1956 UFO Encounter - RAF Bentwaters UK

[Alienationsam]

I am very suprised that this case has not been mentioned on this web site since it happened at RAF Bentwaters please take a look at my article -

It is a case about a sighting at the same place (Rendlesham RAF base Bentwaters) but 24 years before it.

1956 UFO Encounter - RAF Bentwaters UK

In 1956 at RAF Bentwaters the same base which had the famous Redlesham Forest incident RAF and USAF personnel would observe a UFO over a period of 5 hours. The craft they were observing were high-speed and strange moving in the vicinity of two RAF stations at night and has yet to be explained.

On the night of Auguest the 13th or 14th, 1956 Radar operators at military bases in the east of England tracked single and multiple craft which displayed high-speed and rapid change in speed. Two jet interceptors were sent and were able to see and track them in a brief series of manoeuvres. Official Air Force reports say this cannot be explained by radar malfunction or weather conditions. It began at 9:30pm when airman 2nd class John Vaccane of the USAF at RAF Bentwaters. One UFO was tracked on ground control radar as it flew 40-50 miles (in 30 seconds I.e 4,800 to 6,000 mph (7,500 to 9,500 km/hr). A few minutes later Vaccane reported to T/Sergeant L Whenry that a group of 12 to 15 unidentified were tracked from 8 miles southwest of Bentwaters to 40 miles (65km) Northeast at which time appeared to converge into one very big object, according to the size of the blip on the radar it seemed to be larger than a B-36 aircraft (the largest operational bomber in history) width of 230ft or 70m the strange blip stopped twice for several minutes while being tracked.

At 10pm a single UFO target was tracked from Bentwaters as it covered 55 miles (90 km) in seconds. This works out the object was going at 12,000 mph (19,000 km/hr). Then at 10:55pm Bentwaters GCF radar picked up a UFO target on the same east-to-west as the previous one, at an apparent speed of 2,000 to 4,000 mph (3,200 to 6,400 km/hr) someone in the Bentwaters base control tower reported seeing ?a bright light passing over the field from east to west at an altitude of 4,000 feet [1,200 m.]." At about the same time, the pilot of a C-47 twin-engine military transport plane over Bentwaters said, "a bright light streaked under my aircraft travelling east to west at terrific speed." All three reports coincided Soon after radars at Bentwaters and RAF Lakinheath reported a stationary object 20-25 miles southwest of latter base. It suddenly began moving north at 400 to 600 mph (650 to 1,000 km/hr) there was no build up to the speed it was just constant from the second it began to move until it stopped several times and made abrupt changes of direction without appearing to slow down for turns.

Around 11:30 p.m., the RAF launched a deHavilland Venom jet interceptor, from RAF Waterbeach. According to the U.S. Air Force UFO report:

"Pilot advised he had a bright white light in sight and would investigate. At 13 miles [20 km.] west he reported loss of target and white light. Lakenheath (radar) vectored him to a target 10 miles [16 km.] east of Lakenheath and pilot advised (that) target was on his radar and was 'locking on.' Pilot then reported he had lost target on his radar.
"Lakenheath GCA reports that as the Venom passed the target on radar, the target began a tail chase of the friendly fighter. Radar requested pilot acknowledge this chase. Pilot acknowledged and stated he would try to circle and get behind the target. Pilot advised he was unable to 'shake' the target off his tail and requested assistance.
"One additional Venom was scrambled from RAF station. Original pilot stated: 'Clearest target I have ever seen on radar." The following conversation between the two Venom fighter pilots was heard by the Lakenheath watch supervisor:
"Did you see anything?" [Pilot #2]
"I saw something, but I'll be damned if I know what it was." [Pilot #1]
"What happened?" [Pilot #2]
"He - or it - got behind me and I did everything I could to get behind him and I couldn't. It's the damndest thing I've ever seen." [Pilot #1]
The 1969 report by the Air Force-funded study at the University of Colorado under Dr. Edward U. Condon concluded:
"In summary, this is the most puzzling and unusual case in the radar-visual files. The apparent rational, intelligent behavior of the UFO suggests a mechanical device of unknown origin as the most probable explanation of this sighting. However, in view of the inevitable fallibility of witnesses, more conventional explanations of this report cannot be entirely ruled out."
USAF Air Intelligence Information Report filed by Captain Edward L. Holt, August 31, 1956.


RAF CONTROLLER ACCOUNT:

This is the little-known but definitive account by F.H.C. Wimbledon, RAF Fighter Controller on duty at RAF Neatishead, Norfolk:

"I was Chief Controller on duty at the main RAF Radar Station in East Anglia on the night in question. My duties were to monitor the radar picture and to scramble the Battle Flight, who were on duty 24 hours a day, to intercept any intruder of British airspace not positively identified in my sector of responsibility."
"I remember Lakenheath USAF base telephoning to say there was some thing "buzzing" their airfield circuit. I scrambled a Venom night fighter from the Battle Flight through Sector and my controller in the Interception Cabin took over control of it. The Interception Control team would consist of one Fighter Controller (an Officer), a Corporal, a tracker and a height reader. That is, four highly trained personnel in addition to myself could now clearly see the object on our radarscopes."
"After being vectored onto the trail of the object by my Interception Controller, the pilot called out, "Contact," then a short time later, "Judy," which meant the Navigator had the target fairly and squarely on his own radar screen and needed no further help from the ground. He continued to close on the target but after a few seconds, and in the space of one or two sweeps of our scopes, the object appeared behind our fighter. Our pilot called out, "Lost Contact, more help," and he was told the target was now behind him and he was given fresh instructions."
"I then scrambled a second Venom which was vectored toward the area but before it arrived on the scene the target had disappeared from our scopes and although we continued to keep a careful watch was not seen by us."
"The fact remains that at least nine RAF ground personnel and two RAF aircrew were conscious of an object sufficiently "solid" to give returns on radar. Naturally, all this was reported and a Senior Officer from the Air Ministry came down and interrogated us."

THE CONDON REPORT CASE:
Lakenheath, England, 13-14 August 1956
The Condon Report:
2230-0330 LST. Weather: generally clear until 0300 LST on the 14th. (For details see Section IV.)

The probability that anomalous propagation of radar signals may have been involved in this case seems to be small. One or two details are suggestive of AP, particularly the reported disappearance of the first track as the UFO appeared to overfly the Bentwaters GCA radar. Against this must be weighed the Lakenheath controller's statement that there was "little or no traffic or targets on scope," which is not at all suggestive of AP conditions, and the behavior of the target near Lakenheath - apparently continuous and easily tracked. The "tailing" of the RAF fighter, taken alone, seems to indicate a possible ghost image, but this does not jibe with the report that the UFO stopped following the fighter, as the latter was returning to its base, and went off in a different direction. The radar operators were apparently careful to calculate the speed of the UFO from distances and elapsed times, and the speeds were reported as consistent from run to run, between stationary episodes. This behavior would be somewhat consistent with reflections from moving atmospheric layers - but not in so many different directions.
Visual mirage at Bentwaters seems to be out of the question because of the combined ground and airborne observations; the C47 pilot apparently saw the UFO below him. The visual objects do not seem to have been meteors; statements by the observers that meteors were numerous imply that they were able to differentiate the UFO from the meteors.
In summary, this is the most puzzling and unusual case in the radar-visual files. The apparently rational, intelligent behavior of the UFO suggests a mechanical device of unknown origin as the most probable explanation of this sighting. However, in view of the inevitable fallibility of witnesses, more conventional explanations of this report cannot be entirely ruled out.

Written by Sam Willey - http://www.alienationsam.com

[Alienationsam]

Yes, it's an important case and would probably be Britain's most important UFO incident if it wasn't for the Rendlesham Forest Incident, of course.
It was going to get a mention on this website, I have been putting together a large page about it, but it isn't ready yet.

I look forward to its completion.
Sam,

[Observer]

Hi Sam and Admin

I think i saw this on one of the history channels some time ago. It looks like it was a significant event and worthy of further investigation. I do however think its going to be much harder to research than the Rendlesham incident due to availability of witness reports and actually getting to talk to any body who may or may not be around any more.

This event and others only strengthens my belief that East Anglia and in particular the areas around the East Suffolk coast is a 'UFO Hot Spot'.
It may be worth researching why certain areas have become hot spots?
I look forward to more on this subject.

Observer