by Ignis Fatuus » Tue May 10, 2011 4:33 pm
Richard Bertilino: We saw what appeared to be a very bright falling star. It had a blue-green sparkle tail to it. Both Sgt Hall and I looked at each other and go"Wow - that was close!" Looked like it was falling between the two bases.
Larry Warren: At that same time, me and five other guys were walking up a dark path about 2 miles from base... cause we couldn't get a ride and we felt like we were being watched and it was strange cause there were no street lights – Then we saw a bright light go right over us about 50 feet up and just fly over a field. It was silent. That light just seemed to jump over the trees – Then the next day it turned out that we were in the same place as the U.F.O. so I think we saw it too
Ian Ridpath: In 2008 May Larry told me by email that at the time of the sighting he and his companions were heading back to base from Bromeswell, a village to the west of Bentwaters, and had seen the light in the direction of Woodbridge Base, which was to the south of them, consistent with a fireball over southern England.
Richard Bertilino: And all of a sudden on the radio someone starts yelling "there's a UFO out here!"
John Burroughs: On the night of 25-26 Dec at around 3:00, while on patrol down at East Gate, myself and my partner saw lights coming from the woods due east of the gate. The lights were red and blue, the red one above the blue one, and they were flashing on and off. Because I’ve never seen anything like that coming from the woods before we decided to drive down and see what it was. We went down east-gate road and took a right at the stop sign and drove about 10-20 yards to where there is a road that goes into the forest. I could see a white light shining into the trees and I could still see the red and blue one. We decided we better go call it in so we went back up towards East Gate and called it in. The whole time I could see the lights and the white light was almost at the edge of the road and the blue and red lights were still out in the woods.
J.D. Chandler: At approximately 3.00hrs, 26 December 1980, while conducting security checks on RAF Bentwaters, I monitored a radio transmission from A1C Burroughs, Law Enforcement patrol at RAF Woodbridge, stating that he was observing strange lights in the wooded area just beyond the access road, leading from the East Gate at RAF Woodbridge. SSgt Penniston, Security Supervisor, was contacted and directed to contact Burroughs at the East Gate.
Fred Buran: At approximately 03:00 hrs, 26 December 1980, I was on duty at bldg. 679, Central Security Control, when I was notified that A1C Burroughs had sighted some strange lights in the wooded area east of the runway at RAF Woodbridge.
Jim Penniston: Received dispatch from CSC to rendezvous with Police 4 AIC Burroughs, and Police 5 SSgt Steffens at east Gate Woodbridge.
Edward Cabansag: We were patrolling Delta NAPA when we received a call over the radio. It stated that Police #4 had seen some strange lights out past the East Gate and we were to respond. SSgt Penningston and I left Delta NAPA, heading for the East Gate code two.
Fred Buran: Shortly after the initial report A1C Burroughs was joined by SSgt Jim Penniston and his rider, AMN Cabansag.
Edward Cabansag: When we got there SSgt Steffens and A1C Burroughs were on patrol. They told us they had seen some funny lights out in the woods.
John Burroughs: A security unit was sent down to the gate and when they got there they could see it too.
Fred Buran: SSgt Penniston also reported the strange lights.
Jim Penniston: Upon arriving at east gate directly to the east about 1 and a half miles in a large wooded area. A large yellow glowing light was emitting above the trees. In the centre of the lighted area directly in the centre ground level, there was red light blinking on and off 5 to 10 second intervals. And a blue light that was being for the most part steady.
J.D. Chandler: Upon arrival, SSgt Penniston immediately notified CSC that he too was observing these lights and requested to make a closer observation.
Fred Buran: I directed SSgt Coffey, the on duty Security Controlled to attempt to ascertain from SSgt Penniston whether or not the lights could be marker lights of some kind, to which SSgt Penniston said that he had never seen lights of this colour or nature in the area before. He described them as Red, blue, white and orange. SSgt Penniston requested permission to investigate.
J.D. Chandler: After several minutes, Penniston my presence. I departed RAF Bentwaters through Butley Gate for RAF Woodbridge.
Jim Penniston: After receiving permission from CSC, we proceeded off base pass east gate, down an old logging road.
Edward Cabansag: They gave us the go-ahead. We left our weapons with SSgt Steffens who remained at the gate. Thus the three of us went out to investigate. We stopped the Security Police vehicle about 100 meters from the gate.
John Burroughs: As we went down the east-gate road and the road that leads into the forest, the lights were moving back and they appeared to stop in a bunch of trees. We stopped the truck where the road stopped and went on foot.
Edward Cabansag: We kept in constant contact with CSC. While we walked, each one of us would see the lights. Blue, red, white, and yellow.
Jim Penniston: Burroughs and I were approx. 15-20 meters apart and proceeding on a true east direction from logging road.
Edward Cabansag: We were about 100 meters from the edge of the forrest when I saw a quick movement, it look visible for a moment . It look like it spun XXgXX left a quarter of a turn, then it was gone. We advised CSC and proceeded In extreme caution.
John Burroughs: Also the woods lit up and you could hear the farm animals making a lot of noises, and there was a lot of movement in the woods
Jim Penniston: The area in front of us was lighting up a 30 metre area.
J.D. Chandler: He (Penniston) also stated that there was lots of noises in the area which seemed to be animals running around.
John Burroughs: We crossed a small open field that let into where the lights were coming from,...
Edward Cabansag: When we got about 75-50 meters, MSgt Chandler/Flight Chief, was on the scene. CSC was not reading our transmissions very well,, so we used MSgt Chandler as a go-between. He remained back at out vehicle.
J.D. Chandler: When I arrived, SSgt Penniston, A1C Burroughs and Amn Cabansag had entered the wooded area just beyond the clearing at the access road. We set up radio relay between SSgt Penniston, myself and CSC.
Fred Buran: SSgt Penniston had previously informed me that the lights appeared to be no further than 100 yds from the road East Gate of the runway. I monitored their progress (Penniston, Burroughs and Cabansag) as they entered the wooded area.
John Burroughs:...and as we were coming into the trees there were strange noises, like a woman screaming. Also the woods lit up and you could hear the farm animals making a lot of noises, and there was a lot of movement in the woods. All three of us hit the ground and what ever it was started moving back towards the open field and after a minute or two we got up and moved into the trees and the lights moved out into the open field.
J.D. Chandler: On one occasion Penniston relayed that he was close enough to the object to determine it was definitely a mechanical object. He stated that he was within 50 metres.
Fred Buran: They appeared to get very close to the lights, and at one point SSgt Penniston stated that it was a definite mechanical object.
Jim Penniston: When we got within a 50 metre distance, the object was producing red and blue light. The blue light was steady and projecting under the object. It was up the area directly extending a metre or two out. At this point of positive identification I relayed to CSC, SSgt Coffey. A positive sighting of the object…1….Colour of lights and that it was definitely mechanical in nature. This is the closest point that I was near the object at any point.
Charles Halt:The individuals reported seeing a strange glowing object in the forest. The object was described as being metallic in appearance and triangular in shape, approximately 2-to-3 meters across the base and approximately 2 meters high. It illuminated the entire forest with a white light.
Jim Penniston: We then proceeded after it. It moved in a zig-zagging manner back through the woods, then lost sight of it.
Edward Cabansag: As we entered the forrest, the blue and red lights were not visible anymore. Only the beacon light, was still blinking. We figured the lights were coming from past the forrest, since nothing was visible when we past through the woody forrest. Our route through the forrest and field was a direct one, straight towards the light. The beacon light turned out to be the yellow light. We would see a glowing near the beacon light, but as we got closer we found It to be a lit up farm house.
J.D. Chandler: Each time Penniston gave me the indication that he was about to reach the area where the lights were he would give an extended estimated location. He eventually arrived at a ‘beacon light’, however, he stated that this was not the light or lights he had originally observed.
John Burroughs: We got up to a fence that separated the trees from the open field. You could see the lights down by a farmer’s house. We climbed over the fence and started walking toward the red and blue lights and they just disappeared.
Edward Cabansag: After we had passed throught the forrest, we thought it had to be an aircraft accident. So did CSC as well.
Fred Buran: Due to the colours they reported I alerted them to the fact that they may have been approaching a light aircraft crash scene. SSgt Penniston reported getting near the object and then all of a sudden said they had gone past it and were looking a a marker beacon that was in the same direction as the other lights. I asked him if he could have been mistaken, to which Penniston
replied that had I seen the other lights I would know the difference. SSgt Penniston seemed somewhat agitated at this point.
Edward Cabansag: But we ran and walked a good 2 miles past out the vehicle, until we got to a vantage point where we could determine that what we were chasing was X only a beacon light off In the distance.
John Burroughs: We followed it for about 2 miles before we could see it was coming from a lighthouse.
Fred Buran:They continued to look further, to no avail. At approximately 3:43 hrs, I terminated the investigation and ordered all units back to their normal duties. I directed SSgt Penniston to take notes of the incident when he came in that morning.
-Breakfast at Bentwaters-
Larry Warren: I sat down quietly at the table. Staff Sergant Jim Penniston and a few others were there. They knew what had happened. Some guys talked about anything else that came to mind, but I had an overwhelming need to talk about the UFO...
Flight Cop A: Was it really a UFO?
Flight Cop B: What did the Aliens look like?
Jim Penniston: Hey, Warren, shut the fuck up!
I've got so much torque I can tear a hole in Time - Jeremy Clarkson
