Sign Historical Group


 

April 29, 1957


 

British Air Ministry
Information Division
London, England


 

Gentlemen;

The National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena has been established to collect the facts in the field of "Unidentified Plying Objects" and to conduct an objective investigation into the subject.

In line with our policy of surveying everything, we would like to know if your report on the 6 April 1957 radar alert in Scotland is now available for study, as was indicated by the press accounts received here.  We would like to have a copy of the Air Ministry report on this case if possible, along with a copy of the report filed by Wing Commander W. P. Whitworth, of the Scottish radar station.

Would you make a statement about the "untouched photograph" of a UFO published by the Daily Sketch, as being under investigation by your department?  We would like a copy of the photograph if this is possible, as well as other photographs you may now be studying.

If your policy has changed with regard to releasing UFO reports, we would like to obtain copies of the reports and conclusions on the Captain James Howard B. O. A. C. case of June 30, 1954, and of the Fl. Lt. J. R. Salindin R. A. F. case of October 14, 1954, in Essex.

NICAP would like to cooperate with the Air Ministry in a complete investigation of the UFOs.  We hope we will be able to work with each other closely in the future.

Thank you.

 

Sincerely yours,


 
 

DEK:LM

DONALD E. KEYHOE, Maj., USMC (Ret.)
DIRECTOR OF NICAP

 


 

Ref: 9615/INF.2/290/3/


 
 

Air Ministry,
     Information Division,
           Whitehall, W.C.2.


 

14th May, 1957.
 

 

Dear Major Keyhoe

We thank you for your letter of 29th April, 1957.

We regret that we are unable to release any information on the radar sighting at West Freugh in Scotland on 4th April.

The 'untouched photograph' which you mention in your letter and which was published in the Daily Sketch was in fact a fake.  Two days after the printing of the photograph the newspaper announced that the photograph was not of a flying saucer but that the object was a cardboard model covered in silver paper suspended from a clothes line.  The author of the hoax had taken the photograph some time previously and waited until someone saw something strange in the sky before announcing he had taken a photograph of a flying saucer.

We can not release any information on the B.O.A.C. or the Flt. Lt. Salindin sightings.  Air Ministry policy has not changed since those sightings were made.

We shall be pleased to co-operate with you in any way we can within the terms of our current policy.  It is our custom to answer any questions from the press about incidents whenever they come to the public notice.  Should it be of interest to you, a general statement on flying saucers and an explanation of the incident over the English Channel on 30th April are scheduled to be made in the House of Commons on 15th May.  Any other information which it is in our power to give is at your disposal.

 

I am,
      Yours Sincerely,
           A.G. Peacock
     (A. GIFFEN PEACOCK)


 

     National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena,
            1536, Connecticut Avenue,
                    Washington 6, D.C.,
                              U.S.A.


 


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