UFO Files to be released tomorrow (14 May '08)

[Admin]

The MoD are releasing a batch of their "UFO files" early
tomorrow (14 May @ 00.01). They will cover the years
from 1978 to 1987. The files will be avaliable from the
website below, free to view/download for the first month only.

Rendlesham may be mentioned...

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ufos

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread354772/pg1

[Observer]

The news night program was just a few minutes of not much at all with more interest in Doug Bower of crop circle fame. The program seemed more interested in HG Wells than serious sightings
You missed nothing.
Obs

[AdrianF]

Admin, Silvertop,
Thanks for posting this news. I was lucky enough to be at the National Archives a couple of weeks ago to interview Dave Clarke, while he was working on this. The embargo was in place then, and any discussion of these files was out of the question, so I've been looking forward to see what they contain.

I was watching newsnight as I was reading this, and up popped this report!

It looks like the files are now online.

Cheers
Adrian

[AdrianF]

Silvertop,

I would presume that as the files are being prepared for release, the National Archives, being the first people to see these files, need to learn what the contents are in order to answer the many questions from the press etc. Dave Clarke has been assisting them in this role. Also a huge amount of work must be involved in the scanning and preparing the website for huge hits. So, less of a news blackout, more a case of holding back the news, while they get a chance to prepare.

If you listen to Dave Clarkes podcast, he refers to a file containing info on Rendlesham, the file is in (DEFE 24/1925).

In brief, the MOD explain their lack of investigation, by questioning why Col. Halt took so long to prepare and send his report.

Adrian

[Observer]

On the BBC Breakfast show this morning 14th, Timothy Good was interviewed and he said there would be files on UFO's so top secret they would never be released. He went on to say that the USA have 'captured' alien craft. He mentioned MIB's and also said that aliens are living amongst us. He intimated that he had proof, but would not elaborate.
I'm not sure if these points of view give us a bad name or not?
It gets better doesn't it.
Obs

[Observer]

Adrian
I have always suspected that the reason Halt took so long to produce his 'memo' was that it had to be choreographed first by USAF high command. In other words 'vetted' It took about 2 weeks to finalise his wording from orders given by HQ Germany/US.
What i have never understood is why his memo was 'allegedly' sent straight to the MOD. One would have thought the correct channels would have been USAF HQ first then to the MOD via them. This paper trail has never been made clear.

The memo was deliberately vague and innocous probably for several reasons.
Obs

[AdrianF]

It seems like this is a quite a big news story in the UK today, which is quite impressive on such a news heavy day.

There is a lot that doesn't make sense about the Halt memo, I don't believe that Halt took it on himself to write this without somebody "up there" okaying him to do so.

Adrian

[Deep Purple]

I would be so suprised if they released anything significant!
Anthing controversial would be well hidden away.
That aside its very difficult to know if ET really exists or not.
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell thought he did, but we've never seen any real proof.

[IanR]

There is a lot that doesn't make sense about the Halt memo, I don't believe that Halt took it on himself to write this without somebody "up there" okaying him to do so.

Don Moreland (the RAF base commander) has said that Halt waited until Moreland came back from his two-week Christmas and New Year leave before telling him in person about the UFO events. Once they had that conversation, it was in fact Moreland who directed Halt to make his written report.

Ian

[puddlepirate]

One thing that has always puzzled me about the Halt memo is the way it was released.

If Halt only sent it to MoD and MoD simply filed it away under 'no further action' then how did the DoD in Washington become aware of its existence?

The action taken by the DoD on receipt of that FoI request is in itself odd - would MoD contact the US DoD to satisfy a UK FoI request if the MoD did not hold the requested info? I doubt it. The answer would simply be 'we do not hold that information'. MoD might refer the enquirer to another agency but would not contact them on the enquirer's behalf so why did the DoD go out of their way to find information which they did not hold?

Perhaps the DoD was not aware of the memo and were simply fishing to see if MoD did hold anything (given it was an incident that occurred on UK soil) but given the volume of FoI requests they must receive, it has to be asked why on earth did they bother?

Was the release of the memo the start of a deception? A deception activated once it was known UFO investigators were sniffing around?

I know this will be challenged because of the witness statements and so forth but this element seems most odd to me.

[Observer]

puddle,
Everything about that memo 'smells' from how it was written, when it was sent and who received it.
From my days in the service, there were protocols to follow and i am highly suspicious that the MOD were the only recipiants. Protocol surely must demand that Halt's own chain of command received it first with a copy to MOD.
If i had done this in my old job it would be seen as going behind your bosses back and there would be big bollockings later.
My personel view is that it was written [including Morland's input] with USAF HQ blessing.
Obs

[IanR]

One thing that has always puzzled me about the Halt memo is the way it was released.
If Halt only sent it to MoD and MoD simply filed it away under 'no further action' then how did the DoD in Washington become aware of its existence.

I presume that Halt kept a copy for his own records, so it would have been in the Bentwaters files, wherever they ended up.
The oddest thing, though, is that Halt got the dates wrong. You'd have thought he would have made a note in his own diary, wouldn't you? Perhaps just a couple of lines: "Dear diary, Called out from Christmas party. Met aliens. Late to bed – again!!".
Ian

[puddlepirate]

I've got a mate whose father served in the RN in WW2. He kept a detailed diary of his service at sea with most days having a fairly lengthy entry - all apart from one day. May 27th 1941. All it says for that day is 'Engaged and sunk Bismarck'. Obviously some events have a bigger impact than others so perhaps that was the case with Lt Col Halt:

26th Dec. 1930Z-2359Z attended Mess function. 0300Z Went ashore to chase aliens in forest. Returned onboard 0615Z.

When in fact it was 0300Z on the 27th, not the 26th when he set off to the forest so 'the next day' was probably later in the morning of the 27th and the 'following night' was the night of the 27th. Later in the night was early morning on the 28th .....er, I think.

[puddlepirate]

That is a very good point ST!.....I'm pretty sure if I'd been called from a mess function at 0300 I'd be in no fit state for anything. Just before Christmas each year I attend a senior rates mess dinner at HMS Wildfire. There is a free bar where double measures are standard issue. It has been known for the evening to start at 1900 with a couple of glasses of Moose Milk or similar aperitifs. There is virtually unlimited wine at the table, followed by port....and it goes downhill from there. A 'survivor's breakfast', which includes Buck's Fizz, is served at 0900 the following morning....... Thus, unless Lt Col Halt was teetotal or a very light drinker, he must have had a few, surely!

[Observer]

A good point but it can only be a guess, we will never know for sure.
Obs

[redsocks]

[quote="Silvertop"]3am !! Can you imagine how drunk you'd be at a Christmas party by 3am? I wonder if Col. Williams told him to lay off the Christmas punch that night.[/quote]

Hi Silvertop,

Wouldnt you think that somebody in the postion of Halt would have too much responsibilty to get too drunk.......on the other hand could we be talking about a drunken prank here,inadvertantly silver top you may have hit the nail on the head But this of course doesent explain the first night.Of all the people involved in the Rendlesham incident Halt i'm sure holds the key to all this.

Redsocks

[AdrianF]

3am !! Can you imagine how drunk you'd be at a Christmas party by 3am? I wonder if Col. Williams told him to lay off the Christmas punch that night.

Maybe Halt had had one or two, but he states that they had just finished main course, when the call came in. Let's say main course at a dinner like this could finish anywhere between 8 and midnight. If Halt began the investigation just after midnight, then I suppose by the time 3am came around, fatigue would have been more of a judgement problem than alcohol. Also it doesn't sound as though he is slurring on the tape, I've had plenty of practice at this and the more you try not slur your words the worse it gets!

Does anybody know the exact timeline of the events leading up to Halts investigation in the forest? If they had finished main course around 9-10 then there is a significant gap of time, or maybe I've missed something here.

Cheers

Adrian

[puddlepirate]

From my experience of going to restaurants in the States, the Americans tend to eat early so in a USAF mess I'd expect dinner to be served at around 1930 and to leave the table at about 2130. I've never attended an Army/RAF/USAF Officer's Mess dinner but wardroom dinners in shore establishments tend to be 1900 for 1930. Dinner is served at 1930. Stoppers out and pass the port/maderia plus speeches around 2100. Band strikes up dance music from 2130 until late...... I doubt if Col Halt's function differed very much from that. The protocol for events such as these are pretty much set in stone. What is not acceptable is drunkeness leading to inappropriate behaviour - if you can't handle it, don't drink it.

I've a photo somewhere of the CO of my last unit dressed in frilly shirt and leather trousers, up on stage cavorting about whilst giving a karaoke rendition of a popular song......a commission is no bar to enjoying oneself, especially when amongst equals. Obviously if Halt was senor officer present then he would be expected to be behave accordingly - but would leave the function as early as protocol allowed so as not to impede the enjoyment of those junior to him. What happened after that would depend on those present - aircrew etc would probably let off more steam than admin personnel.....

So, at a guess, I would not be surprised if those at Col Halt's function withdrew from the table at about 2130. If he was the senior officer at the function then he would leave early, if not he would stay and enjoy himself.

[AdrianF]

So, at a guess, I would not be surprised if those at Col Halt's function withdrew from the table at about 2130. If he was the senior officer at the function then he would leave early, if not he would stay and enjoy himself.

Puddlepirate,

That's exactly what I imagined, yet if this was the case, then why did it take this amount of time to get petrol, gather some equipment and then arrive on scene to begin the investigation of the UFO?
It may be that after a few years the memory gets foggy and the time of Halt being summoned was much later?

Adrian