Pre-1947 UFO reports and James E McDonald

Hi all

Long term readers of this blog will be aware of my work in publishing details of Australian pre-1947 UFO reports ( click here for draft catalogue.)

It was therefore, something of a surprise to find that James E McDonald thought that pre-1947 UFO reports were important. The following quotes come from Ann Druffel's book "Firestorm." Wild Flower Press. Columbus, NC. 2002. ISBN 0-926524-58-5.

1966:

In this year, McDonald was in conversation with Tom Malone, "McDonald confided that he not only wanted to view Blue Book files personally, but he also wished to get to a good library like the Congressional or the New York City Library to check pre-1940 observations. Early sightings of UFO-type phenomena intrigued McDonald. He told Malone about a 1904 observation by the crew of an American ship, the USS Supply, and added that many observations were reported in books, newspapers and other records back to the 19th century and even earlier. He pointed out that Dr Hynek hadn't looked into any early sightings." (p.50.)

Later that year, when in discussion with Brian O'Brien "McDonald reminded him that UFOs had been reported for centuries, and were not just a new phenomenon, as most people believed. O'Brien concluded that 'it was useless to check old observations. [The] story grows with the re-telling," he said."

McDonald asked O'Brien if he could recommend getting a small panel-on a summer study basis-to go over the 'old stuff.' "A panel reviewing important past sightings could advise optimal design of new investigations and would be able to provide stronger motivation for it," argued McDonald." (p.51.)

Later, "O'Brien warned McDonald that no one he knew in the Air Force seemed interested in studying old reports." (p.53.)

Gordon Lore:

"McDonald also talked at length with Gordon Lore, a talented researcher and writer who had joined the NICAP staff the previous October. Lore was writing a book about pre-1947 sightings... Early UFO reports were of special interest to McDonald. It was almost impossible, of course, to investigate most of these 'on-site' since most of the witnesses were deceased and those still living had been small children at the time. Taken together with other early reports of "UFOs" in the books of Charles Fort and other sources , however McDonald had begun to suspect that the UFOs were not simply a recent problem, but one which had sporadically surfaced during human history." (pp.94-95.)

Blue Book:

"McDonald also discussed his growing interest in pre-1940 UFO cases and urged that Blue Book expand its operations into this aspect of the problem. He cited the classic to me, The Books of Charles Fort, as a good place to start a literary search." (p.139.)

Specific report:

In 1968 after giving a talk, McDoanld met  "A German emigre scientist who was working at a US Army research lab was also present, and described a 1945 sighting event...McDonald was intrigued by this early sighting, ...about two years before Kenneth Arnold's first public UFO report..." (p.357.)

My comments:

Pre-1947 reports provide tantalising glimpses of a phenomenon which appears to have been around for a long, long time.

James E McDonald and Woomera - part 2

Hi all

In a 29 Feb 2012 post (click here to read that post,)  I wondered just what Woomera, South Australia,  sightings James E McDonald was referring to, in Ann Druffel's book "Firestorm" when there was mention of "...some intriguing sightings involving staff at scientific facilities in Woomera..." (p.200.) In conducting some research. I did find a series of observations of the one object, from Woomera, dated 28 Apr 1967.

It then occurred to me to look at a listing of audio recorded interviews that James E McDonald made, while in Australia in 1967. I found these here. This website contains an excellent listing of McDonald's Australian audio interviews. Disc 46 lists an audio interview: "Andrew Van der Brink UFO sighting, May 23 1967(?) Woomera, Australia, Recorded June 30, 1967, Southern Cross Motel, Melbourne, Australia. 33:30." It is the only interview which lists "Woomera" as the location of the UFO sighting, and fits in with the correct timescale for when McDonald was in Australia.

I checked various catalogues of mine to see if the name Van der Brink was listed, and for the date May 23 1967 or indeed on any other date. I found that I had not come across such an event. I also checked RAAF UFO file file series A703, control symbol 580/1/1 parts 7-9 which cover 1967, but found nothing on them re this sighting.

A search for Andre Van der Brink on the internet found only the Wolfvideo website listing for disc 46.

This 23 May 1967(?) sighting may therefore be one of the "...sightings involving staff at scientific facilities in Woomera.." mentioned by Druffel.

Have any blog readers come across details of this event?

A 1942 Australian UFO photograph?

Hi all

There are very few early Australian UFO photographs. So, I was surprised to come across the following. I would welcome any further information which Blog readers may have come across on this latest case.

October 1942 Devils Marbles, Northern Territory.

"A photograph on the wall of the roadhouse -given to Farkas by Alice Springs plumber Phil Martin - shows Australian  soldiers posing at nearby Devils Marbles in October 1942, with a small silver craft hovering nearby, clearly in shot." Farkas is Lew Farkas, owner of the Big4Holiday Park, Wycliffe Well, Northern Territory.

The source for the above is Miller, Julie and Osborn, Grant. 2010. "Something is Out There: Unlocking Australia's Paranormal Secrets." Arena. Crows Nest, NSW. ISBN 978-1-74237-132-0. page 146.

Westall sequel?

Hi all

In a post dated 5 Mar 2012 (click here to read post) I drew attention to an item on page 184 of Ann Drufel's book "Firestorm" about James E McDonald.

"While McDonald was still in Australia, he learned of a July 8th sighting of multiple UFOs being pursued by several light planes, similar to the Andrew Greenwood case..."

I wondered what this Westall sequel-like July 8th sighting was? In commenting on the post, Westall researcher, Shane Ryan, mentioned that he also had wondered about this reference.

Re-reading:

I was re-reading the "Firestorm" chapter which details McDonald's 1967 Australian visit, and found that I had overlooked another reference to this July 8th sighting, on page 190.

"On July 9, 1967, the day before McDonald was due to return to the States, Thomas Clark, the US Ambassador to Australia, called repeatedly, but he couldn't reach McDonald, who had left Melbourne for an ONR appointment. Geoffrey Rumpf tracked him down and  found him at the Meteorological Department in Townsville. By this time it was almost midnight on Saturday. The same day Clark tried to reach him, there had been a sighting of multiple discs being chased by several light planes in Victoria, but McDonald, busy in Queensland, could not participate in the on-site investigation."

Problem?

Herein lies a problem. The page 184 reference says the multiple UFOs chased by several light planes event was on July 8th (which was a Saturday.) The page 190 reference "The same day Clark tried to reach him, there had been a sighting of multiple discs being chased by several light planes in Victoria, but McDonald, busy in Queensland, could not participate in the on-site investigation" which is talking about July 9th (which is a Sunday.) To further confound us, the page 190 reference also says "By this time it was almost midnight on Saturday" which is the 8th not the 9th.

So was this Westall-like sequel on the 8th or the 9th July 1967?

Where did it happen?

Where was the location of this Westall-like sequel? The page 184 reference does not tell us. However, the page 190 reference says "...in Victoria."

There is also mention of "...on-site investigation." If the event occurred in Victoria, then it would most likely have been investigated by the Victorian Flying Saucer Research Society (VFSRS). Do any VFSRS documents refer to the case? The most logical place to look would be the VFSRS Review magazine, the next edition after July 1967, which appears to be their edition 7(1). However, a check of this magazine reveals nothing about such a case.

So, the mystery remains.

UFOs and crime fiction

Dear readers

Welcome from Adelaide, South Australia, where we have had a great week of Autumn sunshine and temperatures maxing in the mid 20 dgrees C. The city is in full "arts" blossom, with our Adelaide Festival; our Adelaide Fringe; our World Music Festival and just gone, was our weekend of high powered motor racing through City streets. A great time to visit our lovely city.

Crime fiction:

Finding out just what causes some UFO reports is an art. Just like the detective in crime fiction solves a murder. An eye for small detail, and an analytical mind are two of the tools, which both crime fiction writers and good UFO researchers, bring to bear on their respective targets.

Another tool, is persistence, as it sometimes takes quite a while to arrive at a solution. Yet another tool is curiosity. You might read a small item connected to the UFO phenomenon, and wonder just where did that come from?

Stieg Larsson:

An example of my own curisoity came about when I was reading one of Swedish author Steig Larsson's novels (Click here for my original post) "The Girl Who Played With Fire" (Maclehose Press, London. 2009.) One of the characters "Salander" visits the island of Grenada, and talks about the UFO interests of the island's former leader. Larsson had based this on fact. Sir Eric Gairy, indeed did have a deep interest in UFOs.

Since I wrote that post, one bit of my brain, pondered over the question "Where did Larsson get this very small piece of UFOlogical history from?" It has taken me several months to find the answer.

Stieg:

I have just been reading a book by Jan-Erik Pettersson titled "Stieg: From Activist to Author," (published by Quercus. London. 2011. ISBN 978-1-84916-499-3.)

The author writes: "This is not a biography in the conventional sense. It is a book about the public personna of Stieg Larsson, about his work and his writing, about the interplay between his life and work and society at large." (p.ix.)

"He had a keen interest in the sciences and new technology...Everything to do with space fascinated him. At a friend's house he read Allers magazine, stories of encounters with the unknown, about spaceships and flying saucers." (pp19-20.)

Stieg at high school was reading science fiction, "Asimov's books became cult reading for Stieg...he and his friend Ruine Forsgren planned their Asimov inspired stencilled fanzine...he was chairman of the Scandinavian Science Fiction Association for a year in 1980 and editor of its Journal." (p.23.)

Grenada:

"The informal description of Grenada and its capital, in The Girl Who Played With Fire reveals that Stieg Larsson was well acquainted with the island..." (p.47.) It turns out that Stieg and his partner visited Grenada in 1981 to study the revolution which had recently taken place.

In 1979, the reign of Eric Gairy came to an end. "He demanded absolute loyalty from his supporters, threatened anyone who showed any inclination to oppose him and built up his image as a great mystic with supernatural abilities. It was said, for instance, that he could walk on water, and he himself became progressively more obsessed with the idea that alien spacecraft had landed on his island." (p.53.) On the coup which occurred, 'There was singing and dancing in the streets of St George's on that first day of the revolution: "Freedom come, Gairy Go, Gairy go with UFO." (pp54-55.)

Conclusion:

I think I can now rest easy. Larsson got his Grenada UFO information from his visit to the island of Grenada. He probably mentioned it in his book, due to his prior interests, and to flesh out the Grenada connection.

Missing Tully UFO film

Hi all

In a recent post (click here to view) I mentioned the alleged involvement of the former Australian government Department of the Interior in missing photographic evidence. I have now tracked down further information on the incident.

FSR:

The English Flying Saucer Review, Volume 15, number 3, dated May/Jun 1969 carried an article titled "North Queensland UFO Saga" written by Stan Seers and William Lasich.

It provides information on the 19 Jan 1966 Tully, Queensland (click here for details) "nest" and associated UFO sighting, then goes on to relate that the Queensland Flying Saucer Research Bureau set up a "monitor/detector" at a site  in Tully. The monitor was established in 1968 by Vince Mele and an electronics friend, and was linked to a "cine-camera."

On 4 Mar 1968, locals in Tully reported a UFO sighting and the monitor was found to have been triggered. The exposed film was forwarded to Kodak Ltd, Melbourne. "Some 10 days later a letter was received from Kodak stating that the container which was returned to sender, had been empty on arrival."

"The loss of the film was reported to the civil police who were very co-operative, but after a careful detective investigation interstate, were unable to shed light on the mystery...Unofficially, however, a hint was thrown out by a person of  reliable character and seemingly well informed in police matters, that it was likely that Commonwealth authorities had taken possession of the film..."

"It is not without interest to record, shortly after loss of the film, circa March 13, two R.A.A.F. helicopters were observed for some time deploying over the site of the very lagoon..."

"Mr Colin Bennett, M.L.A., Barrister, after studying complete documentation of the incident, expressed keen interest and promptly offered his every assistance in inquiries...In a reply from Canberra, dated August 29, Mr Gordon Freeth, Minister of Air stated he was unable to offer any suggestions as to the fate of the film. He denied positively the Department of Air had ever at any time, removed from Kodak Ltd material relating to UFOs."

My comments:

This then appears to be the fuller story, of the piece from Ann Druffel's "Firestorm" which was the subject of my earlier post. Readers will note that the Department of the Interior is not mentioned in this fuller account. It therefore remains a mystery as to what relationship, if any the Department of the Interior, may have played in this saga.

For a full text of the article click here.

James E McDonald - sighting details sought

Hi all

In her book "Firestorm," about James E McDonald, Ann Druffel, (click here for my previous post on the book) wrote on page 184:

"While McDonald was still in Australia he learned of a July 8th sighting of multiple UFOs, being pursued by several light planes, similar to the Andrew Greenwood case..." Druffel cites no reference for this Jul 8  sighting.

Westall:

The reference to the Andrew Greenwood case, is to the 6 Apr 1966, Westall High School, Clayton, Melbourne, Australia event where multiple witnesses reported an unusual object in the company of five light aircraft. (Click here for Yahoo Groups site on Westall.)

McDonald was in Australia between 25 Jun 1967 and 10 Jul 1967, so the mention of 8 Jul, implies the sighting took place on 8 Jul 1967. Whether it was in Australia or elsewhere in the world is unknown. If it was indeed in Australia it may have relevance to investigations into the Westall event.

Have blog readers any knowledge of this 8 Jul 1967 sighting?