The Rt. Hon. R G Casey - new personal documents on his UAP interests

Hi all,

For the last six months I have been pursuing one particular UAP file held by the National Archives of Australia (NAA). One which has not been available before. Today, a digital copy became available to me.

The Rt. Hon. R G Casey:

File series M1148, control symbol Unidentified Flying Objects, barcode 31415782, is titled "Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) including correspondence and a report, the report is 'Department of Air unusual aerial sightings: summary 3, January 1970-December 1971, correspondence including Lieutenant Colonel E H B Neill."  Quite a mouthful for an NAA file title.

The MT1148 series holds correspondence folders owned by The Right Honourable Richard Gardiner Casey. Casey was an Australian politician, who at one stage, inter alia, was the Minister for the Department of External Affairs 1951-1960. For details on Casey, click here.

M1148 Flying Saucers:

I am aware of a previous M1148 file series file, control symbol Flying Saucers 1954 to 1955, barcode 3215027, held by the NAA in digital format. This file provides details of Casey's early interest in the subject of flying saucers. What hasn't been available until now is knowledge of his interest in his later years. He passed away in 1976.

M1148 Unidentified Flying Objects:

This new digital file is 60 pages long with a date range of 1970-1972. The first 40 pages are copies of the Department of Air's summaries of unusual aerial sightings, prepared by the RAAF. Pages 15 and 16 are a statement of RAAF policy on unusual aerial sightings.

Page 14 is a newspaper clipping from "The Age" newspaper, Melbourne, Australia dated 7 October 1972 titled "Guess what? UFO men have been talking with our leaders" by journalist/writer John Pinkney.

Page 13 is a typed letter addressed to D A Casey, of Mt Macedon, Victoria from R G Casey. The text reads: "What's all this about? I've asked Ted Neill if it's a leg-pull or what. Does it ring any sort of bell with you?" It has a blue stamp "CASEY" instead of a signature, and is dated 9 October 1972. Below it is typed "Guess what? UFO men have been talking to our leaders." (John Pinkney. The Age Saturday October 7, 1972.)

Is it a leg pull?

Page 12 is a letter dated 9 October 1972 (Personal) "I attach photocopy of an article in the Age of Saturday, October 7th, which intrigued me. If you could let me know whether it's a leg pull or what, I'd be interested. Who is the writer? Is he one of your regular correspondents? Is he a scientist? If these are improper questions for me to ask - don't bother. I hope we may have an opportunity to meet again before long." Stamped "CASEY." It is addressed to Lieutenant Colonel E H B Neill, Chairman of Directors, The Age newspaper.

Page 11 is a typed letter to Casey from Dennis (the DA Casey of page 13) dated 12 October 1972. It starts off "I really have no idea at all as to why The Age publishes such silly rubbish as the cutting that you sent to me." It also includes "There has been a quite stupid book published recently...called The Chariots of the Gods..."

Meeting Mr Pinkney:

Pages 9 and 10 are a letter to Casey dated 12 October 1972 from Lieutenant Colonel E H B Neill (the Ted Neill of page 12.) Neill advises Casey who Pinkney is. Interestingly, the letter has a hand written note "Lord Casey - you are meeting Mr Pinkney at 5pm - Melb Club - Tues 24 October."

Page 8 is a letter to D A Casey. "I send you the attached letter from Ted Neill without comment which no doubt you can provide for yourself." 17 October 1972.

Page 7 is a letter to Sir Keith Waller, Secretary, Department of External Affairs. Sending a copy of a letter from Ted Neill. "...No doubt you will consider enlisting Pinkney as an adviser in your Department."

Page 6 is another letter from Casey to D A Casey, refers to letter from D A Casey of 12 October 1972 and includes: "Thanks for your letter of the 12th October - although I am afraid I don't agree with you about the Pinkney article in The Age of 7th October...I suppose you might use the word 'supernatural' for this fifth sense, although I don't think either Hoyle or Harlow Shapley used it. When you get Hoyle and Harlow Shapley saying practically the same thing, you can't laugh it off..."

Pages 4- 5 are a response to page 6. "But this is all a very long way from Pinkney's statement that extra terrestrial beings have been operating on Earth and that they have been in communication with men. The problem is, is this a statement of a fact, or is it merely a probability or just a possibility?...I myself cannot believe that if it were a fact such a stupendous happening could possibly be kept secret except for a very short time.."

Meeting with the RAAF:

Page 3 is a reply to page 4. A letter from Casey dated 25 October 1972. Casey mentions meeting Pinkney at the Melbourne Club. "His main interest is clearly in U.F.O. on which he is intent to concentrate. On this I'll ask the Defence Department if I can meet (in Melbourne) one of the R.A.A.F. committee on investigation of U.F.O. and hear what he has to say."

Page 2 is a note. "Lord Casey. Squadron Leader Roddy telephoned. He said he has been contacted by his superior in Canberra asking him to arrange to talk toy you about U. F. Os. He suggested he come to see you at 10.30am on Tuesday, 31st October. Is this alright?" The note carries on. "Squadron Leader R R Roddy, Command Intelligence Officer for HQ Support Command...Dealing with counter intelligence and security."

Page 1 is a note Casey sent to Roddy after their meeting dated 6 November 1972. "I write rather belatedly to send you my thanks for your being good enough to come to see me to talk about U.F.Os. and for your frankness in telling me about them. It is (as you will know better than I do) a matter of quite considerable public interest, as is reflected in the prominence given to it in the press by 'so called' sightings. However you personally leave one in no doubt that you can find no reason to indulge in fanciful (non material) explanations. With my thanks..."

Comment:

This file adds to our previous knowledge of R G Casey's interest in UAP.