The Birmingham "UFO vision" manuscript via Herbert Rumsey has been found and viewed

Imagine learning of a strange and fascinating document back around 1975 that purported to be a copy of a memorandum book of a possible UFO milieu involving a “vision” of a mysterious flying “ark” that landed in Parramatta Park, Sydney, back in 1868, that a local surveyor, engineer and council officer, Frederick William Birmingham, had described 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.”

 

That was the broad nature of the 1868 – 1873 Parramatta Park mystery attributed to Frederick William Birmingham in a document described as a “COPY FROM THE MEMORANDUM BOOK OF Fred. Wm. BIRMINGHAM, The Engineer to the Council of Parramatta. A MACHINE TO GO THROUGH THE AIR. A.D. 1873.”

 

So began my examination of this fascinating historical account with a focus on establishing if the document was an authentic copy of a real historical document, determining if Birmingham was a real person, and examining the nature of the account.  

 

The following link will take you to some of the research carried out into this intriguing saga:

https://theozfiles.blogspot.com/search?q=Birmingham

 

Recently, discussing the Birmingham story with Spain based researcher Chris Aubeck, we covered some old territory, some possible new relevant areas of enquiry, and that he intended to correct errors in his earlier research in a further article. He mentioned there was one link to Birmingham material, he had not been able to check and it was in the University of Sydney Rare Books and Special Collections of Fisher Library.  It was described as [Letters to the editor of the Cumberland Mercury and Sydney Echo on Parramatta water supply and on aeronautics, also manuscript notes and receipts [ / [Frederick William Birmingham], 13 items, manuscript and a date range of 1864-1884.  This seemed intriguing so I told Chris I would attempt to get access as soon as I could and advise accordingly.

 

I examined the holding on Friday 2 August 2024, and I was amazed by what was there.  The collections staff advised me that there was not any information on its provenance, or how the material came to be filed there, and it appeared I was the first person to have examined the material. The contents quickly alerted me to their likely provenance and possible timing of their placement with the university. The presence of an empty “Rumsey’s Honest Seeds” bag, annotated with handwriting with “F.W. Birmingham Papers”, in the collection, clearly meant to me that it was material that Herbert Rumsey had acquired from Birmingham in the last few years of his life.  Birmingham died in December 1892. I had examined other Rumsey holdings before based on leads from his descendants and through other research.  I even got briefly excited when I examined Rumsey holdings in the Mitchell Library in Sydney and spotted a small black covered notebook, which approximated the description I had been given of Birmingham’s note book. Unfortunately, there was nothing relevant to Birmingham.  Herbert Rumsey, a well known horticulturalist and local history researcher, had written a letter in 1911 which was published in at least 2 separate newspapers - originally published in the Sydney based farmers newspaper “The Farmer and the Settler” on 21 November 1911 and in “The Richmond River Herald” on 5 December 1911 (the latter, which Chris Aubeck published in his 2013 report “Birmingham’s Ark”, has the rather uninformative headline: “Surveyed Melbourne and Grafton. Some Ancient History.” Chris did not publish the “The Farmer and Settler” account, which I found and published on my “Oz Files” blog site. It had a much more interesting headline: “An Early Day Surveyor thought he had discovered the secret of flying”). The importance of the Rumsey letter is that it clearly refered to Birmingham’s “vision” of July 1868, by both referring to the word “vision” and the date and year described in the only document we had so far - the copy I received in 1975 from Fred Phillips (honorary president of UFOIC). There could no longer be any doubt about the general nature of the story revealed in the 1950s copy of Birmingham’s “memorandum book”, lending further hope that something of an earlier vintage, perhaps Birmingham’s original material or more contemporary copies, may yet be found, and even better still, Birmingham’s diary and “flying machine” drawing. 

 

Now, on 2 August 2024, I finally had before me, some handwritten Birmingham memorandum extracts and a drawing apparently made by Birmingham of the “Rover”, a “flying machine” concept inspired by his 1868 vision. Later that night I sent Chris Aubeck an initial description of the holdings, perhaps made somewhat incoherent by the latest of the hour: 

(parts of the email have been corrected to tidy it up - B.C.)

Hi Chris,

I would say it went far better than I expected, but the materials will probably give sustenance to a range of ideas.

I will be brief as the hour is very late here, (I might be hallucinating Birmingham “steam monkey punk” “visions”) and I have significant commitments both Saturday and Sunday, which will probably I wont be able to develop a formal post until next week.

The file is Rumsey’s material, what he calls “F.W. Birmingham papers” apparently kept in a “Rumsey’s Honest seeds” bag, establishing provenance with the substance of Rumsey’s 19111 letter.

The materials are 3 small notebook sheets/pages presumably removed from a Birmingham notebook, revealing 6 pages in Birmingham's hand writing.  Parts of it refer to the material captured in Homan’s copy, but also covered is the “Victoria’s conspiracy” revealed in November 1873 (the same as the quotes via Ramsey he claims Birmingham referred to frequently”) revealed by “the same spirit (of 1868 ….)”, but with additions “Dec 4th 1873 (vision) the yellow hair (i.e.’Saxon’) and Mifs (sic?) long black single hair with a noose (underlined) upon it! I expect a call now in 3 hours … So in came the Father - Langly J.P wanting me to tell the Governor what I knew about any new machinery yes (difficult to make out some words) …”. He writes about commencing “teetotalism’ on October 20th 1862. "and have kept it to the present” (1868? as its mention in writing re July 1868, similarly to Homan’s copied text), refers to the daylight sighting, and clocks stopping as we’' (something missing in my early morning despatch – B.C.).

Theres a fragmented tourist map of Washington DC which seems to confirm he may have stayed at the National Hotel corner of  6 Street west and 7 streets west, with a hand written annotation on the back that includes the following: “I left it (Washington DC) (30 May 1887) by rail. Got to N York and sailed for Panama & San Francisco on June 1st and land for … 4 days quarantine on 4th of July. left Frisco on the (no day written) of July for Sydney and Parramatta”.

There are a number of informative newpaper clippings some annotated by him.  For example he writes the pseudonym “A Protestant” (by the way in his notes to Bishop Barker as the floating head back in July 1868) and he hand annotates this with “written by F.W. Birmingham Parramatta” in a letter to the Protestand Standard circa March 1876 on “John Giles on “Babylon, Elijah, & c”, confirmimg his deep Protestant religious convictions ending in “Because the Holy Ghost teaches us that in Christ’s light our souls shall yet see the fulfilment of that most gracious promise - eternal life.” He is clearly no spiritualist mediated “rational religious” adherent.

The 1875 letter we are familar with appears in this material as a clipping from Saturday January 24,1874 Cumberland Mercury with 1868 referred to, but there is an additional letter from January 21, 1874.

Plus, there is his drawing of the “Rover” with extensive annotations in his writing on a piece of “STEAM MONKEY” product description sheet.

And some receipts.

To belated bed! I have a busy weekend ahead with other commitments.

Regards, Bill

As I had a very busy week with many other commitments I followed up on 10 August with the following:

Hi Chris, I’ll be doing a detailed post which should emerge in coming days.  Here are some preliminaries.

I’ve been comparing Birmingham and Rumsey writing and it appears all this is apparently in Birmingham’s hand.

The Rover drawing but this was made apparently by Birmingham dated September 29 1892 only months before he passed away:

The Steam Monkeys background is related to Pile Driver testimonial document.  For a moment I was in “steam punk” territory.

 

Rumsey’s “filing system” which contained the “F W Birmingham papers” establishing provenance from Birmingham to Rumsey:

 

Here I’m holding one of 6 pages, apparently in Birmingham’s handwriting - the “manuscript” part of the library’s holding - note these are extracts, a pattern followed in the other 5 pages, referring to other diaries.  Birmingham may have preapared these for Ramsey, or he already had done them. The pages that cover the “vision” (1868) and the daylight sighting seem consistent with the Homan copy but less detailed. These extracts are what seems to be what Rumsey used to creat his 1911 letter, but Rumsey still made mistakes:

 

Birmingham’s To London in Four Days letter dated 22 January 1874 appears here in his clipping of the Cumberland Mercury of 24 January 1874, which correctly prefaces it with a reference to the 1868 vision.  There is also a follow up letter by Birmingham responding to queries from a Mr. N.W. Thomas that appears during February 1874.  There is nothing on Trove for the Cumberland Mercury in 1874:

 

There is a lot more which will give sustenance to various takes on Birmingham’s story. 

Fascinating,

Regards, Bill

 

The Birmingham “manuscript” via Herbert Rumsey: 

(transcribed by Bill Chalker August 2024 subject to correction)

Memorandums; F.W.B. ____ ¹ 

On October 20^thA.D. 1862, I commenced “teetotalism” and have kept it to the present and D.V. I purpose Same to the end of my life.

On or about 25 & 26^thJuly 1868, the vision of the vision of theheads in the air (Right rev.d Bishop Barker, “Metropolitan Bishop – and diming and showing Sir J.L. Martin’s and again the Bishop’s head, neck, & ties, then on looking up again for the Head – the “ark” was visible (and not the Head) I said ‘that’s a beautiful vefsel’ the holy spirit on my right hand said “that’s a machine to go through the air”.  I replied – ‘it appears to me more like a vessel for going on the water’ but, ‘At all events, it’s the lovliest thing I ever saw.     F.W.

My Memorandums

the Spirit replied, “Have you a wish to Enter upon it”? I said “Yes” – “Then Come” -  said the Spirit, it had now rested on the grass – and both of Us were lifted through the air onto the deck.  the Spirit as I stood moved towards the bow – the deck sounded hollow - , an air Cylinder was shown me as its use, by two signs. then the hatch, the Spirit going partly down, then returned bade me “Step in” or “down” 3 steps into the Steering room, the wooden walls & Side, & End were very thick i.e. strong looking. there seemed only a table _^ (or box shape) and Space for walking round it (the Sp^t. passes on deck to the Stern: I stood at the near End of the table with my fore fingers & thumbs on the Edge of the table, downcast and repenting like ‘why did I say yes? for I Know nothing about it’ in this mood I remained

Continued: - F.W. Birmingham ⁽³

For some time when I was addrefsd by the Spirit (on my right hand and on the side of the table) saying “Here are some papers for your guidance” – I looked and thought the figures and formulas hard or difficult

So I replied ‘Oh will I want them?’ 

answered thus, “It is absolutely necessary that you “Should Know these things.” – “but”, “you “Can study them as you go on.”----

After looking well to the top paper (printed papers they appeared) I cast my eyes downward and upon looking up for another view of the papers I found I was alone in the machine! –

N.B. the figures I saw in this _^(machine) came some 12 months afterwards into mypossefsion!!. F.W. Birmingham.

On the 27^thof March 1871 in the forenoon the verandah gate’s latch rose thrice!!

‘Now you cannot ‘rise’ said I after seeing well to it _^(for the third time) but it did!!!

(See full acc^t. in other – March ^_diary. F.W.B

My Memorandums

On the 15^thApril 1872. first insight

‘In the name of goodnefs how can I overcome gravity? Said I. then I felt a slight rub on my left Ear and the same voice I heard in the “ark” or “Machine to go through the air” said “Are not the sides greater than a third?”

‘Yes’ said I – If I can get the sides to help I can get up.’ F.W.B 

Dec.4^th. 1873 (vision) the yellow hair (i.e.’Saxon’) and Mifs L’^slong black single hair with a nooseupon it!

I expecteda Call out in 3 hours ..

So in came the Father – Langly.J.P wanting me to tell the Governor what I knew about any new machinery to.

“His Gov^r. told him he was very much like Gladstone the British premier & c.  &c I sent or requested Him to inform the Governor about 

N.B. Many a(unclear crossed out writing)the Assassinating decision of the British Gov.^t,

Continued. F.W. Birmingham.

And I doubt not, he has done so.

Langly has come to me during the last dozen years or so _^(as a “bush telegraph” messenger) – Then invitation to Port Hacking in Parkes’s premiership in A.D. 1874 Came from the Red Dragonalias the Secret Afsassins – the Gladstone Ministry! (See Subsequent Entries. F.W. Birmingham.

__________________________________________________________________________

On or about the month of November Anno Domino. 1873. The same Spirit ^{^}(of 1868 who explained the Ark to) revealed to me thus (vision ok(?))

“The British Government – have 

“decided – after Considering the 

“Circumstances of Your case – that

“AS you have discovered their 

“Secret You ought to Suffer 

“death.”!!! 

This revelation I believe firmly to be true and many small Signs Since all trend as circumstantial evidences but this voice I Knew, and true it is. F.W.B.

Memos Cont^d. F.W. Birmingham (⁵

On or about Sunday Ev^g(evening?) (ab^t7 pm) Mach (March) 9^th  A.D. 1873 – the three small clouds the Centre one showing me the rotating rods etc. plainer than Ever Pharaoh’s dream twice – but this, of mine, was by daylightand in (?)immediate reply to my thoughts etc – See diary for acct. of this wonder.

_______________________

Sunday about January (10^th?)1873. In answer to my enquiring when the machine w.^d (would?)be done or discovered by me? Instanter (sic?)three loud knocks on the iron roof and three lesser ones – Ergo – 3 years and three months _^or 33 years and by April this year (seems like a tick?) A.D. 1876 or 3 + 3 = 6 years (told …?) F.W. or 3X3 – 9 years?

__________________________________________________________________________

Dec.^r7^th(Sunday) 1873.  The Clock and watch both stopped at 10.30. (4 ~) am (am)

Strange to say they went on again and after half an hour stoppage return right!! 

  

 

Here at last last was a drawing of Birmingham’s “Rover” apparently by Birmingham:

 

Note the date of “Rover” drawing – Sept. 19^th’92 – Birmingham died on December 16^th, 1892 & was buried on December 19^th1892 – 3 months later – another Trinity?

 

Here in the collection was an earlier newspaper account (than 1875) of Birmingham’s letter of 22 January 1874 to the editor of the Cumberland Mercury: “TO LONDON IN FOUR DAYS! AERONAUTICS – (SHOWN IN A VISION A.D. 1868)” published on 24 January 1974:

The clipping in the collection was annotated on the back by “F.W.B.” with “Aeronautics” underlined:

 

A further letter by Birmingham dated 19 February 1874 following up a reader’s enquiry was published complete with cryptic allusions to his daylight sighting of March 9^th, 1873, and indicating he had not yet made a model of “the machine to go through the air”, “Freely I got and freely I give it”, Birmingham writes.:

 

In Rumsey’s Birmingham paper’s collection there appears a Sydney Morning Herald article dated 19 August, 1891 on Maxim’s “experimental flying machine” (“really a steam kite”) with an apparent annotation by Birmingham as “no good: … (word obscured by ink smudge) wrong.” Birmingham only had a few months to live.

 

There is a letter in “The Protestant Star” 1 April 1876, where Birmingham identifies himself as the anonymous letter writer – “A Protestant” - he hand annotates this with “written by F.W. Birmingham Parramatta” in a letter to the Protestand Standard circa March 1876 on “John Giles on “Babylon, Elijah, & c”, confirming his deep Protestant religious convictions ending in “Because the Holy Ghost teaches us that in Christ’s light our souls shall yet see the fulfilment of that most gracious promise - eternal life.” He is clearly no spiritualist mediated “rational religious” adherent - views that were present in his memorandum book entries.

 

 

Birmingham annotates an opinion piece that appeared in the Sydney Echo newspaper (30 September 1882), about “England and America”, which perhaps coloured his “conspiracy theories”: “N.B. But not “the upper tenth” – “= i.e. the “Mysterious Babylon” – The “House full of names of Blasphemy.”

 

Despite the limited and fragmented nature of Herbert Rumsey’s archive of “Birmingham’s papers” and that Rumsey presented a somewhat flawed view of their contents in his 1911 letter, the material in the University of Sydney rare materials collection offers researchers much food for thought for interpretations of Birmingham’s strange account of “a machine to go through the air” in Victorian times.

The 2001 Gundiah Queensland UFO “abduction” of Amy Rylance

The 2001 Gundiah Queensland UFO “abduction” of Amy Rylance is an apparent hoax. Using it to support a theory of UFO explanation such as “time travellers” or “aliens” is inappropriate. Commentators who just use it as content fodder for their podcasts, posts, lectures, commentating and whatever, really need to rethink their investigative and research capacities and their credibility.  Using the case because it’s a “good story” is simply disappointing.  I utilised the case, after extensive investigation, field research and critical analysis, as a “case study” in what a forensic approach could yield. The case also contributes to the important need for care and critical quality control of the UFO data.  That’s why I continue to be impressed with the Peter Khoury experiences, the main focus of my book “Hair of the Alien”. 

It is sometimes not an easy or popular perspective in the complexities of UFO and UAP controversies. I know I would rather be basing my research in carefully calibrated data and information, not the vagaries of uncritical embrace of belief mediated enthusiasm.

Extracted from my 2005 book “Hair of the Alien” (Note: Endnotes 142 to 146)

 

When a “solid light” case involves a little physical evidence, a forensic approach can draw some metaphorical blood, as this … case clearly illustrates. 

 

The Abducted Gundiah Crime Scene 

 

In early October 2001 an alien abduction story involving a “solid light” made headlines throughout Australia and began attracting interest from around the world. The investigation of this controversial case followed a classic forensic “crime scene” approach involving three different police jurisdictions. The incident had occurred on Thursday, October 4, 2001, at a Gundiah property near Tiaro, in southern Queensland, and concluded in the early hours of Friday, October 5, 2001. The next day Diane Harrison, the well-respected director of the Australian UFO Research Network, called and filled me in on the rapidly unfolding events. Based near Brisbane, in southern Queensland, she had been talking to the key participants. Diane asked if I wanted to get involved in the investigation, and I quickly agreed. We knew it wouldn’t take long for the “UFO bandwagon” to uncritically embrace the Gundiah case as a cause célèbre. We were determined to try to unravel the events—whether fact or fiction. 

The three people involved in the alleged events behind this extraordinary tale of abduction, teleportation, time distortion, aliens, “solid light,” and physical traces were Keith Rylance, thirty-nine, his wife Amy, twenty-two, and their business partner, Petra Heller, thirty- five. Their Gundiah property was apparently being developed as the Whispering Winds winery, as well as a potential venue for motocross and other activities. The startling account that emerged from our interviews with them was fleshed out with primary source material such as TV interviews and a witness statement provided to police. This is the story they told. 

 

Thursday, October 4, 2001 

Keith Rylance told us that he had gone to sleep in the bedroom of his mobile home at about 9:30 p.m. Petra had retired to her bedroom in the annex of the mobile home. Amy stayed on a couch watching TV in the annex room they used as a lounge. These locations were in close proximity, separated by a window and wall respectively from the lounge. Petra’s room had a door leading to the lounge, which was left ajar. The door to the bedroom, where Keith was, was apparently open to the lounge. Amy apparently fell asleep on the couch. 

On this stormy night, at around 11:15 p.m., Petra was reportedly woken up. When she entered the adjacent lounge, she was confronted by an extraordinary sight, which allegedly quickly overwhelmed her. A bizarre rectangular beam of light was being projected through the open window of the lounge. This light beam appeared to be truncated at the end. Inside the beam, Petra claims to have seen Amy in a prone position, being carried out headfirst through the window. Underneath her, but still within the beam, were items that had been on the coffee table adjacent to the couch where Amy had been sleeping. Before fainting in shock, Petra noticed that the beam was coming from a disc-shaped UFO hovering just above the ground a short distance away, near a tree at the rear of a clear section of the property, immediately behind the mobile home annex. 

A short while later Petra regained consciousness and began screaming. The commotion woke Keith, who stepped into the lounge and was confronted by a highly agitated Petra. The items that were originally on the coffee table were now on the floor in front of the window. He told us that he then found that the window screen was torn both vertically and along the bottom of the window frame. Unable to get any sense out of Petra, Keith rushed outside, trying to locate Amy. She was nowhere to be found. Keith then managed to get Petra to tell him what had happened. He initially didn’t believe her. After a second search for his wife, Keith decided to call the police. 

Keith called the nearby Tiaro police around 11:40 p.m. reporting that his wife had been abducted and asked for help. Due to the short staff at that time of night, it took about an hour and a half after the initial call for Senior Constable Robert Maragna from Tiaro and an officer from Maryborough to arrive at the site of the incident. 

 

Friday, October 5, 2001 

The police officers initially suspected foul play, perhaps even murder, until the bizarre circumstances of the alleged events came into focus. The two people, Keith and Petra, claimed that their companion, Amy Rylance, had been abducted by a “spaceship”! As the officers struggled to keep an open mind, they were joined by the officer in charge of the Tiaro police, Sergeant John Bosnjak, who had been asleep when the police called him to assist in the investigation. 

The three officers then investigated the site. They had found Keith Rylance and Petra Heller in an agitated state. There was no sign of Amy Rylance. They examined the torn screen. The right side of a flowering bush, commonly known as “yesterday, today, tomorrow,” located to the left side of the window with the torn screen, looked as if it had been affected by heat. The police took samples for possible later testing. 

While the police were at the property, the phone rang and was picked up by Keith. A woman was calling to say that she had taken a somewhat distressed and apparently dehydrated young woman from a BP gas station on the northern outskirts of the central Queensland city of Mackay, some 790 kilometers by road to the north of the Gundiah-Tiaro area. The young woman turned out to be Amy Rylance, and the female caller explained that Amy was apparently all right, and was at the Mackay hospital, where a doctor had examined her. Keith handed the phone to Senior Constable Maragna. 

Given these extraordinary circumstances, Mackay police were called in, making a total of three police stations involved in the investigation— Tiaro, Maryborough, and Mackay. 

Keith Rylance gave the police the keys to the property, packed up a substantial amount of their business and personal gear into a van, and set off for Mackay with Petra. 

Meanwhile, at Mackay, Constable J. A. Hansen, of Mackay police, interviewed Amy Rylance, around 2:30 Friday morning. Amy completed a written statement, notarized with a Justice Act, attesting that the statement was true to the best of her knowledge and belief, and that if admitted as evidence, she would be liable to prosecution if she had indicated anything in it that she knew was false. 

This statement indicated that her last recollection was of lying on the couch at the Gundiah property. She had no awareness of the events that Petra described, but claimed her next awareness was of waking up lying on a bench in a strange rectangular room. Illumination came from the walls and the ceiling. She was alone. She indicated she called out and heard what seemed to be a male voice, asking her to be calm and that everything would be all right and that she would not be harmed. Soon an opening appeared in the wall and a slender “guy” about six feet tall and covered in a full bodysuit walked into the room. He appeared to have a black mask on his face, with a hole for his eyes, nose, and mouth. He repeated his calming assurances. Amy felt she had been there awhile. The “guy” told her they were returning her to a place not far from where they took her, because the lights were wrong at the property and it wasn’t safe. 

The next thing she recollects is waking up on the ground with trees around her. She felt disoriented. She could smell the ocean. She was not sure how long she tumbled through bushland—it seemed to be a long time—but she felt she wasn’t making much progress. She then came out onto a road that looked like a highway and saw a light from a gas station. She walked into the station, where the staff, seeing her state, offered assistance. She accepted some water, as she felt somewhat dehydrated. Initially she was unable to answer questions, and didn’t know where she was. She was also asked if she had been drinking or was on drugs, to which she said no. Amy indicated she felt tired, sore, drained, and lethargic. She asked a woman at the service station to take her to the hospital, as she didn’t know where else to go. The woman and her friend took Amy to the hospital. 

Later Amy spoke with two police officers and also spoke with her husband Keith from the hospital. She then went to Mackay police station where she gave her statement. Amy also indicated that this sort of thing had never happened to her before, but when she was in the fifth year of school she had seen a large UFO surrounded by smaller objects. 

The police arranged to put Amy in a motel pending the arrival of her husband. He and Petra arrived during the day and spent considerable time with Amy discussing what happened. They reportedly took extensive notes as well as photographs of a triangular arrangement of marks on her inner right thigh, marks on each heel, and the growing out of her hair, which she had dyed earlier in the week. Her hair had apparently started to show its former color, suggesting that considerable time had passed, certainly more than a few hours. Her body hair had allegedly also become somewhat more pronounced than would otherwise be apparent for the short time involved. 

Keith Rylance said he then began to learn about the UFO subject on the internet at a café and bought a copy of Australasian Ufologist magazine in Mackay. He then contacted the Australian UFO Research Network number mentioned in the magazine. Diane Harrison took the call and for the next hour or so listened to the story that Keith and Amy told. Petra was apparently sleeping at the time. 

I put a call through to Keith at the motel, securing permission to record the conversation. Once again Petra was not available to talk about her part in the alleged events. Keith Rylance went into considerable detail about the events, referring often to the notes they had apparently compiled during the day. The details described covered the events Petra had witnessed, what Keith had experienced, and what Amy told them had happened to her during her experience. Finally, I spoke with Amy, mainly about the events before and after the claimed onboard experiences, because Keith had already gone into considerable detail about the latter. 

Keith Rylance seemed to want to control how both media and investigators would get involved. His desire to contact the media promptly led both Diane and me to suggest that he should think very carefully about the possible ramifications of doing so. Keith seemed to feel that it was important to get the story out, as it would come out 

anyway and this way he could control the way it did. He was also trying to restrict the way the investigators could or should look into their experience. He claimed they didn’t need to prove the experience. While he didn’t directly witness the experiences, he now believed both Amy and Petra. I explained to Keith that we wanted to look into the situation very thoroughly. I also explained how certain basic sampling procedures we could do with Amy’s marks would be important in verifying their story. 

Since the story seemed destined to be a big one, Diane and I decided to undertake a detailed on-site investigation. Keith Rylance had told us that the three of them would wait for us to come to Mackay, as they were in no apparent hurry to return to Gundiah. They gave us permission to visit the property in Gundiah on the way. 

 

Tuesday, October 9, 2001 

Diane and I traveled to Gundiah, arriving at the Whispering Winds winery property, just after 10 p.m. Because of the late hour, we obtained permission from the witnesses to stay there overnight. The next day we continued our investigation. Keith had arranged for a neighbor to regularly check on the two pets left behind, namely a parrot and a kelpie dog. He indicated to us that it would be okay to let the dog off for a run. When we let the dog off, we observed its behavior. At one point it jumped up on the window with the damaged screen. This gave some support to the possibility that at least some, if not all, of the damage, could have been caused by the dog, and closer inspection confirmed this. We also inspected the damaged plant and found a possible prosaic cause for it as well—simple heat stress from hot sunlight. A healthy flowering bush of the same species at Mt. Bassett cemetery in Mackay revealed similar damage. We also spoke to the police about the case. 

 

Wednesday, October 10, 2001 

In Mackay, we focused our attention on the area where Amy Rylance returned and tried to reconstruct the circumstances of Amy’s return. We spoke with the BP gas service station staff that turned over surveillance videotape that might contain Amy’s visit. The more we investigated the case, the more questions we had about it. Keith Rylance indicated to us he would be available for questions when we got to Mackay, but it became clear to us early on the first day of our investigations there that this was probably not going to be the case. When we contacted the motel where they had been the night before, their third motel in Mackay, we learned they had already checked out that morning. 

 

Thursday, October 11, 2001 

We left messages on Keith’s mobile phone but didn’t hear from him until early in the afternoon of our second day, as we were leaving Mackay. He apologized for not being available, but indicated they had relocated to an unspecified location after having fled the area following a kind of “men in black” experience. Keith reported being pursued by a high-powered, dark brown four-wheel truck, which they managed to evade. We never managed to sample Amy’s marks. Keith fell back on his mantra that this sort of evidence was not necessary to prove their case. 

 

Monday, October 15, 2001 

We heard from Keith Rylance again, but we were largely unsuccessful in getting him to answer some of the questions and issues raised in our investigation. We made him aware that Tiaro police would like to hear from him. Our preliminary investigation report, which was completed by October 14, was circulated on the Internet and published in the Australasian Ufologist. 142

 

Thursday, October 18, 2001 

I spoke with Keith Rylance again. He recanted his men-in-black experience, which he had told me had caused them to flee Mackay. Keith also told me he had spoken with the Maryborough police, but I responded that all investigation had been handed back to Tiaro police, the original investigating station. I suggested again that they would like to speak with him. 

 

Friday, October 19, 2001 

Keith Rylance called. He was clearly angry about the preliminary report Diane and I had written. He said that we had got it wrong and cited errors, namely, we had given his age as 40 (he was 39) and Petra’s age as 39 (she was 35). Petra said, “I forgive you.” I said we had gleaned that information from media reports, but that the actual case data was accurately reported, given our limited access. Keith then mellowed a bit and agreed to answer my questions by e-mail so we could move on and start talking about the events, that is, the craft, the alien, and so on. We had hoped to speak with Amy and Petra separately and privately, in much more detail, but Keith was omnipresent as the primary source of information. 

 

November 2001 

The mass-circulation women’s magazine New Idea came out with a four- page story on the affair, which revealed many of the details Keith and Amy Rylance had conveyed to us. In the article Amy was quoted as saying, “I didn’t do this to grab media attention. I know it sounds far- fetched, but I know it’s real and that’s all that matters.” 

The author of the article wrote: “[We] were in contact with Keith and Amy and even slept at their Gundiah house. Bill, considered one of the best researchers in his field, spoke to Keith about his desire to take DNA and blood samples from Amy. He argues that obtaining biological 

evidence is crucial to support her claims the triangular puncture marks on her thigh are evidence of alien experimentation. However, Amy, Keith and Petra then fled Gundiah, and the UFO investigators haven’t been able to complete their research.” The writer then quoted Diane as describing the case as “extraordinary and controversial,” and saying, “There are too many unanswered questions to draw any real conclusions. We want to keep an open, objective mind before we conclude one way or the other.” 143 

 

December 2001 

Keith Rylance’s contact details, mobile phone and e-mail, were no longer functional. Diane and I were resigned to the fact that we would probably never get any responses or answers to the numerous issues and questions we had. We were now highly dubious of the case. 

 

October 2002 

On the anniversary of the alleged event, the Fraser Coast Chronicle newspaper asked, “Why did they do it?” The story argued that the affair had been a hoax and highlighted some of the numerous forensic issues we and the police had found back in October 2001, and had unsuccessfully been seeking answers to from the trio. 

The Tiaro police were not so circumspect: “The police file remains open and Sergeant Robert Maragna [of Tiaro police] would love to talk to Amy, Keith and Petra and give them the bill for the hours of police time that went into investigating the alien abduction. ‘There were too many inconsistencies in their story for it to be true,’ said Sergeant Robert Maragna. During a search of the property police found black hair dye, paper towels and the burnt out remains of two flood lights and electrical wiring in an incinerator about 20 meters from the annex. ‘The most damning evidence are the phone records,’ said Sergeant Maragna.” Calls came from a motel in Rockhampton, which is between Gundiah and Mackay, to the Gundiah home the day before. The police scenario had Amy already on her way to Mackay via the Rockhampton motel, with the black dye being used by Petra later to play the blond Amy. The newspaper also quoted the Tiaro mayor John Horrex, however, who still believed the trio’s story of an alien abduction.144 

 

March 2003 

We were contacted by an overseas source who suggested the saga had more to do with some misguided secret Scientology “mission” to find a buried spaceship, as described in the Mission Earth science fiction series by Scientology’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard. The scenario seemed unbelievable, but the source claimed intimate knowledge of the incident. However, when we were at the Tiaro police station back in October 2001, we were shown a notebook, apparently owned by Petra, which the police had removed from the Gundiah property. The police were suspicious, as it seemed to have some strange content they thought might be connected to the weird story under investigation. I recognized some of its content as being related to Scientology, the words “Thetan” and “clearing,” for example, and then thought that it probably wasn’t relevant to our inquiries.145But given this new information, maybe it was. Recalling that the Gundiah property was called Whispering Winds, Diane mentioned that Hubbard, lived out his last years on a remote property in the United States— “It is a quiet place, a perfect place to hide.” 146It’s name? Whispering Winds! 

____________________________________________________________________

 

142 “The Gundiah Mackay Abduction Milieu” by Bill Chalker and Diane Harrison, Australasian Ufologist, Vol. 5 No. 4 2001, pp. 26–28. 

143 “The UFO Report—I Was Abducted by Aliens” by “Kate Johns,” New Idea, November 17, 2001, pp. 32–35. 

144 The “Fraser Coast Chronicle” series by Kevin Corcoran was published on October 11–12, 2002, with the following headlines: “Why did they do it?” “And where are they now? Beam of light carries woman through window to 1.8 m alien” “If a hoax—police say it was—what reason?” “Mayor reckons affair certainly was no hoax” and “Researchers find story did not add up.” 

145 Years before I had read Christopher Evans book Cults of Unreason (1973). 

146 See Bare Faced Messiah by Russell Miller (1987), 372. 

 

Note: Further enquiries indicated that the affair may have been some misguided or bizarre scientology mediated saga, which seemed more convoluted and unbelievable than the suspect UFO story. So much of the information we had gathered, some with the assistance of police, pointed towards a hoax.  None of our many critical questions and queries were satisfactorily responded to. Information gathered later increased our certainty that our final conclusion was that the case was a hoax.  A wider family connection with Keith Rylance indicated that he had told them it had been a hoax.  Some prominent UFO researchers, commentators and theorists have uncritically accepted the case as impressive and solid, some basing their positions largely on our initial preliminary report. None of these people actually investigated the case. Nor have they approach us for an update or our opinion.

 

“Tommy Leader”: Tom Dalton-Morgan and the 3% UFO solution

In my 1996 book “The OZ Files – the Australian UFO story” I drew attention to Ken Llewellyn’s account of Tom Dalton-Morgan’s UFO sighting at Woomera, in South Australia, which apparently took place in the late 1950s. I also described the story in my Australian chapter in the 2012 book “UFOs and Government – A Historical Inquiry” – “The Australian Military and the Official Government Response.”

 

 

 

From the OZ Files: 

“AN INSIDER REVEALS THE RAAF PARANORMAL EXPERIENCE

 

“It came as a great surprise to many when the RAAF Senior Public Relations Officer in Canberra, Ken Llewellyn, wrote a book called Flight into the Ages, about ‘incredible true stories of airmen on the earth plane and beyond’. The book, released in February 1992, carried the disclaimer that it did not represent the official view of the RAAF on paranormal activities. It described ghost encounters, past lives, psychic experiences, and most interestingly of all, accounts of UFO experiences…

 

“(One) of Ken Llewellyn’s prominent sources was Group Captain Tom Dalton-Morgan. He had been part of a combined Royal Air Force and United States Air Force committee in the late 1940s investigating UFO sightings. It had concluded that most reports could be explained except for 3 per cent. Dalton-Morgan was the Officer in Charge of Range Operations at Woomera between 1959 and 1963. In about the late 1950s, shortly before the test firing of a Black (K)Night rocket, he received a radio call from Percy Hawkins, the Recovery Officer, reporting an exceptional bright light at about 4,500 metres travelling at high speed directly towards the test site, Dalton-Morgan and his team, who were about 140 kilometres south-east of Hawkins’ position, were able to view the incoming light from their elevated control building. They watched it fly in, then orbit around the range buildings some eight kilometres to the south. When the UFO was east of the control building, it seemed to accelerate and climb very steeply away. Dalton-Morgan concluded, ‘I am unable to conceive of any object, plane or missile during my posting to Woomera that was able to perform the manoeuvres seen by my team. Observers at the control tower and the launch site all agreed on the brilliant white-greenish light; the high degree of manoeuvrability, including rate and angle of climb; complete lack of sound; the lack of positive identification of the vehicle fuselage because it was a dark moonless night; and the exceptionally high speed of which it was capable.’

(ex "Fire across the desert")

Clearly Tom Dalton-Morgan’s report was a significant story, and he had a very impressive life.  Here is how the UK Telegraph reported Tom’s passing in their 24 September 2004 issue: “Group Captain Tom Dalton-Morgan, who has died in Australia aged 87 (on 18 September), was one of the RAF's most distinguished Battle of Britain fighter pilots; he later achieved considerable success during the German night attacks on Glasgow before playing a prominent role in co-ordinating fighter operations for the D-Day landings.

“Dalton-Morgan had virtually no experience as a fighter pilot when he was appointed a flight commander of No 43 Squadron - "The Fighting Cocks" - in June 1940. The squadron was flying Hurricanes from Tangmere, near Chichester, and together with others in No 11 Group, bore the brunt of the Luftwaffe attacks.

“He quickly established himself as a fearless leader. On July 12, he shared in the destruction of a Heinkel bomber; but he was forced to bale out the following day when he destroyed another and then was hit by crossfire. With no badges of rank in evidence - he was wearing pyjamas under his flying suit - he was "captured" by a bobby who placed him in the cells along with the German bomber crew he had just shot down.

“Despite being slightly wounded, Dalton-Morgan was soon back in action, accounting for four more enemy aircraft in the next three weeks. In early September, he shot down three Messerschmitt fighters. After one engagement he was wounded in the face and knee, and had to crash-land. His DFC praised him for "displaying great courage when his behaviour in action has been an inspiration to his flight".

“Despite his wounds, Dalton-Morgan returned to take command of the depleted squadron after the death of the CO, and took it to Northumberland to train replacement pilots.

“A descendant of the buccaneer Sir Henry Morgan and the Cromwellian general Sir Thomas Morgan, Thomas Frederick Dalton-Morgan was born on March 23 1917 at Cardiff and educated at Taunton School. He joined the RAF on a short service commission in 1935, and trained as a pilot.

“Following service with No 22 Squadron, flying the Wildebeeste torpedo bomber, he joined the training staff at the Air Ministry. In April 1940 he applied to return to flying, and was appointed to No 43.

“After the Battle of Britain, Dalton-Morgan's primary task was to train new pilots for service with the squadrons in the south. He was also required to establish a night-fighting capability with the Hurricane; a task he achieved with great success. Few enemy night bombers fell victim to single-seat fighter pilots, but Dalton-Morgan, hunting alone, destroyed no fewer than six.

“Three of his victims went down in successive nights on May 6-7 1941, when the Luftwaffe embarked on a major offensive against the Clydesdale ports and Glasgow. On June 8, Dalton-Morgan achieved a remarkable interception when he shot down a Junkers bomber, having made initial contact by spotting its shadow on the moonlit sea. After two more successes at night, he was carrying out a practice interception on July 24 with a fellow pilot when he saw another Junkers.

“Dalton-Morgan gave chase and intercepted it off May Island. Despite his engine failing and fumes filling the cockpit, he attacked the bomber three times. He had just watched it hit the sea when his engine stopped. Too low to bale out, he made a masterly landing on the water, but lost two front teeth when his face hit the gun sight. He clambered into his dinghy before being rescued by the Navy.

“His station commander, Wing Commander H Eeles, commented: "I consider this to be a classic example of how a first-class fighter pilot can attack an enemy while his engine is failing, shoot it down, force land on the sea, and get away with it." Dalton-Morgan was awarded a Bar to his DFC "for his exceptional skill". He scored another night victory on October 2, off Berwick-on-Tweed. Finally, in February 1942, after 18 months in command, the longest spell by any of No 43's wartime commanding officers, Dalton-Morgan was rested, having shot down at least 14 aircraft and damaged others.

“After a spell as a fighter controller at Turnhouse, near Edinburgh, he returned to operations in late 1942 to become leader of the Ibsley Wing. Here he had eight fighter squadrons under him, with the task of mounting long-range offensive sorties over northern France and providing scouts for the tactical bomber squadrons. After damaging an Me 109 in December, he shot down a Focke Wulf 190 fighter and damaged another during a sweep over Brest. He was awarded the DSO in May 1943, which recorded his victories at the time as 17.

“His experience of escort operations led to his being attached to the 4th Fighter Group of the US 8th Air Force, which was just beginning long-range bomber escort work. He flew more than 70 combat sorties with the group. Promoted group captain early in 1944, he served as operations officer with the 2nd Tactical Air Force.

“For a period he worked on an air-to-ground fighter control system with Major John Profumo, whom he rated as the most capable and generous Army officer he had met.

Dalton-Morgan engaged in planning fighter and ground attack operations in support of the campaign in Normandy, then moved to the mainland with his organisation after the invasion. Years after, his CO at the time (later Air Marshal Sir Fred Rosier) commented: "It would be impossible to overstate Tom D-M's importance and influence on the conduct of fighter operations for and beyond D-Day".

“A month before the end of the war in Europe, Dalton-Morgan learned that his only brother, John, who also had the DFC, had been shot down and killed flying a Mosquito. Dalton-Morgan remained in Germany with 2nd Tactical Air Force after the war before attending the RAF Staff College, and becoming a senior instructor at the School of Land/Air Warfare. Later he commanded the Gutersloh Wing, flying Vampire jets, before taking command of RAF Wunsdorf.

“On leaving the service in 1952, Dalton-Morgan joined the UK/Australian Joint Project, at Woomera, where he managed the weapons range for the next 30 years before retiring in Australia.

“He made regular trips home to visit the missile testing range at Aberporth, to see his family and to attend service reunions. He was a vice-president of the Hawker Hurricane Society.

Dalton-Morgan was recognised as one of the RAF's finest fighter leaders. Slightly scarred by his wounds, he had the dashing good looks of the archetypal fighter pilot, and always attracted the greatest admiration from his air and ground crews. In an article on leadership written after the war, one of Dalton-Morgan's former pilots wrote: "He had an awesome charisma; some sort of special aura seemed to surround him. He was the epitome of leadership, he was a born leader."

“He was appointed OBE in 1945 and mentioned in dispatches in 1946, the year President Harry Truman awarded him the US Bronze Star.

“Tom Dalton-Morgan died on September 18, the eve of the annual Battle of Britain Anniversary service at Westminster Abbey, which he had hoped to attend.

“His first marriage in 1939 ended in divorce. In 1952 he married Dee Yeomans who had been widowed during the war. She and their six children, together with a son and daughter from his first marriage, survive him.”

Tom Dalton-Morgan certainly lived up to his biography title: “Tommy Leader”, which writer Clive Williams helped to put together. The book was published in 2007.  Whenever I enquired about the availability of “Tommy Leader”, it seemed it had become a collector’s item, and was valued as a memoir of a “Battle of Britain” air war hero, and was generally very expensive and hard to acquire.  

 

Tom Dalton-Morgan was a significant presence, in his capacity as being in charge of Range Group operations for the UK/Australian Joint Project, as described in Ivan Southall’s popular 1962 book “Woomera.” Tom’s UFO story was not mentioned, even though UFOs got a mention – “the question of the numerous unidentified flying objects alleged by scores of thousands of observers to have been seen in the earth’s atmosphere during past centuries.  These so-called flying saucers either exist or do not exist. There cannot be a half-way house,” wrote Southall, even mentioning his own personal indirect experience, of a “foo-fighter” kind.  “Members of my air crew, from different gun turrets and the astro-dome, observed several dozen unidentified lights over the Bay of Biscay on the night of 10^th-11^thAugust 1944, and kept them under observation for 40 minutes. Our aircraft, Sunderland P/461, was the only machine of Allied or Axis origin in the area, though I did not know it at the time.  As pilot, on a strict patrol, and frankly not anxious to make contact with so numerous a force, I saw nothing.  I was facing in the wrong direction.”  Southall wrote, “Woomera, perhaps better fitted that any other place on earth to observe and track these mysterious manifestations, cannot produce a single item of documentary or photographic evidence to prove that they are real or unreal. Butement (the Australian Department of Supply Chief Scientist) says: “Flying saucers representing something extra-terrestrial are extremely unlikely.  I think we have to look to the earth for the answer.” J.D. (the Principal Officer, Range Group), too, points out that Woomera has been in a unique position to secure the evidence during the period of maximum sightings, but has failed to do so, and not from any desire to turn a blind eye.  The flying-saucer theory has its adherents in Woomera and any one of them would have given a month’s pay to prove it. Among the operators there are a few who have observed puzzling phenomena, but none can state dogmatically that this was a flying –saucer or this was not.”

 

Ivan Southall’s comments in his book “Woomera” (1962) were not reflected in compelling arguments from people like Norm Gerrard of the Radar & Electronic Tracking Group, WRE (Weapons Research Establishment) who was working at Woomera, and whose views were strongly amplified a decade later in a Department of Supply internal memorandum from the Radar and Electronic Group: “Regarding Recent Symposium on UFOs” which discussed a 1971 ANZAAS UFO symposium.  This 3-page internal Department of Supply memo dated 2 December 1971, was written by Gerrard and sent through the Controller Research & Development to (Tom) T.F.C. Lawrence, then Deputy Secretary, Research & Engineering, Department of Supply, in response to Lawrence's enquiry of 25 November 1971.  Gerrard was a veteran of the Department of Supply and in Peter Morton's "Fire across the desert - Woomera & the Anglo-Australian Joint Project 1946-1980" (1989) was described as "a quiet conscientious man who had worked on radio and radar in (V.) Bosher's instrumentation section of Bomb Ballistics Group. He duly spent some months with (F.H.) East (the RAE expert) at RAE (in Britain) and then returned to take over the scientific direction of the VT (variable time) fuze trials (1952-53)." Gerrard emphasised in his memo to Lawrence that the views expressed were his own and not WRE's. He described the ANZAAS UFO symposium held in 1971, the work of some of the scientists, particularly highlighting that of Dr. Michael Duggin, who he described as "probably the leading advocate of serious UFO studies in Australia."  I described Mike Duggin's impressive contributions in my article "The Australian scientist who was a potent part of the UFO "Invisible College" - Dr. Michael Duggin (1937-2016) - a tribute" which appeared in slightly different forms in both the Australian magazine "Ufologist" and the UK e-magazine "UFO Truth".

(ex "Fire Across the Desert")

Norm Gerrard gave a good insight to the views of the scientists present on the subject of UFOs and science and also highlighted the limitations of the symposium.  His own views, while not advocating "a deliberate search for U.F.O.'s", did highlight that he thought "the official Australian investigation should not be as biased as the Department of Air (RAAF) effort appears to be, and I would like to see that effort assisted by more scientists to make careful analyses and correlations of existing reports, looking for similarities which might suggest intelligent control, or purpose, or method of propulsion or communication."  He was apparently unaware of Harry Turner's secret attempt to do precisely this (described to some extent in the JIO & DSTO files) and the fact that Harry himself attended in an undisclosed capacity, while his secret research associate Mike Duggin took the public profile.  Gerrard stressed to Lawrence "that we (should) keep an open mind on U.F.O.'s and would like to see some scientific effort devoted to the investigation of U.F.O. sightings, because it may throw light on the exciting possibility of extra-terrestrial intelligence."

 

Southall’s commentary on UFOs & Woomera would also be greatly challenged by compelling sightings that had already occurred at Woomera, such as Tom Dalton-Morgan’s well witnessed experience from the late 1950s and a striking 1954 radar visual Woomera encounter described to me by nuclear physicist Harry Turner.  He had been involved in the war time pioneer radar research and told me that this radar case impressed him the most in his secret study of the DAFI UFO files and led him to advocate attempts to secure more radar cases. Turner’s classified report on Australian Air Force Intelligence files up to 1954, indicated that radar at the restricted Woomera rocket range facility in South Australia picked up a UFO on May 5th, 1954, when at about 1630 hours 3 witnesses saw a “misty grey disc” at a 355 degree bearing, at some 35 miles, and at an altitude of more than 60,000 feet. The object appeared to have an apparent diameter of about 10 feet. The visual observation which lasted 5 minutes was aided by binoculars. The object travelled south then west, with the radar echo confirming a speed of 3,600 mph! The case, originally classified secret, indicated that the UFO was witnessed by an English Electric scientist and a radar operator. The EE scientist was outside talking to the radar operator when the radar confirmed the presence of a UFO. The scientist watched the object with binoculars. One of his functions at Woomera was to monitor rocket tests. He was experienced in observing movement in the sky. The radar tracked the UFO until it went out of range, however they were able to confirm distance and size. Some tests were being undertaken with a Canberra bomber in flight. The UFO was moving in formation with the Canberra. The Canberra crew could not see the UFO, but both the plane and UFO were confirmed on radar. This was the description of the case he gave to me back in the 1980s. Fortunately the case file has emerged which confirms the account Turner supplied to me. 

 

5 May 1954 Woomera SA approximately 1630hrs 5 minutes 3 witnesses.
Three documents containing statements by the two key men involved and a covering letter forwarding the statements, from the Superintendent Long Range Weapons Establishment Range, Woomera, to the “Chief Superintendent”, which stated “The persons reporting were separated by a distance of approximately three hundred yards and give corroborative accounts of what each observed.”

 

A statement dated 6 May 1954, indicated, RE: “UNIDENTIFIED TARGET OBSERVED ON RADAR 5TH MAY, 1954
Sir,
At about 1600 on 5th May, an unidentified Target was observed on radar AA Number 4 Mk. 6.
The target appeared on High Beam at a range of about 60,000 yards Bearing 355degrees approaching ‘R’, described a Hyperbols (sic) over ‘R’ and went out at a bearing of approx. 90 degrees. On its way out it passed behind Spotting Tower, “S2”. I timed it over 15,000 yards 10 seconds which would make its speed approximately 3600 M.P.H.  KEANE observed this occurrence with me. Since the target was followed to 70,000 yards on High Beam the height would be greater than 60,000 feet.”

The remaining statement (7 May 1954), “Vickers-Armstrong” stated: 

“REPORT ON A FLYING OBJECT SIGHTED ON 5TH MAY, 1954
I was at Range R1 (Post R1), the Radar Post, standing by the Security Officer’s Hut, and looking towards the radar Post at approximately 1645 hours, observing one of our trials through binoculars.
This object appeared to be travelling towards me or directly across a path of the approaching Canberra (aircraft). When it got to the path of the Canberra it turned to my right and was going in the direction from which the Canberra had just come.

 

“When it got directly over the Canberra it slowed down. During this time, I found it very hard to believe what I was seeing, so I shut my eyes and then looked again through the binoculars and the object was still stationary over the flight path of the Canberra. Since it appeared to be the same relative size as the Canberra through the binoculars, I thought it would be possible to see it with the naked eye. However, when I looked over the top of the binoculars the object had either gone or I could not see it with the naked eye, and when I looked again through the binoculars I could not pick it up.  The object appeared to be travelling about three times as fast as the Canberra, but of course it is impossible to estimate, since I did not know what height it was. It was perfectly circular all the time and a dark grey colour, and gave the appearance of being translucent. It did not glisten at all when it turned or was it shiny.” 

 

Given Harry Turner’s experience in early radar development in wartime Australia, it is clear why he was impressed with the May 1954 radar visual case at Woomera.

 

I was approached recently by the grandson of Tom Dalton-Morgan, Rhys Dalton-Morgan, who was trying to get more information about him, and his apparent UFO involvement. Rhys has had a difficult time navigating both British and Australian military archives, with only very limited information being gathered.  I recommended he contact Dr. David Clarke who had undertaken outstanding research into the early days of official British UFO research.

Dr David Clarke's recent exploration 

of the early secret days of UK UFO investigations

(Fortean Times, Issue 445)

 

Rhys contacted David indicating,“I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m the grandson of a Battle of Britain Ace, Group Captain Tom Dalton-Morgan or Thomas Fredrick Dalton-Morgan. I was given your name by Bill Chalker. I live in Sydney, Australia and have been doing some research into him of late. I requested his file from the national archives in the UK, but they told me they don’t have it or it hasn’t been transferred from the ministry of defence yet. I’ve had similar issues with the national archives and department of defence in Australia and the US. While doing my own research, I recently discovered a chapter from his history that has been completely unknown to the family. Apparently he had been apart of a joint RAF and USAF committee in the late 1940’s investigating UFO’s. 

Now my grandfather was a private person and very matter of fact. But as time has gone after he passed, it has been discovered that he has an interesting history, much he never spoke of. From being a secret “Ghost” pilot in the US 8th Air Force, to being a participant in the formation of the Western Union Defence Organisation, to then managing the Woomera Rocket Range in Australia for the Weapons Research Establishment for 30 years.
A lot is not known about him. 

I was wondering if you might have any information or resources I may be able to follow up to find out more about his history. Do you also know anything about this joint RAF and USAF committee in the late 1940ʼs investigating UFOʼs. 

Cheers, Rhys 

Dear Rhys, 
Thank you for your email regarding your grandfather and his interest in UFOs.
 As you have spoken to Bill Chalker, I guess you must be aware of the account published in Ken Lewelyn's 1991 book Flight into the Ages? This refers to Tom Dalton-Morgan's UFO sighting at the Woomera rocket range in the late 1950s? 
Lewelyn's account also refers to the 'joint RAF and USAF committee' that investigated UFOs in the 1940s, from information provided by your grandfather. 
I have checked my files and found that I interviewed your grandfather by phone on 4 November 2002. Unfortunately, I did not record this so I have only brief shorthand notes... I recall he was about to leave for a trip to Australia at the time and I have his address noted as Jasmine Cottage, Wendover.
 The notes cover his Woomera experience and generally confirm the account in Lewelyn's book. He said it was reported to both RAAF HQ and to London - but he heard nothing back.
 Not surprised that you have had little success at The National Archives. Virtually all the MoD/Air Ministry files on UFOs covering the period 1949-1961 were destroyed, so no chance of tracing original documentation.
 Your grandfather, in the interview, did confirm that he served on a joint US/UK committee that investigated UFOs in the 1940s and 50s... and that he had asked to be on it (he did not explain why) - it included both military and civilian pilots. All he could remember was that all the sightings they were asked to examine were resolved except 3% 'which were unknown' I have not been able to find any trace of this 'committee' apart from the existence of a MoD 'Flying Saucer Working Party' that existed circa 1950-51 and produced a report that is in the archives DEFE 44/119 see: https://drdavidclarke.co.uk/national-archives-ufo-files-7/flying-saucer-working-party/
and
https://drdavidclarke.co.uk/radar-uaps/mod-dsi-jtic-report-no-7-unidentified-flying-objects-1951/
 The FSWP was terminated in 1951 but continued in 1952 under Professor RV Jones when responsibility for UFOs was transferred to the Air Ministry.
 The FSWP certainly liaised with USAF Intelligence and CIA on UFOs and CIA were present when the report was completed and circulated in London.
This maybe the committee your grandfather refers to? 
If so I suspect if any further evidence is in existence, it will be held by the US National Archives either Project Grudge or Project Bluebook.
Hoping this is useful.
 Have you discovered anything else? 
bests

Dr David Clarke
Tweets: @shuclarke
Website: http://www.drdavidclarke.co.uk/ Blog: https://drclarke.substack.com/

I thanked David for assisting Rhys.  

 

Fortunately, Rhys had a copy of Tom’s biographical book “Tommy Leader” and confirmed that it included an account of his Woomera UFO experience.

 

Here is Tom Dalton-Morgan’s account from the book “Tommy Leader":

 

“One night at Woomera when we were setting up to launch a Black Knight vehicle there was a most unusual incident.  I was in the Control Room talking to Alan Mole who was setting up for the countdown to launch.  A call came for me over the intercom from Percy Hawkins, our Recovery Officer, who was down range near the expected impact areas of the Black Knight and launch vehicles.  He reported a very bright light that was heading towards the Range head.  I stepped out on to the balcony of Test Control building followed by Alan Mole and others.

                     (ex "Fire across the Desert" (via "Flight" magazine and Mrs. E.A. Wren)

(ex "Fire across the Desert")

“Sure enough we soon picked up a very bright light heading at high speed towards the Rangehead.  It appeared to be at about 5,000 ft.  As it orbited around us, we could see what appeared to be a circular outline of the vehicle.  A cabin protruded from the top of the vehicle, it was brightly lit and showed up the circular outline of the vehicle.  As it passed behind us it accelerated and climbed away, almost vertically, to the East and disappeared.  No sound came from it.  The apparent circular shape of the vehicle, its speed, rate and angle of climb were beyond that of known aircraft of the time.  Our Rangehead radar failed to pick it up.  I reported the incident immediately to RAAF HQ in Canberra to RAAF Base Edinburgh and to Defence Research Establishments.  It was seen by our Recovery Team down range and by at least six of us at the Rangehead.  I would say that it was one of the three percent of such sightings that could not be easily explained away.”

 

(ex Wikipedia)

(1958 launch of a Black Knight rocket ex Pathe)
 

From the references such as “Fire Across the Desert”, “Woomera”, C.H. Hill’s “A Vertical Empire – History of the British Rocket Programme” (2012), and Wikipedia’s Black Knight entry, and the information we currently have on the Tom Dalton-Morgan Woomera UFO report, it would appear the date of the sighting would come from 5 possible Black Knight Woomera launches, namely 7 September 1958, and 12 March, 11 June, 29 June and 30 October 1959.  Ken Llewelyn in his book “Flight into the Ages” reflects, “It was a very sensitive time, with missiles being cleared for nuclear capability …. Tom cannot recall the exact date of the incident, and the official report is now buried in Defence Department archives, but it is one of great interest …. High security surrounded the firing of the Black (K)Night because it was specifically designed to test the fusing system for a nuclear bomb and to obtain data on the radar signatures of an incoming nose cone, somewhat similar to a nuclear warhead.”  Such security issues, one would think would not be an issue that would effect release of files more than 60 years later, but its seems such issues run into deep time. Rhys Dalton-Morgan advised me on 24 June 2024, “The Defence Department or Information Access Unit specifically have come back to me today and said no records on Tom could be located. I know that's nonsense because I've spoken with the national archives on the phone, who can see on their end DST have released files on Tom then taken them back.”  We hope, with persistence, progress may be made on the release of Tom Dalton-Morgan’s file, which may also answer many questions and provide more detailed information about Tom’s sighting. 

 

So there we have it, “Tommy Leader: Tom Dalton-Morgan and the 3% UFO solution”, determined by his time on a joint US/UK committee that investigated UFOs in the 1940s and 50s, an apparent fore-runner of the 1950-51 MOD Flying Saucer Working Party, and his own well witnessed late 1950s UFO sighting at Woomera in Australia, just prior to a Black Knight launch. Somebody’s “Big Science” checking out our “Big Science” out there, down Woomera way, something seemingly beyond our abilities, perhaps something of a non human intelligence.  Tom Dalton-Morgan certainly thought it wasn’t one of ours.