Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Copies of rare Australian UAP periodicals found

In a recent post I provided an MS Word table, showing details of all the known Australian UAP periodicals, and which issues I hold digital copies of.

While some of these periodicals are relatively well know, such as the Australian Flying Saucer Review and the TUFOIC Newsletter, there are a number of little known publications.

When US researcher and historian Barry Greenwood of Boston, went to the archives of the J Allen Hynek Centre for UFO Studies in Chicago recently, Barry kept an eye out for any of these rarer items. In all, he found one copy of the Central Coast UFO Research Bureau (CCURB) Newsletter; one copy of 'Light' magazine published by the Queensland Flying Saucer Research Bureau, and two issues of 'Disc' magazine published by the Student UFO Society of East Ryde, New South Wales.

I now possess digital copies of:

1. Newsletter Two dated March 1973 of CCURB.


2. Volume two number two of 'Light.'



3. 'Disc' number three (Jun 1972) and number four (1973.)



I have emailed a copy of item 1 to Harry Griesberg who was associated with CCURB before his days with ACOS and ACUFOS.

I have also emailed a copy of 'Light' to Sheryl Gottschall of UFO Research (Qld) [formerly Queensland Flying Saucer Research Bureau.

Has any blog reader current contact details for Mark Moravec who ran the Student UFO Society, as I wish to forward the two issues of 'Disc' to him?

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Police report on the Boyup Brook encounter, uncovered

Background

On 30 October 1967, an intriguing encounter happened near Boyup Brook, Western Australia. 

The story broke in the Wednesday 1 November 1967 edition of 'The West Australian' newspaper. According to the newspaper, the sole witness reported the incident to a constable L Johnson of the Boyup Brook police station.

I had always wondered what happened to the police report of the event? No one I knew of, had ever seen it, or had a copy of it.  A couple of years ago, I thought that I might have located the report, when a Western Australian Police Department file, number 64/2885 was found, titled 'Unidentified Flying Objects.' However, the file contained only 56 pages, despite the file's folio numbering system indicating that there had been 148 pages on the file. It turned out that there seemed to be missing folios, numbered 32-122, covering the years 1955-1969. So, no luck in locating papers dealing with a 1967 incident.

An image of the file cover.

2017

Fast forward to mid-August this year, when US researcher and historian Barry Greenwood of Boston, visited the archives of the J Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies, in Chicago. One of his aims was to search for Australian material, which had not been seen for years, if ever, by most Australian researchers. Barry located the long missing Western Australian Police Department report on the Boyup Brook incident. Many thanks to Barry for sharing this find with me.

Firstly, Barry located a letter dated 20 February 1968, reference 64/2885 (the file we had part of already) from the Acting Commissioner of Police, addressed to 'Staff Assistant, National Investigation Committee on Aerial Phenomena, Washington DC 20036 USA.' It read:

'Dear Sir,

I refer to your letter of the 16th January 1968, addressed to Constable L Johnson of Boyup Brook Police Station and enclose herewith for your information, a copy of my officer's report in respect of a UFO sighting on the 30th October, 1967.'

'South Western District
Boyup Brook Station
1st November, 1967

Report of: Leonard Johnson, Constable 2514
Relate to: Reported sighting of  unidentified flying object, Kulikup (Kojonup-Mayanup Road) at approximately 9.20pm on Monday 30th October, 1967 by Alexander Roy SPARGO, 37 years, of 1270 Albany Highway, Cannington.

I have to report that at approximately 9.35pm on Monday the 30th October, 1967, Alexander Roy SPARGO, 37 years, shearing contractor of Great Southern Co;, 1270 Albany Highway, Cannington (telephone 682794) called at this station and reported having sighted an unidentified flying object on the Kojonup-Mayanup Road, Kulikup approximately 10 miles from Mayanup at about 9.20pm 30th October 1967.

Kojonup in relation to the capital city of Perth. Image courtesy of Google maps.

Spargo stated he was driving his 1967 Valiant Utility, Reg. No. USG.076, towards Boyup Brook from Kojonup at approximately 60-65 mph with headlights on high beam.

When approximately 10 miles from Mayanup the car suddenly stopped - motor stopped - headlights went out - and became stationary without any sensation of braking or deceleration.

He had been travelling alone in the vehicle and was on a bitumen road.

A tube of light descended close to the windscreen. The tube was about 2 feet in diameter. He looked up the tube and could not see anything but felt he was being observed.

The tube of light had descended from object shaped like a football, iridescent blue colour (lightning colour but stationary), with a pulsating glow appearance, and approximately 30 feet in diameter.

Spargo stated he just sat looking at the tube of light and object for approximately 5 minutes. He felt no personal effect other than surprise and not being able to believe his eyes. He heard no noise.

The object then moved off very quickly and disappeared in a 'flash.' When it had gone Spargo found his motor running, lights on, and again travelling at 60 to 65 mph (previous speed). He felt no sensation of acceleration.

He stopped the vehicle and got out and inspected same but could find nothing unusual. He then continued on to Boyup Brook and called at the Police Station and made his report.

Spargo stated he reported the sighting as he believed it should be reported. He did not want his name or address disclosed to the press for fear of being regarded publicly as a 'crank.' He was prepared to give any information required to any interested authority but apart from that did not intend discussing the matter with anyone else.

He stated he employed 60 men shearers and if they learned of his report he would be ridiculed.

Prior to this sighting he had read of other people's sightings and he had regarded those people as 'cranks.'

Spargo was dressed in sports clothes and thongs and appeared normal. His eyes had a tired look and slightly red. He admitted having had two brandies at Kojonup and was not a regular drinker and nothing in his appearance would indicate otherwise.

He stated he left Cannington at 9am that morning and travelled to Katanning and Kojonup shearing teams. He had mid-day and evening meals at 'Glen Lessy,' Kojonup and had the two brandies at the Commercial Hotel, Kojonup with Des O'Halloran of 'Glen Lessy.'

The localities mentioned in the Police report. Image courtesy of Google maps.
Spargo said he had the brandies as he felt a cold coming on.

He travelled to Boyup Brook and stayed overnight at Bill Inglis' farm where he had a team of shearers working and returned to Kojonup on the 31st October.

There had been a fairly severe electrical storm on Sunday evening the 29th with a great deal of lightning and thunder but little rain.

On Monday evening the 30th the sky had become overcast and some lighting seen around 7pm.

At the time the report was made at the Police Station the sky was quite clear and no sign of any lighting.

L Johnson (sgd)
Constable 2514.'

Image of the first page of the report



My comments

1. Dr Paul Zeck, a Perth, Western Australia, psychiatrist, interviewed Spargo on Saturday 2 December 1967 in the company of Spargo's general practitioner doctor. I obtained a transcript of this taped interview, from Dr Zeck in 1982.

2. There are a few differences between the Police report and Zeck's interview, e.g. the size of the object is given as 30 feet in the Police report, yet as 100 feet in Zeck's document. However, most details are the same in both documents. Zeck's interview is more detailed than the Police report.

3. To my knowledge, the RAAF did not interview Spargo. Despite a look through RAAF files, I am unable to find any RAAF documents.

4. The NICAP 'UFO Investigator' Newsletter, of Jul/Aug 1968, page 6, carried a short summary of the event. At the end of the NICAP account was '...since constable Johnson apparently was impressed by the witness, we shall ask him to secure a signed, more detailed report if possible...' As far as I can ascertain, this second report was never obtained.

5. NICAP's 'The UFO Evidence, Volume II' page 273, lists the incident as dated 31 October 1967, which is incorrect.

6. The English magazine, Flying Saucer Review, Volume 14 no. 2, Mar/Apr 1968 carried a short report on the incident on page 33, citing 'The West Australian' dated 1 November 1967. A longer piece by Joanna Hugill, appeared in FSR volume 14, no. 4, Jul.Aug 1968, pages 15-16.

7. Thank you again to Barry Greenwood for providing a digital copy of the police report, which adds to our knowledge of this event.

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Dr Michael J Duggin and Jacques Vallee

Duggin writes to Vallee

In a blog post dated 4 January 2017, I reported on the passing on, of Australian Dr Michael J Duggin. Between at least 1966 and 1973, Duggin took an active interest in UAP. Inter alia, I reported upon a meeting between Duggin and Jacques Vallee in the US, in 1966.

Dr Michael J Duggin
Recently, I was fortunate enough to come across copies of a letter from Dr Duggin to Jacques Vallee, in the digital collection of US researcher Dr. Michael Swords. There was also a copy of a response letter to Duggin from one William T Powers, an associate of both Jacques Vallee, and Dr J Allen Hynek. I will image the letters below, and provide a typed copy of their contents.


'Dept of Physics
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Pa 15213
16 July 1966

Dear Dr Vallee,

I am writing to you for two reasons. Firstly, I would like to say how much I have enjoyed your book "Anatomy of a Phenomena" and secondly because it has fallen to me to arrange a lecture or discussion evening on UFOs for the Samovar Club, of which I am a member. This club is principally composed of overseas visitors , like myself to Pittsburgh's various educational and research organisations. Due to the informal nature of this club and its rather restricted size, it is difficult to arrange for speakers on a formal basis. I would be grateful if you would inform me of any groups located in or near Pittsburgh whom I could approach with the object of procuring a speaker. Failing this, it would be greatly appreciated if you could advise me of how I might acquaint myself with recent unclassified data in addition to that documented in your book, so I might deliver the lecture. 

I have always been interested in UFOs and find your suggestions for the re-organisation of procedures for the evaluation of sighting reports and for the analysis of data most interesting.

I shall be returning to Australia in November where I hope to pursue projects which interest me as a metal  physicist. Before returning I should like, if possible, to meet you and discuss the subject of UFOs and learn more of your ideas.

Sincerely yours

Michael J Duggin.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics
and Metallurgical Engineering.'

The response from William T Powers, was as follows:


'July 26 1966

Jacques Vallee told me of your letter; as Allen Hynek's assistant in UFO matters I have had occasion to correspond with a Mr William Weitzel of Pittsburgh (in the department of Philosophy). He is very well informed in the UFO question, having investigated a number of cases personally. I have seen his reports on one case and they were excellent.

Weitzel's address is 5709 Woodmont Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15217. I am sure he would be interested in helping you conduct a discussion. He is a member of NICAP, of which you have heard, but as far as I can tell a responsible and intelligent member (if that doesn't sound too patronizing).

Dr Hyek has decided to put more time and energy into the investigations, and has made a proposal to the Air Force to reduce their data files to machine-readable format. In conjunction with this move, we are assembling a group of scientists from various places in the world, to correspond together and where possible to carry out field investigations, or at least evaluate investigations done on the more striking cases. This is strictly a voluntary affair, and not for the purposes of publicity. If the informal network can be set up well enough, we might circulate a small newsletter for purposes of communication  (as opposed to the profit motive). If you would be interested in corresponding with us from Australia, we would be most happy to hear from you and to keep you informed. If at the meeting of overseas visitors you find that others might be interested in joining the correspondence, I would be most please to hear from them as well.

I hope that Mr (I believe it is also Dr) Weitzel can help you.

Sincerely,
William T Powers.'

Vallee and Duggin

In revisiting copies of Vallee's diaries, volumes one and two I found three references re Duggin. These were:

Image courtesy of Amazon Books

'Chicago. Friday 4 November 1966 (Volume one page 226.)

Also in  town is Dr Duggin an Australian scientist who is doing research privately. We all attended an interview Hynek was doing for WGN and the three of us ended up on camera, lending an international flavour to the show...Late that night I took Duggin and Fontes to their hotels...'

'Belmont. Monday 18 October 1971. (Volume two page 100.)

Mike Duggin, Australian scientist and UFO expert, came to see me at the Electronics Labs on Friday. I demonstrated my full-text landing catalogue to him. Duggin has just completed a tour of the US during which he met with the leaders of both NICAP and APRO. The last time I saw Duggin was in Chicago...'

Belmont. Friday 12 April 1974. (Volume two page 248.)

On Monday I had lunch in Menlo Park with Australian researcher Mike Duggin who gave me a well-documented picture of the UFO phenomenon there. They have a rich history of sightings, good investigations and some troubling photographs.'

These pieces of correspondence, add to our knowledge, re Duggin's interest in UAP.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

It's a digital world - Australian periodicals

Introduction

I have written a few posts in recent times, about the need to digitise old Australian UAP periodicals; and the ability of blog readers to upload digital copies of old TUFOIC and UFOIC Newsletters. I am currently working on on making more Australian UAP periodicals available, stay tuned to this blog.



Long term blog readers, will also recall that I am a great believer in going back to original source material when reviewing cases. Old periodicals are an excellent source of such original material.



I have received a number of requests from both Australian and overseas researchers, to provide a list of the available digital Australian periodicals. Here it is.



If any blog readers have digital issues which are not listed, I would appreciate a scanned PDF copy being sent to me at keithbasterfield@yahoo.com.au. If you have hard copies of non listed issues, then please consider spending a little of your time digitising them, for the benefit of all of us.



Listing of available digital Australian UAP periodicals


Name
Digital issues held
ACOS Bulletin (Replaced by ACUFOS Bulletin)
Nos 1 (Mar 1975) to 22 (Dec 1979)
ACUFOS Bulletin (formerly ACOS Bulletin)
Nil
ACUFOS Journal
V1 No 1 (Feb 1980) to V 6 no 6 (Nov/Dec 1985.)
ACUFOS Reports Digest
Nil
ACUFOS Research Digest
28 to 31; 33 to 38; 40 to 43
Australasian UFOlogist (one of the names of UFOlogist Magazine)
Nil
Australian Abduction Study Centre Newsletter (Renamed ‘Recollections.’)
V 2 nos 2,3.

Australian Annual Flying Saucer Review (Victoria)
Nil
Australian Flying Saucer Digest
Nil
Australian Flying Saucer Magazine (AFSB)
1953-May; 1953-Aug; 1953-Nov; 1954-Mar; 1954-Aug; 1955-Feb. (That’s all there was.)
Australian Flying Saucer Research Society Saucer News Letter (Became AIUFOFSR)
Nil
Australian Flying Saucer Review
V1 no 1 (Jan 1960) to V3 no 5 (Dec 1972)
Australian IUFOFSR
No 50 (Feb 1991)
Australian Saucer Record (AFSRS)
V 2 no 1 1956; V 2 no 2 1956; V 2 no3 1956; V 2 no 4 1956; V3 no 1 1957; V 3 no 2 1957; V 6 no 2 1960; V 7 no 1 1961
Australian UFO Bulletin (Earlier issues called VFSRS Newsletter) (VFSRS/VUFORS)
1990-12; 1991-03; 1991-06; 1991-09; 1991-12; 1992-03; 1992-06; 1992-09; 1992-12; 1993-03; 1993-06; 1993-09; 1993-12; 1994-06; 1994-09; 1994-12; 1995-06; 1995-09; 1995-12; 1996-06; 1996-09; 1997-03; 1997-06; 1997-09
Australian UFO Report (Name change from Bimonthly UFO Report) (UFORI)
Nil
Australian UFO Researcher (continuation of UFO Newsletter by UFORNSW)
Nil
Australian UFO Review (UFOIC)
Nil
Australian UFO Reports and Experiences
Issues 1 Apr 1998 to no 42 May 2004
Bimonthly UFO Report (Name change to Australian UFO Report)
Nil
Blue Mountains UFO Research Club Newsletter
See entry for The Blue Mountains UFO Research Club Newsletter)
Central Coast UFO Research Bureau Newsletter
Nil
Contact (Name later changed to UFO Encounter in 1977) (QFSRB)
Nil
Contact UFO (Contact International)
Nil
Crop Circle Bulletin (CPR Australia)
Nil
Disc (Student UFO Society, Sydney)
Nil
Flying Saucer Digest (The) QFSRB
Nil
Interplanetary Research Review
Nil
Interstate UFO Monthly
Nil
INUFOR Digest
Nil
Light (QFSRB)
Nil
Newsletter of the QFSRB (Title changed to ‘Contact.”)
Nil
Newsletter (Phenomena Research/UFO Research WA)
Nil
Newsletter (UFO Research Inc) same as UFO Research SA Newsletter
See below
Panorama (UFOPIA)
Nil
Perth UFO Research Group Newsletter
Nil
Phenomena Times (UFOPRSA)
Sep 2009; Nov 2009; Feb 2010; Apr 2010; Jun 2010; Aug 2010; Oct 2010; Dec 2010; Apr 2012; Dec 2014; Apr 2015; Jun 2015; Feb 2017; Jun 2017
Project OVNI Update (Mark Moravec)
Nil
PSI Magazine/J of Alternative Realities
Jul 1993; Vol 1 1995; 2 1996; 3 1996; 5 1997; 6 1998; 7 1999; 8 2000; 9 2001; 10 2002; 11 2004
QFSRB/UFOR(Qld)  Newsletter
Newsletter Nos 7,9,10,12,13,14,45.

Queensland UFO (QFSRB)
Nil
Recollections (Originally Newsletter of the Australian UFO Abduction Study Centre)
V 3, nos 1,2,3,4
The Blue Mountains UFO Research Club Newsletter
V1 no 1 to V 3 no 10
Saucer Newsletter (AFSRS)
Nil
TUFOIC Newsletter
Nos 7,9,14,16,18,19,20-53,55-82, 89-108
UFO Bulletin (UFOIC)
Nos 8, 9
UFO Connection (UFO Investigation Network, Loganlea)
Nil
UFO Encounter (name change from Contact in 1977) (UFORQ)
206, 2002; 216 2004; 233 2007; 237 2007; 240 2008; 249-270; 275; 278; 279


UFOIC Newsletter
15-18; 21-50
UFO News (Tasmanian Flying Saucer Observers Association)
Nil
UFO Newsletter (Continuation of UFOIC NL by UFORNSW)
Nil
UFO Observer (Tasmanian UFO Bureau)
14, 18, Sep/Oct 1970
UFO Research Australia Newsletter
V1 No 1 to V 8 No 1
UFO Research NSW Newsletter
All issues 2008 and 2009. May 2010 to Sep 2011. Nos 52,53
UFO Reporter - UFORNSW
V 1 nos 1-4; V 2 no 1 and 2; V 4 nos1-4; V 5 nos 1-4; V 7 no 1
UFORUM
Nil
UFO Research SA Newsletter
No 21 Sep 1976; no 33 Sep 1978
UFOIC Bulletin
No 8 Apr 1959
UFOlogist
V 8 no 1 2004; V 11 no 2 2007
UFORA Research Digest
Nos 1; 3-37
UFORFNQ Newsletter
No 5 1979
UFORPA Bulletin
Nil
UFORUM
Nil
UFO and other mysteries
Nil
VFSRS Special Bulletin
Nil
VFSRS NL (Continued as Australian UFO Bulletin)
Nil
West Australian UFO Investigation Centre Bulletin
Nil

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Some UFOIC publications now digitised

Introduction

Following on from the digitisation of 90% of issues of the Newsletter of the Tasmanian UFO Investigation Centre (TUFOIC), I have worked with Sydney researcher Bill Chalker, and the Swedish Archives for the Unexplained (AFU) to digitise 34 copies of the Newsletter of the UFO Investigation Centre (UFOIC) which was based in Sydney, New South Wales.



I uploaded these issue to a Drop Box account. If you click here, or copy and paste the link below into a web browser, it will  take you to the Newsletters. If you click on any one and open it, then click on the ... symbol you will be able to download that issue. Feel free to download all issues. If you are unable to download, please contact me at the email provided below and I can arrange to WeTransfer the issue to you.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2qyoeaa2t0h30d7/AADeDvjj8PvJ9YpDgdD1G74Ua?dl=0




We are currently missing issues 1-14; 19; and 20. If any blog reader has copies of all or any of these missing issues, I would appreciate a scanned copy being sent to my email address provided below.

Email me at keithbasterfield@yahoo.com.au


What delights await the reader amongst the issues? A quick dip into three issues found:

1. Issue 17, dated December 1967, page 3 reported on the Yerecoin, Western Australia, spectacular close encounter between a farmer and a very large object hovering just above the ground. This is a well known unexplained Australian sighting.

2. Issue 44, dated July-August 1975, has details on the bizarre sighting at Norah Head, New South Wales on 8 Jun 1975, where a  number of people reported seeing weird objects, in conjunction with some very unusual noises.

3. Issue 50, dated January-February 1977,page 1, has a book review of Australian author Michael Hervey's 'UFOs: The American scene.' Few Australian researchers, to my knowledge have ever read this book, and it is relatively unknown among overseas researchers.

I am continuing to see what other Australian UFO periodicals we might be able to make available in digital format; one of several, 'preservation of Australian UFO history projects,' which I am currently working on.

Thank you once again to the team at AFU.

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