessed a bright flashing lightactually axe cuts that indicated the trees were
between the trees. There are claims that theready to be felled. To give further pause to
incident was videoed by the USAF; but theaccepting the alleged UFO sighting, a meteor
resulting tape has not been made public."almost as bright as the full Moon" was spotted
It has been rumoured that small beings withover southern England at exactly the time of the
domed heads left the craft, and that twin baseinitial reports of a bright object "landing" in the
commander Gordon Williams claimed to haveforest, according to Dr John Mason, who collects
made sign language communication with the aliens.reports of meteor sightings for the British
These rumours have no evidence to back themAstronomical Association.
up, and come from unconfirmed reports.Crucial amongst the evidence is the recording of
Primary and secondary sourceshigh levels of radiation in the area (clearly heard
The first public report of the incident wason the "Halt tape"). Ridpath points out that the
published in the tabloid newspaper News of theequipment used for this measurement was not
World, on 2 October 1983, beneath theintended to measure background radiation and
sensational headline UFO lands in Suffolktherefore the readings at the low end of the
– and that's official. The story wasmeasurement scale are meaningless.
based on an account by a former US airman,Steuart Campbell proposes an alternative
using the pseudonym Art Wallace (supposedly toexplanation. He suggests that the incident began
protect himself against retribution from thewith the sighting of a fireball (bolide) which was
USAF), although his real name was Larry Warren.seen to the east and interpreted by guards at
The Halt memothe base as an aircraft falling in flames in the
Letter from Lt. Col. Charles HaltThe first piece ofnearby forest. In fact it would have been
primary evidence to be made available to thehundreds of miles away over the North Sea.
public was a memorandum written by the deputyCampbell argues that the object subsequently
base commander, Lt. Col. Charles I. Halt, to theseen by Halt and his men on their nocturnal
Ministry of Defence (MOD). Known as the "Haltexpedition was the Shipwash lightship and that the
memo", this was made available publicly in thesupposed "spacecraft" were actually bright planets.
United States under the US Freedom ofCampbell is critical of the USAF's abilities with their
Information Act. The memorandum (left), wasequipment.
dated "13 Jan 81" and headed "Unexplained Lights".Another theory is that the incident was a hoax.
The two-week delay between the incident andThe BBC reported that a former US security
the report might account for errors in dates andpoliceman, Kevin Conde, claimed responsibility for
times given.creating strange lights in the forest by driving
Statements from the eyewitnesses on 26around in a police vehicle whose lights he had
Decembermodified. However, he is "unsure exactly when
The Scottish reseacher James Easton succeededthe prank took place, and therefore is not sure if
in obtaining the original witness statements madehe was inadvertently responsible for the so-called
for Col. Halt by Fred A. Buran, 81st Security PoliceUFO incident." Kevin Conde now states (2005)
Squadron, Airman First Class John Burroughs, 81stthat he was not responsible for the incident. He
Security Police Squadron, Airman Edward N.said this long before he was famously interviewed
Cabansag, 81st Security Police Squadron,by the BBC 'Inside Out' or the Daily Mail
Master-Sergeant J. D. Chandler, 81st SecurityNewspaper. "This incident [hoax] occurred right
Police Squadron and Staff-Sergeant Jim Penniston,after Christmas. For reasons that are hard to
81st Security Police Squadron. These documentsexplain it is my impression that I pulled my stunt
are now in the public domain and scans of themduring an exercise. We would not have had an
are available on Ian Ridpath's website.exercise during the Christmas holiday. That is a
These documents describe the sightings ofstrong indication that my stunt is not the source
strange lights. Penniston, for instance, states thatof this specific incident".
a "large yellow glowing light was emitting aboveOther explanations for the incident have included a
the trees. In the center of the lighted areadowned Soviet spy satellite or a nuclear incident.