The Prime Minister’s “flying saucer” briefing - Tully ’66: George Pedley, Harold Holt, & John Busst

The Prime Minister’s “flying saucer” briefing

 - Tully ’66: George Pedley, Harold Holt, & John Busst

 

 On Wednesday 19 January 1966 Harold Holt learnt he would soon become the 17^thprime minster of Australia.  Tom Frame in his book “The Life and Death of Harold Holt” noted, “Just before Cabinet rose the Prime Minister (Robert Menzies) said to them: “Well, gentlemen, this is the last time I shall be with you”, and he ended his long rule with a few simple sentences’.  Menzies’ decision was conveyed to a meeting of the joint Government parties at 11 a.m. on 20 January.” The death of the Defence minister, Senator Sir Shane Paltridge, also on 19 January, and his funeral, delayed Harold Holt’s swearing in until 26 January by the Governor General Richard Casey.  Casey himself was a sometime advocate of flying saucers. See the link https://theozfiles.blogspot.com/search?q=Casey

 

Also on 19 January 1966 an event took place near Euramo, Rockingham Road, South of Tully in northern Queensland. The RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) files describe the famous Tully incident in the following manner: 

“At about 9.00 a.m. on 19th January, 1966, Mr. G.A. Pedley, a banana grower of Tully, Qld, observed a light grey non reflecting dull object, reported to be about 25 feet long and 8 feet deep, rise vertically then climb on an angle of 45from a height of about 30 feet above marshland which was situated about 25 yards away from his position. There was an associated hissing noise which decreased as the 'object' rose. The apparent shape was described as 'two saucers, face to face', but no structural detail was observed.  The duration of the observation was approximately 15 seconds and it disappeared in mid air whilst receding into the distance (not assessed).

"A clearly defined near circular depression remained in evidence in swamp grass at the point from which the object was seen rising, and measured about 32 feet long by 25 feet wide. The grass was flattened in clockwise curves to water level within the circle and the 

reeds had been uprooted from the mud. There was no scorching of grass or surrounding trees and the observer stated that there was no smell of combustion...”

 

These 2 events – the rise of PM Harold Holt and the Tully UFO event - were not generally thought to be connected, until the recent discovery by Westall researcher Shane Ryan in the National Archive of Australia (NAA) files (Series Number M2606, Control Symbol 112, Item number 4982058) amongst personal papers of PM Holt. 6 pages of handwritten material were sent to the new prime minister. 

 

They were from John Busst, a lifetime close friend of Harold Holt. Between January 19 and February 24, the incident, generally identified with nearby Tully, had become a media sensation. 

 

MISSION BEACH 15

BINGIL BAY,

VIA EL ARISH,

NORTH QUEENSLAND 

Feb.24. 1966.

Dear Harry,

Herewith the result of my rather thorough investigation into the sighting of the Flying Saucer at Euramo. I have had the young man, George Pedley, here and closely questioned him on all aspects. On the basis of this, and also as the result of questioning a large number of people acquainted with him at Euramo, I have formed the opinion that, as a witness, he is a quite reliable witness. In my own mind, I have no doubt that he sighted the object he describes. 

 

The enclosed photograph has been certified as an exact replica of the pad made by the U.F.O., by numerous witnesses who visited the scene the same day, and on the following day. 

 

To my mind, as a coast watcher, the most curious feature of the whole affair is that neither of the two teams of R.A.A.F investigators even bothered to interview the young man concerned. What gives, chum? Coast watching and other allied activities would thus offer a somewhat futile activity. 

 

I have no doubt the young man saw the object he described – I questioned him repeatedly, and could not shake his description in any way, and it in no way resembles a helicopter of any design. The pad itself (as per photograph) is most unusual, in that the area flattened is also sucked up about 3-4 feet off the ground. Alf Macdonald (of the Rain Forest Committee) was able to walk, in a crouched position right across the area. Also that the grass and reeds were bruised, not burnt. I would welcome your comments – off the record, if necessary.

All well here – more later.

Affectionately, Johnnie.

 To his 4 page covering letter he included a 2 page statement:

 

Euramo. Jan 19^thapprox. 9 a.m.

George Pedley, aged 28, banana farmer of Euramo, while driving to work on his farm in an old Ferguson kerosene (?) tractor, heard, above the considerable noise of his tractor, a loud hissing noise, which he thought at first to be a blow-out in his tractor tyre (rear). On glancing ahead, at a distance of no more than 25 yards, he observed a large grey cylindrical object, approximately 25 feet long by 9 feet deep, shaped like two inverted saucers joined together with protuberances approx. 2 ft high, on the top and the bottom (as per his enclosed sketch). The object was hovering above the 9 foot high reeds when first observed, suddenly rose to approx. 30 ft, and set off at terrific speed, vanishing at 45 degree angle on a S.S.W. course in the direction of Charters Towers. No sign of human life aboard, no portholes or other apertures in either top or bottom of structure. No sign whatsoever of flame, smoke or vapour. Very loud noise decreased as object disappeared at high speed. Whole incident occupied approx. ½ minute at the longest.

 

On examination by numerous credible witnesses, the reeds in the pad itself were found not only to be flattened, as per photograph, but were also lifted out approx. 3-4 feet off the ground, apparently by suction, in a clockwise direction. The following day, approx. 50 ft.away and close together, were discovered two similar pads in structure, but smaller in size and rotated by the same principle but in an anti-clockwise direction.

 

In a 2 ½ hour cross examination, the witness was quite unshakeable in his description of the object, and did not once, in any way, vary any detail of the object. The sighting is unusual in that it took place at 9 a.m. on a clear day.

 

J.H. Büsst.

Bingil Bay 20 Feb. 1966

 

I was familiar with the name John Busst.  He had been featured in historian Iain McCalman’s 2013 book “The Reef – A passionate History.”  In 2024 McCalman focused on Busst in a book simply called “John Busst – Bohemian artist and saviour of reef and rainforest.” McCalman didn’t mention the “Flying saucer” letter in his new book and confirmed to Shane Ryan, "Dear Shane, Thanks for your email about John Busst and UFOs. I had no idea about this but he was a hard headed guy so I would take it seriously. Good luck. Kind regards. Iain."  Busst had instilled a love of the Barrier Reef, northern Queensland and the rain forests, into Holt. The PM was a passionate scuba diver, sometimes in dangerous situations, such as shark infested waters.  The passion led to the Holts having a hideaway place not far from the Bussts.  The danger angle would unfortunately feature in the December 1967 disappearance of Holt in the wild seas off Portsea, Victoria.  The Bussts were staying with the Holts at the time.

 

It is fascinating to see the endorsement that John Busst gives to George Pedley’s sighting, along with the thoughts of historian Iain McCalman, inspired into his deep biographical journey through Busst’s life.

 

The reference to the RAAF not visiting Pedley, is sustained in the RAAF files, where it is confirmed that police conducted the interview.

 

For me, the Busst material also provided added potential evidence for the reasons why the RAAF grappled with the UFO problem in such torturous ways during 1966, as I have previously described in detail in my 1996 document (located on the Project 1947 web site) “UFOs Sub Rosa Down Under”.  I have described the issue below: 

  

THE RAAF AND THE UFO PROBLEM 

 

A Department of Air minute paper, dated February, 1966, revealed that there were “no written responsibilities for (RAAF) Operational Command in the UFO field.” 

 

It indicated that the minute writer (Squadron Leader ____ AI-2)had “reviewed the current ‘Ad Hoc’ system in the practice of processing U.F.O reports and with ‘minor criticisms’, found that it appeared “to be working satisfactorily, entailing the minimum of work by this Directorate [i.e. Directorate of Air Force Intelligence - DAFI - B.C.].’” 

After much discussion a DAFI directive was issued to both Commands (Operational and Support Commands - B.C) in March, 1966. Group Captain I.S. Podger (for the Chief of the Air Staff), wrote in it: 

The main purpose of the investigation of any UFO is to establish whether or not the subject of the report poses a threat to the security of Australia. The identification of the cause of the UFO report and its classifications as aircraft, balloon, missile, astronomical body or phenomena etc, is of minor importance and mainly for the benefit of members of the public whose interest may have been aroused by the report. 

The directive also specified: 

No attempts should be made to answer public enquiries at unit or command level. Requests by members of the public for information on UFOs in Australia and for the RAAF assessment of their origin etc should be referred to the Department of Air where they will be dealt with by the Directorate of Public Relations. 

 

It was not long before a conflict arose between the Directorates of Air Force Intelligence and Public Relations. It came to a head with the director of the Directorate of Public Relations (DPR) forwarding a detailed minute paper to DAFI, dated 16th August, 1966. It was entitled UFOs - RAAF HANDLING OF PROBLEM. The conflict was over whether “the distribution to interested members of the public of the `Summary of Unidentified Aerial Sightings Reported to Department of Air from 1960’” was to cease. 

The Directorate of Air Force Intelligence (DAFI) was “keen to soft-pedal the UFO business” and gave “the reason for this cessation (as) the undesirability of wetting the interest of the public in UFOs.” 

DPR’s reaction was terse and to the point: The `Summary’ grew out of a requirement for certain statistical UFO information to provide material for a ministerial reply to a parliamentary question.” 

DPR willingly undertook to draft an answer for the Minister (a task which entailed folio- for-folio research through some four or five parts of the relevant file), because it felt that the otherwise burdensome task had some distinct side-benefit, namely, the collation of an unclassified and innocuous summary of UFO ‘sightings’ in Australia for the past five years. 

DPR envisaged the day when it would be able to reply to all public UFO enquiries by the mere despatch of the ‘summary’ covered, if thought necessary, by a letter in which we explain that we are not prepared to engage in any subsequent disputation (i.e. take our ‘Summary’ or leave; we have told you all we know). 

In order to keep this ‘Summary’ current, D/DAFI (Ops) was good enough to agree to provide DPR with the basic information which DPR would expect to have been security cleared for general release before adding the information to the ‘Summary’. 

The DPR director made, “a plea to remove the present restriction on the sharing of our unclassified UFO information with the public....” 

The DPR director said, “In summary: by continuing with the old policy of playing our UFO cards close to the chest, we only foster the incorrect (but nevertheless widely held) belief that we have much vital information to hide. On the other hand, by maintaining a current `Summary’ (which DPR is prepared to do, with your continued help) we dispose in one blow, of the UFO enthusiasts belief that: 

(a) He is not being taken into the RAAF’s correspondence; and 

(b) The RAAF is desperately determined to suppress UFO information to prevent national panic... 

The Director of Public Relations concluded his Minute Paper to the Director of Air Force Intelligence, by stating, “while security is not DPR’s affair, our relations with the general public (cranks and all) certainly are and I feel strongly, from the PR point of view, that we are handling this whole UFO business in an unnecessarily rigid and unimaginative way.” 

This theme was continued in another Department of Air Minute Paper, entitled “Unidentified Flying Object - RAAF policy” and dated 12th October, 1966. It emerged following a request from author, Richard Tambling, who had requested permission to publish B.G. Roberts’ Ballarat UFO conference presentation, in his forthcoming book, as an official view. 

DAFI were not inclined to do this. The minute paper confirmed that uncertainty and confusion were keynotes in RAAF UFO policy during 1966 - hallmarks that would continue, albeit waxing and waning, right up to today. 

It stated: 

There appears to be some confusion concerning Departmental policy over UFOs ... on file... there is a ministerial statement to the effect: 

“Anyone who is interested in sightings of UFOs can apply to the Department of Air for information on the subject and is welcome to a synopsis of UFO sightings which includes a very brief assessment of the probable causes.” 

“This statement was made in answer to ministerial representation. 

It would appear, however, that the policy represented by this statement may not have reflected the view of DAFI, despite earlier, although inconclusive evidence of his concurrence. 

...DAFI has proposed to DGPP who in turn referred to DCAS that our approach to UFO reports be liberalised. It does not appear that either DGPP or DCAS were aware of the Minister’s statement. In my opinion we must either comply with the terms of that statement or inform the minister of our ‘new’ approach, if it is not intended to provide the synopsis of sightings and on this I am not at all together clear from reading the files. 

It would, however, seem that agreement has not been reached that DPR is to handle all enquiries for information, however, it does not appear that DPR has been consulted on the extent of the liberalisation proposed by DAFI in answer to his (DPR) submission [the August 16, 1966, minute paper - B.C.] and could DPR indicate his views. 

It would also appear that there is some need for rationalisation of our files on this subject. There are at least 4 different files which contain a confusion of policy, reported sightings and requests for information. Three of these files are classified, two of which are SECRET although there appears to be nothing in the files consistent with this classification. Could DAFI and DPR consider rationalising these files please... 

As it turned out, the `Summary’ did indeed become the public front of the RAAF involvement in the Australian UFO controversy. By the end of the sixties, the `Summary’ crystallised as a largely annual affair. 

No. 1 covered reports from 1960 to 1968. No. 2 covered 1969 accounts, while 1970 and 1971 reports appeared in `Summary’ No. 3. From 1972 to 1977 inclusive, the summaries appeared somewhat erratically, covering each year with numbers 4 to 9. The RAAF had embarked on a course that locked them into a bureaucratically orchestrated formula for handling the “UFO problem.” 

 

George Pedley reported his experience to Tully Police at 7.30 pm, on January 19th. At 7 am, January 20th George Pedley and Sgt. A.V. Moylan went to the site of the incident. Sgt. Moylan, then contacted Townsville RAAF Base by telephone, on the morning of January 20th. Flt. Lt. Wallace advised Sgt. Moylan that he would forward a proforma questionnaire for completion by George Pedley. On Friday, January 21st, Flt. Lt. Wallace confirmed despatch of two copies of the sighting proforma by mail that same day and also requested Sgt. Moylan obtain “a sample of the grass from the scorched area.” At 3.30 pm, on the same day, Moylan returned to the site and took a sample “of the grass from the depression in the swamp grass at the site. The proforma was filled out by Moylan based on his interviews with George Pedley and was dated 26/1/66. Sgt. Moylan despatched the report and the sample on 26/1/66. 

The following details are extracted from the RAAF “REPORT ON AERIAL OBJECT OBSERVED”Moylan filled out with George Pedley. Because so many conflicting claims have been made about what George Pedley said at the time, it is worthwhile to go back to the documentation filled out then: 

 

Name of Observer:

George Alfred PEDLEY aged 28 years. 

Manner of observation: 

Travelling on a tractor about 1/2 mile from farm house of Albert PENNISI, Rockingham Road, Euramo. Attention attracted by hissing noise, clearly heard over noise of tractor-similar to air escaping from tyre; checked tyres and was looking about for source of noise when he saw object about 25 yards ahead. No optical instruments used in sighting. 

Height or angle of elevation: 

First seen at treetop height 30’. Rose vertically to about twice that height, then departed, climbing at about 45 degrees. 

Speed, or angular velocity: 

Extremely fast; No estimate of speed, but much faster than an aeroplane. 

It was near treetops and these gave observer a good basis for estimating height. 

Direction of flight with reference to landmarks or points of the compass: 

Rose vertically to about 60 feet and departed south west climbing at about 45 degrees; appeared to be rotating for full time observed. (object appeared to 

remain on) straight climbing path. 

Existence of any physical evidence: 

Clearly defined near circular depression in swamp grass at point from which object seen rising, about 32’ long and 25’ wide. Grass flattened to surface of 4’ of water lying in xxxx-clockwise curves. 

[Sgt. Moylan, in his report, had typed in anti-clockwise initially and then corrected it to clockwise, by overtyping ‘anti’ with ‘xxxx’. The direction of the swirl at the site of the 19 January 1966 incident was to become a matter of ongoing confusion. The clockwise direction was the correction direction - B.C.] 

Weather conditions experienced at time of observation: Clear sky; Hot sunshine. 

Location of any air traffic in the vicinity at the time of sighting: Unknown but checked by RAAF Garbut. 

[Flt. Lt. Wallace of Townsville RAAF base in a covering minute paper confirmed that 

“there were no service or Civil aircraft operating in the area .. at the time of the sighting ..” - B.C.] 

Any additional information: (Sgt. Moylan wrote) 

Observer reported this matter to Tully Police at 7.30pm on 19/1/66 and at 7am, 20/1/66 went with me to the site of the depression in the swamp. His version then included the information that the object rose vertically, appeared to dip slightly and then went off in straight climbing path. He then said...further that there was no smell of combustion and no scorching of grass or trees visible; that the the flattened grass or rushes was quite green when he first saw the depression; on his return that afternoon the grass had turned brown. 

(Sgt. Moylan further added:) 

In this matter I formed the opinion that the depressed area in the swamp grass had been caused by a small helicopter and that the observer, in the early morning bright sunlight shining on the rotor may have mistaken the shape. His description of the take off lent some strength to my opinion. However, there was cleared land to the east for about 200 yards where such an aircraft could have more safely landed instead of the position indicated by the observer, close to trees. Later I was informed by Wallace Evans of ...Tully, an electrician that he has seen similar markings in a swamp at Kurrumine Beach and is quite certain that it was caused by a whirlwind, sucking up water into a waterspout, 

uprooting the grass and laying it out in a similar pattern. At 3.30pm, 21/1/66 I took a sample of the grass at the site and have forwarded it under separate cover on even date. 

 

Flt. Lt. T.D. Wright, for Air Officer Commanding, Headquarters Operational Command, RAAF, Penrith, New South Wales (NSW), on-forwarded police Sgt. Moylan’s report on George Pedley’s UFO sighting and Flt. Lt. Wallace’s covering minute paper, to the Department of Air, Russell Offices, Canberra. His communication classified RESTRICTED, which was channelled to the Directorate of Air Force Intelligence (DAFI), also indicated,“This headquarters believes that the depressions of the swamp grass were caused by small isolated waterspouts.” 

In response to an enquiry, dated 2nd February, 1966, from the Commonwealth Aerial Phenomena Investigation Organisation (CAPIO), the Secretary, Department of Air, Mr. A.B. McFarlane, wrote on 11th February, 1966:

“Investigations of the area surrounding the reported “Nests”, testing of samples taken from around them and interrogation of persons involved in the report failed to reveal anything of significance. 

“However, during enquiries a number of local residents stated that the reported “nests” are fairly common during the onset of the “wet”. Furthermore, the University of Queensland stated that there was nothing unnatural in the samples submitted and assessed that the “nests” could have been the result of severe turbulence, which normally accompany line squalls and thunderstorms prevalent in NORTH QUEENSLAND at the time of the year. 

“There is no explanation for the visible phenomena reported but it could have been associated with or the result of “down draughts”, “willy willies” or “water spouts” that are known to occur in the area. 

“.. for information ....in January of this year from an airfield in the tropics (a number of photographs taken give) a ne example of the type and growth of a cloud formation occurring with a severe “down draught”

This whirling mass of tropical air associated with thunderstorm activity, on reaching the earth’s surface may dissipate and subside or persist giving rise to dust eddies, water spouts, etc, and leaving a tell tale circular pattern on the ground. 

Should it occur over a swampy reed bed the effect would be to fatten the reeds with a circular pattern. resultant photographs and investigations of the “nests” seem to t in with this theory and is accepted as a possible cause of the phenomena.” 

 

It is fascinating to note how Secretary McFarlane’s cursory explanatory exposition, no doubt inspired by “the tornado-like meteorological phenomena” infested skies over Willow Grove, Victoria and Vaucluse Beach, NSW, anticipated by almost 2 decades Dr. Terence Meaden’s early theoretical attempts to explain the English “crop circles” of the 1980s. Dr. Meaden would mistakenly assume that George Pedley saw his “vortex” at 9 pm, not 9 am, which is a fatal flaw in the mechanism he put forth to explain the report. 

 

The only other significant official statement on the Tully sighting I found in the RAAF les was included in a letter by Mr. G.J. Odgers, Director of Public Relations, Department of Defence (Air Office), dated 17th December, 1973, directed to Charles Wright, a journalist working on an article for the national newspaper, The Australian. 

 

George Odgers’ Air Office public relations department had clearly gleaned from the 1966 DAFI files details an explanation of what George Pedley had seen, that the original RAAF officers and Department officers back in 1966 had not determined: 

“Although a conclusive determination could not be made, the most probable explanation was that the sighting was of a ‘willy willy’ or circular wind phenomenon which flattened the reeds and sucked up debris to a height of about 30 feet, thus forming what appeared to be a ‘flying saucer’, before moving off and dissipating. Hissing noises are known to be associated with ‘willy willies’ and the theory is also substantiated by the clockwise configuration of the depression. 

 

Mr. Odgers further added, more generally, 

“All to often unusual occurrences are reported in sensational terms with little or no attempt made at rational assessment. The general subject is ‘newsworthy’ and lends itself to sensationalism and guesswork, but in most cases logical explanations follow from careful investigation. You will appreciate that there is nothing to be gained from reopening old cases.” [a sentiment I would not agree with - B.C.] 

 

The Busst communication with the new PM Harold Holt seems to have created quite a splash – further confirmation of the importance of the Tully (Euramo) object and its strange “alien” stigmata – the “saucer nest” found on 19 January 1966.

 

References:

Thanks to Shane Ryan and Grant Lavac

Bill Chalker, “UFO Sub Rosa Down Under” (1996)

Bill Chalker, “The OZ Files – the Australian UFO story” (1996)

Bill Chalker, http://theozfiles.blogspot.com/(see the Tully stories)

Iaian McCalman, “John Busst” (2024)

Iaian McCalman, “The Reef – A passionate history” (2013)

NAA files (Series Number M2606, Control Symbol 112, Item number 4982058)

Deep diving into the UFO UAP milieu with a “raw” “open and genuine chat”: Bill Chalker on “The Caulfield Podcast”

Deep diving into the UFO UAP milieu with a “raw” “open and genuine chat”:

Bill Chalker on “The Caulfield Podcast”

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf2KlxugUyc&t=5751s

 

Recently I received this enquiry:

 

“Hi Bill,

 

“My name’s Jack Caulfield. I’m launching an upcoming show called The Caulfield Podcast, produced out of Western Sydney. The podcast covers a wide range of topics — from sport to science, society to human curiosity, and everything in between.

 

“I’ve had a lifelong fascination with astronomy and the possibility of extraterrestrial life, so your work has definitely been on my radar. I think you’d be a great guest to have on the show.

 

“I’d love to line up a day with you to sit down for a raw, no-bullshit conversation about a topic we both care about. Nothing scripted, just an open and genuine chat.”

 

“I've done some research on you and find your story very interesting. There are many things I'd love to talk to you about. From your experiences in MUFON and APRO, to the famous sightings in your hometown of Grafton in the 60's, The Oz Files, and other stories like the Westall incident. You would be a great guest on my show and I think we'd have a very captivating conversation.”

 

Jack Caulfield turned out to be a nice guy, starting out a new podcast. His new developing podcast – The Caulfield - was not focused on UFOs, but seems to be like the average guy tracking down folks who are singularly focused on specific interests.

 

His first 2 guests were covering different things, and I recommend you check them out: 

Professor Geraint Lewis is a Cosmologist at The University of Sydney discussing stuff beyond Earth, but was of the “Rare Earth” school, namely we on Earth are it, in terms of intelligent life in the universe, a position I don’t agree with.  The idea that we are the most intelligent life form in the universe is problematic and somewhat depressing.

Professor Gigi Foster is an award winning economist, author, and outspoken public intellectual known for her work in behavioural economics and her commentary on public policy, education, and COVID-19 responses. The interview dives into her views on lockdowns, vaccines, society, and the role of critical thinking in public debate.

 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these “raw” “open and genuine chats”.  I know I enjoyed mine with Jack Caulfield.

 

Not so enjoyable and genuine was the following dialogue I had with a well known UFO blogger.  However, I think it is important to give an airing to the problems I perceived in this situation.

 

I wrote via email, “I've enjoy a lot of your programs, but I not so enamoured with your efforts on the Amy Rylance affair.

“I don't think you and I have discussed the case, but if we have, I doubt I would have encouraged you to attempt to create "a dramatic interpretation" of the story. I have actively been trying to address the issue with various parties that see something of value in the saga, in terms of contributing to a meaningful contribution to the UFO subject, other than as a calibration case for more solid cases.

“I have browsed your script & I conveyed to (my friend, who shared with me a copy of it) what I thought of it. Not much (in more colourful language), and that my opinion of the case is that it was a blatant hoax, somewhat made curious by a possible scientology connection, as dubious as it seemed. 

“Anyway to put it bluntly I am not a fan of this sort of podcast presentation, as a form of dramatic entertainment, given it seems to dilute the accuracy of the story, to the point that its an either/or situation, depending on one's belief.  It seems unimportant what the facts are, even if the facts are coming from a researcher who tried to pursue the case to the end. 

“A number of "researchers" are putting this story across as credible, even when they have not been directly involved in investigating & researching the story.  It isn't credible. I had to rein back the fuller details, because some evidence was given to me in confidence by police and others.

“Michael Masters, for example, continues to use the case to support his time theory, because its a good story! This, despite being advised of my opinion of the case.

“When you start "channelling" my narrative on the case as direct "quotes", without asking me, its disappointing. So to be clear, I'm not endorsing this narrative, and if you decide to continue with it, you should make a disclaimer that its your dramatic rendition of "my words", not mine. If you don't, I certainly will if it appears.  In fact, I don't want you to attribute dialogue of your creation to me, even if you have developed them from your interpretation of what I may have implied.

“Over to you. Clearly you should read that I'm not impressed with the dilution of investigations of various cases, to create a dramatic narrative, particularly if it dilutes the conclusions of serious involved researchers.   Its almost equivalent to a "dumbing down" of serious UFO research, where the story is more important than the facts, simply because it might be a "good story".”

 

The response to my little “rant” on “UFO entertainment podcasts” was underwhelming:

 

The podcaster responded, “Noted. I won't continue forward with the episode.” 

 

I responded:

“Noted as well.

“A better response might be to make a program devoted to this concerning trend of "dramatising" case studies, without recourse to witnesses, experiencers and original investigators.  But I can see how this might effect content creation along the lines of particular style - "the story" entertainment value drives the style of a show.

“I suspect I wont be invited onto your show to discuss this issue or any other matter.  I can live with that.”

 

Anyway, that seemed to “kill” the “fulsome” dialogue with the UFO podcast “dramatist”.  Perhaps there is a debate to be had here, but I guess it depends whether you want your take on research and events to be of the “entertainment” kind, or “deep dive” of the genuine kind.

VICTOR ZAKRUZNY AND THE 1966 WESTALL UFO – a tribute

I was shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Victor Zakruzny, when I saw Shane Ryan’s moving tribute on the “Westall Flying Saucer Incident” site posted on 26 June 2025 (my birthday of all things – sad news).

 

Rosie Jones, director of the documentary “Westall ’66 – a suburban UFO mystery” (2010) at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1966westallflyingsaucerincident

wrote, “Thank you, Shane for your heartfelt tribute to Victor. He was a lovely, warm and generous person and a great contributor to the Westall documentary. I’m very sad to hear of his passing. Sincere condolences to his friends and family. RIP Victor.”

 

I have quoted Shane’s tribute here:

“VALÉ VICTOR ZAKRUZNY. I am sad to report that Westall High School witness Victor Zakruzny has passed away. Victor was in Form 2 in 1966 and featured in Rosie Jones’ documentary “Westall ’66: A Suburban UFO Mystery”, and his story was re-created in the Discovery Channel Canada’s “Close Encounters” series’ episode on Westall. (The segment was called “School’s Out” – Shane and I were in Toronto Canada for filming of that episode – B.C.) 

“His daughter Jade informed me of his passing and gave me permission for me to post about it here. Victor had two sisters Anna and Maria who were Westall students but they were both home sick on the day of the incident, and his brother Peter was at another school.

“Victor’s sighting stood out for his stated proximity to two of the UFOs as they hovered above the paddock over the western fence of Westall High School. His story was that he jumped the fence and approached the UFOs, getting close enough to one to feel the heat coming off it, and then watched as they ascended and flew away in the direction of The Grange. Years later, when doing a walk-through at the school re-tracing the events of that day, he confided that he had later been called up to the headmaster’s office and warned about talking about what he had seen, with the headmaster saying that the Army had a way of finding out about things, and that they could destroy his plans to become an artist. 

“Victor did pursue his interests in art, and he kindly drew a picture of one of the UFOs he saw that day for Rosie’s documentary, from the side and from below, and UFO researcher Bill Chalker later created a picture of the same scene Victor witnessed after meeting with him in more recent years.

“It has sometimes been pointed out that no other witnesses have yet come forward to corroborate the scene Victor described, and that is true, despite my best efforts to record the accounts of other witnesses from Victor’s class and form. It is true to say, however, that I have been in contact with five other witnesses who do recall circles or marks in the grass in the paddock Victor described, two of whom also recalled actually seeing a UFO in that paddock, one from their nearby workplace and one from their front garden, and another who heard at the time that a UFO had landed there and that she could clearly see the circle in the grass where it had landed from her front garden as well.

“Whatever happened that day, it had moved Victor deeply, and stayed with him for the rest of his life. I am grateful to him for having the courage to come forward and share his story. Rest in peace Vic. Condolences to Jade, Anna, Maria and their families.”

I have adapted my blog post that featured my comments about Victor’s experience and my attempt to create a “forensic drawing” of his “close encounter of the second kind” (Dr. Allen Hynek’s term). The link to that fuller piece is: https://theozfiles.blogspot.com/search?q=Victor

 

Given that I had a long time focus on physical trace (UFO landing) accounts I was pleased to be able to eventually interview VictorZakruzny who described witnessing, as a Westall school student, 2 identical objects, like Joy did, but strikingly initially at ground level, that were connected directly with ground traces.  The reports of ground traces did not get the careful attention they deserved at the time.  There are accounts of clandestine attention, but nothing has surfaced, other than witness descriptions and a Victorian Flying Saucer Research Society photo of a grassed area suggestive of a trace, but also may have been due to prosaic factors.  We just don’t have certainty in that area, but there are plenty of speculations.

 

On 5 July 2008 I was able to undertake an on site detailed investigation and interview at Westall in Melbourne with Victor Zakruzny.  I videoed the interview and got him to do a rough layout map of the events he witnessed.  His account was consistent with a number of interviews he had given to others and to me.

Victor Zakruzny with his rough on site sketches 

during our 2008 meeting at Westall

(Photo: Bill Chalker)

Victor indicated he was able to walk up close to one of the objects, while 3 other students stood around in close proximity to the other object. A teacher and at least a dozen other students crowded along the high fence to get a view. Victor contemplated touching the object but thought better of it.  The two objects suddenly rose up from the grass and took off, one to the west, the other flew up and orbited a small plane before flying down to the south west Grange reserve area, with students in pursuit.   The UFOs were described as about 1.5 metres in height and approximately 5.4 metres in width. They left behind two circles of burnt grass.

Victor went home for lunch straight after this extraordinary experience which swept up much of the rest of his school. This initially to me seemed a strange thing to do given the unfolding events, but he explained that at the time he felt he didn’t need to see any more that day (6 April 1966) because he had seen the exact same object a few years earlier.  He was trying to take a wooden pallet from a factory site near the Westall Grange area during the early hours of the morning (to build a “billy-cart” – B.C.) His escapade was interrupted when a UFO flew over. It was the same looking object he would see during daylight at Westall in 1966 along with many in his school, but it was flying on edge – an appearance captured in the polaroid photo taken at the nearby suburb of Balwyn only 4 days before the Westall incident.  There were other similar encounters during this period of the 1960s in the area around Westall and neighbouring isolated suburbs of Melbourne, which in those days was the outer edge of the city. Pockets of this area still have something of an isolated, almost country, feel to them.

The Balwyn UFO - 2 April 1966

(Photo: courtesy of James Kibel)

Victor also impressed me as a compelling witness giving consistent testimony.  While like Joy, he spoke of seeing 2 objects, Victor saw them at ground level and then watched them take off and go off in different directions.  Like Joy he described one of them flying faster than a light plane.  Indeed, he described it as orbiting the plane, then taking off and apparently heading down to the Grange area. 

Victor later told me that he had a meeting with the school headmaster, who encouraged him not to talk of the event because it might hurt his future chances of a career in art.  The headmaster gave him that advice because he himself had witnessed something similar during the war and he had experienced the pressure of being told not to talk about such things.  Victor followed the headmaster’s advice, but with the growing tide of witnesses coming forward since 2006 he now felt more comfortable with reporting his own experience.  His artistic abilities also provided us with some striking drawings of the objects he saw.

Victor Zakruzny's drawings of the UFO 

he had an extremely close encounter with

His drawings and our site interview and reconstruction of the scene allowed me to generate a “forensic” style drawing of his experience.

My "forensic" drawing of Victor Zakruzny's recollection

 of his 1966 Westall UFO encounter, 

based on our onsite reconstruction during 2008

(drawing: Bill Chalker)

While Victor’s story has only been revealed recently he still impressed me as a witness telling a consistent story. 

I don’t think the evidence that witnesses like Victor share with us, should be diminished simply because they were described decades after the original event. Instead, when they are told with apparent compelling conviction of witnesses like Victor and Joy, we should accept them for what they seemed to be – genuine attempts at recollections of past events - and try to see how they fit into the daunting jig-saw puzzle that the large body of testimony of Westall ’66 testimony represents.  

 

Back in 1996 I concluded in my account of the events in my book "The OZ Files - the Australian UFO Story": "There is little doubt that something of an extraordinary nature was seen over the Westall school area and that at least one (UFO) appears to have landed and apparently left behind some physical traces. Numerous witnesses confirm these basic details. Other more exotic details vary in credibility ..."

DVDs of the excellent documentary

"Westall '66 - a suburban UFO mystery"

(Rosie Jones (director) & Carmel McAloon (producer))

http://www.westall66ufo.com.au/westall66ufo/

 

Skeptical and debunking players may uncritically embrace a HIBAL explanation for the Westall mystery but the impressive nature of much of the Westall testimony deserves far better.  I don’t think the answer for Westall ’66 is blowing in the wind.  I suspect it may be providing us with an extraordinary insight into the impact and nature of the UFO mystery if we have the skills, determination and insights to go beyond the curtains of the UFO theatre and reveal the real UFO mystery being played out in our little place in the cosmos.

 

My sincere condolences to Victor's family and friends.

UFO UAP encounters of the library kind

Libraries of all kinds hold a special fascination for me. Ah, yes, books … I’ll avoid a history of general literary delights, and here focus on some personal encounters of the library and book kind with UFOs and their current linguistic iteration – the UAP. While I am always motivated to do field investigations and direct enquiries into UFO UAP phenomena, I have encountered a lot of striking encounters of the library book kind.

 

It seems libraries and books have haunted my life, and continue to do so in fascinating, striking and delightful ways. 

 

For me personally one of my most amazing library discoveries was when I was apparently the first person to have examined in detail the “F.W. Birmingham Papers” in the University of Sydney Rare Books and Special Collections of Fisher Library on 2 August 2024, which had writing drawings and newspaper clippings gathered by 19^thcentury local surveyor, engineer and Parramatta council officer, Frederick William Birmingham, elaborating on the strange and remarkable experiences, I had first been alerted to way back in 1975. Birmingham had described seeing a mysterious flying “ark” landing in Parramatta Park, going inside the “machine to go through the air” with the apparent “ark” pilot – a “spirit” – being “like a neutral tint shade and the shape of a man in his usual frock dress”.  Further events followed, including an event seemingly described as actual day time witnessed observation of strange clouds with a strange aerial object in March, 1873. Other strange events like poltergeist and prophetic type incidents, were described, leading Birmingham to an obsession to learn the secret of “the aerial machine.”  It was an extraordinary moment for me to hold and examine Birmingham’s drawing of “the Rover”, his plan for a “flying machine” inspired by his “UFO vision” of 1868.  See my detailed account at 

https://theozfiles.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-birmingham-ufo-vision-manuscript.html

and UFO Truth e-magazine Issue 68 July/August 2024

 

Yet another wild UFO library momentum – “On the steps of a “magnificent obsession” – UFOs, UAP and the Mitchell Library” – “Here on the steps of a wonderful "magnificent obsession" is this group of people, many of whom have their own "magnificent obsession" with the UFO (UAP) subject.  The steps are the north western steps of the Mitchell Library in Sydney, located just to the right of the red arrow ("Mitchell Building entrance") on the State Library of NSW map. The date: Saturday 28 October 2023. In 2007 Brian Fletcher provide an excellent account of the story of the Mitchell Library, which was entitled "Magnificent Obsession."

“The group assembled on the Mitchell steps, had been there with a full house for the booked out Close Encounters Australia sponsored lecture event with Ross Coulthart, author of "In Plain Sight - An Investigation into UFOs and impossible science", now in a revised and updated edition (2 new chapters - "Lock your doors!" and "The Biggest Story Ever ...").

See my detailed account at

http://theozfiles.blogspot.com/2023/11/on-steps-of-magnificent-obsession-ufos.html

 

“This most recent excellent UFO event at the Mitchell reminded me of past visits to the Mitchell and NSW State Library. Back in 1996 1954 Sea Fury pilot/UFO witness joined me and supported my book launch of "The OZ Files" on "a dark and stormy night" at the Metcalf Auditorium at the Mitchell/State Library - one of the worse storms to hit Sydney for a while - a wild launch indeed. While spending long hours in the Mitchell reading old newspapers and micro film searching for historical UFO/UAP reports, I met a fellow Fortean researcher Paul Cropper and we became friends from that point on.  I did a lot of research into the 1868 Parramatta "UFO vision" of Frederick William Birmingham after confirming at the Mitchell he was a real resident of historical Parramatta and they had some of his survey maps. There were many other UFO related threads and plus the hard copy availability of material on my first Australian ancestor William Chalker led me to the Mitchell/State Library. 

“Many magnificent obsessions have been nourished at the Mitchell/State Library.” 

 

The Society for UAP Studies, for which I am an advisor, has begun community reading circles, focusing on “a careful reading of current UAP Studies works in conjunction with more traditional academic and scientific work that can put the texts in UAP Studies in proper context. As the science and scholarship on the subject of UAP and related phenomena increases in appeal and acceptance, it is important to keep grounded in works that help foster a wider critical - and historical - perspective.” While time zone differences are often a difficulty for me, I recommend this ongoing book calibration activity. 

See: https://www.societyforuapstudies.org/community-reading-circle

 

I was pleased to see Bryce Zabel and Chrissy Newton started “a morning-show-style book club made for readers who want to explore the unknown with a hot drink in hand and curiosity on full blast” on 28 May 2025 with the 2021 book “The Believer – Alien Encounters, Hard Science and the Passion of John Mack” by Ralph Blumenthal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ORwjCiaL-Y

 

Back in 2021 I wrote about “The Believer” from personal, general and fascinated perspectives in a brief piece on my blog “The OZ Files” and in more detail in UFO Truth (48: March/April 2021 entitled “The Believer: a tale of 2 books & me”, stating: 

“Its unusual when 2 books come out about the same time, each with the same title, particularly when, in part, they share similar themes. In this case, we have: 

"The Believer - Encounters with love, death & faith" by Sarah Krasnostein (Scribe, Melbourne, Australia, 2021)

"The Believer - Alien Encounters, Hard Science, and the passion of John Mack" by Ralph Blumenthal (High Road Books, an imprint of the University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, USA, 2021)

 

I wrote, “What are the chances?” visiting American UFO
and Roswell researcher Don Schmitt was saying
to my friend George Simpson, a Melbourne based UFO researcher. George was on the way to Westall, in Melbourne with author Sarah Krasnostein along for the ride, the conversation and content for a book she was researching. George gives his passengers (Don and Sarah) the Westall ’66 UFO tour and story, describing the April 1966 Westall school UFO event. What drew Don Schmitt’s response, was what George was also telling him what Sarah Krasnostein would describe in her 2021 book "The Believer - Encounters with love, death & faith" as “one of the best stories I have ever heard.” See pages 225–229 of her book
“The Believer.” It’s a very strange story involving
a possible bizarre scenario that may have played out in the October 1978 disappearance of Frederick Valentich, while he was flying over Bass Strait. A South Australian farmer visiting Coonabarabran in NSW, who apparently had brought a property in the area, told a hardware store owner, that at his SA property back in October 1978 he had witnessed a UFO which had an apparently intact Cessna light aircraft Cessna attached to its side. 

 

“The story had the farmer scratching down the
call sign of the plane on his tractor. It allegedly matched the call sign of the Cessna Valentich was flying. Sarah Krasnostein quotes me in her book
as calling the account “extraordinarily bizarre
and unbelievable.” Frustratingly, the SA farmer’s account lacked a name, so no confirmation was possible. Unstated in “The Believers”, my research, assisted by George Simpson, found yet another farmer, who had an even more elaborate account, but one that was suppose to have happened on
his property in southern New South Wales. Similar elements were featured, making us wonder if he had somehow heard the original tale and made it his own. Yet another, ultimately frustrating story. 

 

“I described the story under the title “Strange days, strange tales – a Valentich connection?” in my UFO Truth column in the 3rd issue (September/October, 2013) and on my OZ Files site: https:// theozfiles.blogspot.com/search?q=Coonabarabran

 

Sarah Kranostein’s book had a much broader canvas than just UFOs and UAP. I wrote in 2021, “There is a broad brush of human experience - dying a good death, ghost investigations, creationists, a woman who murdered her abusive husband, a religious "cult" choir and UFOs. With the UFO aspect, Westall, the Valentich disappearance, Roswell and UFO believers are included.” 

 

Of Ralph Blumenthal’s “The Believer”, I wrote back in 2021, “In what could be seen as another “What are the chances?” moment”, another book with the same title by Ralph (co-author of the December 2017 New York Times UAP/UFO breakout story) came out in the United States
in a similar time frame: "The Believer - Alien encounters, hard science, and the passion of John Mack". I also have a small cameo in that book. Peter Khoury (the main subject of my 2005 book “Hair of the Alien”) and I got to know John personally and professionally during his visits to Australia. My My tribute to John Mack written in September 2004 - “John Mack’s Transpersonal Journey Continues” got into the question of seeking physical evidence:

“Like all of us I found the news of John Mack’s untimely passing very saddening.

While some of us might not have agreed with some of the directions John was taking the subject in, I think the field has been enriched by his involvement. When he was in Australia I supported his research into indigenous aboriginal abduction & UFO experiences — an area we both had a strong interest in, particularly its shamanic dimensions. On the hurdles he often encountered, particularly from mainstream academia, he once told me what he felt. Maybe his response was coloured by spending too much time in Australia, but clearly he enjoyed his time down down under. His response: “Fuck ‘em”. I smiled and wished him well. He was always a courageous and wonderful researcher. Full speed John on the rest of your transpersonal journey.”

 

My interest in UFOs developed as a young teenager growing up in the mid sixties with a strong interest in science and unexplained phenomena.  January 1966, saw my hometown, Grafton, in northern New South Wales, become the focus of widely reported UFO activity.  Many people, including local police, reported sightings. 

 

The afternoon Sydney “Sun” newspaper of June 5, 1966 carried the story:

“FOLLOW THAT SAUCER! 2 police in Grafton chase …”

“Two police constables “chased” a flying saucer around Grafton last night.  The object, which they said changed its colour from white to red, led the two men in a police vehicle all over the district for about two hours.  It then disappeared southwest of the city.

“Constables E. Mercer and P. Woodman were sitting in Grafton police Station at 8 p.m. when a man called, saying there was a “funny looking” thing in the sky.  The two policemen went outside and saw the bright object hoveringover Grafton.  They trained binoculars on the object, which had begun moving to the south of the city at slow speed.  By this stage, the police switchboard was jammed with calls from people who said they had seen the object.  The constables got into a police car and began following it across the city.  As it moved about 1500 ft above the ground its colour changed from white to red and then back to white.

“The policemen described the object as “just a large light without any apparent centre.”  They called their station and reported that they would keep on the mystery objects trail in case it landed.  After two hours, the object moved off at high speed and disappeared.  Constable K. Crossingham said today a similar object had been seen off Harwood Island, about 30 miles north-east of Grafton, last week.”

 

I can recollect that there was a great deal of excitement and interest locally.  Alas I was not among the witnesses, but the events did encourage more interest.  Long duration night time sightings often turned out to have some sort of astronomical explanation but in this case the usual suspects Venus, Jupiter and Sirius were not present in the night sky at the times and directions described.  The extent of the movements described, also seem to preclude an astronomical explanation.  Other possibilities such as balloons and other prosaic identifications also are difficult fits.  So it seems it was a mystery.  Other police in areas like Lismore and Casino figured in nocturnal UFO chases in the weeks and months that followed during what seemed an intense localized UFO flap.

 

My town had borne witness to the UFO mystery.  Through deepening research, I was just starting to learn of the scale of the UFO mystery.  

 

Within a few years I seemed to be bearing witness to a funeral – the death of the UFO mystery.  Looming towards that destination, I was devouring everything I could find on the UFO subject.  

 

I had found intriguing sources of UFO information in my high school library.  One day Mrs. Colleen Haigh, the Grafton High School librarian, noting my growing reading obsession, asked me what I was focusing on. I showed her that I was particularly reading through all the “Science & Mechanics” magazine articles that were running UFO and flying saucer articles many by writer Lloyd Mallan.  Much of this material was brought together in a 1968 paperback book “The Official Guide to UFOs”.  Within days, Mrs. Haigh called me over to her librarian desk. She gave me a book to keep, her own hardback copy of “Flying Saucers have Landed” by Desmond Leslie and George Adamski.  I was not much impressed by George Adamski’s tales of meeting spacemen, but Desmond Leslie’s eccentric accounts of flying saucers in centuries past intrigued me. I just had to check the original sources for his contribution to UFO history before 1947 and his embroidered ancient alien and flying saucer stories. I still have the school librarian’s gift in my own library.  During 2010 in a class of 1970 reunion visit to Grafton High School, former students were given a nostalgic tour, by the retiring principal and some current school students.  In the new library I was pleasantly surprised to find a copy of my 1996 book “The OZ Files – the Australian UFO story.” I was photographed with the principal signing my own book, to perhaps increase its readership among current students. 

 

During the late 1960s and the beginning of the the 1970s, the Grafton town library was often my second home. It was there in 1969 that I encountered a hard back book copy of the “tombstone” of the UFO “funeral” – “The Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects” – the notorious Condon committee report.  I read through it many times, cover to cover.  Instead of finding a massive ode to a funeral for the UFO mystery, I was stunned to find that the body of case data and the conclusions seemed remarkably inconsistent.  About a third of the cases studied by the Condon committee were unexplained.  That didn’t stop the project’s director Dr. Edward Condon from concluding that there was nothing of scientific merit in the UFO problem.  Dr. Condon even argued for discouraging students from studying the subject.

 

I was by then a UFO student, developing a growing passion for science, who concluded the Condon report was bad science.  Some good data, but some troubling, skewed conclusions. Instead of discouraging me, it made me want to engage with the UFO subject more deeply.  I wanted to try to understand the extraordinary disconnection between massive worldwide human experience and this manifestation of mainstream science declaring that the UFO mystery had no merit. 

 

What I was starting to understand through all this early literature and case research was that this was no funeral I was witnessing.  Rather, this was a massive suppression of worldwide human experience of something extraordinary.

 

Given all this library and book interactions it is hardly surprising that I have developed a rather large library of my own, with a significant part of it being taken up by the mystery of UFOs and related matters.  I prefer the presence of actual books, rather than the digital book, but when space, availability and budgetary issues intrude, I’ve accumulated a large digital library.

 

I was asked to do a podcast interview for a local Sydney person Jack Caulfield during this month of June 2025.  His new developing podcast – The Caulfield - was not focused on UFOs, but seems to be like the average guy tracking down folks who are singularly focused on specific interests his first 2 guests were covering different things: 

Professor Geraint Lewis is a Cosmologist at The University of Sydney discussing stuff beyond Earth, but was of the “Rare Earth” school, namely we on Earth are it, in terms of intelligent life in the universe, a position I don’t agree with.  The idea that we are the most intelligent life form in the universe is problematic and somewhat depressing.

Professor Gigi Foster is an award winning economist, author, and outspoken public intellectual known for her work in behavioural economics and her commentary on public policy, education, and COVID-19 responses. The interview dives into her views on lockdowns, vaccines, society, and the role of critical thinking in public debate.

I gather our interview will be up during July 2025. Worth a look for diverse subject matters and different view points.

https://www.youtube.com/@TheCaulfieldPod

 

To get an idea of his format I watched the first interviews, which I found interesting.  I thought, to drive our interview along, I would bring along a small focused part of my library.  Take a look at that mini-view of my library and where the interview goes.  I had fun.

 

The library book thing reared it head again, providing a good resource when I was finding it difficult to get a full copy of the special UAP (UFO) issue of the journal Progress in Aerospace Sciences 2025, Volume 156 – off to Macquarie University and their relatively new Waranara Library.  Despite not being directly affiliated, the library enabled my direct digital access to the whole journal, wading my way through what is a great “shot across the bow” to mainstream research – hey guys and girls, here is a scientific problem worth you focus, that you have largely ignored or marginalised.  Here-in are a huge array of sources to enable some serious catching up – a serious turning point in mainstream science and the need to really focus on the UFO UAP problem.  Time to get serious. I’ve been suggesting that now for 5 decades – what took you so long. The journal Progress in Aerospace Sciences 2025, Volume 156

Here are just 2 articles from of that UAP dedicated special issue:

“The New science of Unidentified Aerospace-Undersea Phenomena (UAP)” by Kevin Knuth et.al (meaning there are a lot of authors and a huge resource in data and digital referencing)

 

“Estimates of radiative energy values in ground-level observations of an unidentified aerial phenomenon: New physical data”
Jacques F. Vallée, Luc Dini, Geoffrey Mestchersky They have re-examined a case from the Condon Report.  Here is the abstract: 


"An exceptional observation of an anomalous object, recorded as ‘unidentified’ by the US Air Force and in the1969 final report of the University of Colorado (“Condon”) study of UAPs, has been re-examined by a Franco-American scientific team.

The observation took place on the evening of December 30, 1966, on an isolated highway traversing a forest near Haynesville, Louisiana. Early in 1967 the main witness, a professor of atomic physics named Louie A. Galloway, reported the case to Project Blue Book of the USAF. Pro-active investigation by one of the authors (JV) brought it to the attention of Professor Edward Condon, himself a noted atomist who had worked under Project Manhattan. Dr. Condon and his team had just begun an official re-examination of UFO (UAP) phenomena under funding of the US Air Force.

The case, which centered on a well-defined luminous object at ground level, led to energy estimates from 500 to 1400 MW, in the range of a small modern nuclear power plant. Significantly, it was one of a number of cases carried as ‘Unidentified’ in Dr. Condon's final report to the National Academy of Sciences in 1969.

Subsequent to that Academy report, significant work was continued at the site by civilian investigators who confirmed the data, augmented by night photography flights. The team returned to the area with the primary witness, located the exact place of observation and gathered new data, notably about the nature of burns evidenced on the trees, which had not been available to Dr. Condon and his assistants.

Samples of the burned and intact bark were obtained by our own team, and they were preserved until it became possible to properly analyze the material.

The burn analysis data presented here was obtained at the laboratories of the French Atomic Energy Commission in Saclay, France. We present our results with the understanding that the study will benefit from further discussion within the larger scientific community."

 

Ah, a UFO (UAP) physical trace case from 1966 – the year for UFO landings, such as Tully, Westall and Burkes Flat, and these are just some of the good ones from Australia – a focus I had been documenting and publicising for many decades. Good to see that mainstream science might actually be catching up.  The journal Progress in Aerospace Sciences 2025, Volume 156 special UAP issue will be a game changer, I think.