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May 1956 saw the cinema release of UFO in the USA. This film documentary was based on the work of Ruppelt and disenchanted Blue Book members. Its sober tone contrasted with the rash of science fiction films that played on the public interest in an alien invasion and flying saucers.
In 1956 it was Britain's turn to be the focal point of UFO activity. Although it had just launched the world's first independent UFO journal, Flying Saucer Review, the UK was still something of a backwater, mainly due to secrecy.
Military witnesses - reporting to the newly formed defence intelligence UFO group at RAF Farnborough - also had to face the official secrets act, which still prevents the best witnesses from talking in public about their sightings. People in Britain therefore learn details slowly as a '30 year rule' governs the release of all official records.
On the night of August 13/14th, one of the classic cases in UFO history took place. Three different radar systems throughout East Anglia tracked an unknown object. People on the ground at RAF Lakenheath and Bentwaters saw a fuzzy light streak overhead. A US military transport aircraft saw the light as well, but they were looking down from above.
Squadron Leader Freddie Wimbledon then scrambled two RAF Venom fighters to intercept the UFO. One jet established a radar lock on the object and saw the light dead ahead. As he closed in, the UFO swept contemptuously to his rear at an astonishing speed. A number of civilians on the ground near Ely watched the cat and mouse battle between the UFO and the Venom.
Ralph Noyes confirms that this case created an uproar in Whitehall. When he later became head of the UFO section at the Ministry of Defence he was shown the film taken by the Venom's gun camera. That film has never been released. Indeed, the case was kept top secret. The British Government claim they have never kept any records and even in 1986 -after 30 years had elapsed and the truth should have emerged - they said they had nothing to release.
On August 30th a similar case occurred in daylight near the Isle of Wight. Two RAF Javelins on a practice mission tracked an object on radar and then saw it visually. Ground radar near Bournemouth also picked it up. One Javelin closed in on the grey egg-shaped object but at close proximity the object took off from a standing start and climbed vertically at an unmatchable 18,000 mph.
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