The Warminster ‘Thing’ : UFOs and Supernatural Disturbances in ‘Small Town England’

originally posted by: mirageman
a reply to: Marduk

The British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2 was a cancelled Cold War strike and reconnaissance aircraft developed by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The TSR-2 was designed to penetrate a well-defended forward battle area at low altitudes and very high speeds

It's an interesting theory. But surely someone would have seen a jet in the sky sooner or later? Plus isn't there are rule that RAF pilots can fly at supersonic speeds over land in emergencies?

Rules on sonic booms weren't introduced until the early 70s
no one saw a jet, just glowing cigars and saucer shapes, you know, the type of thing typically reported by untrained observers who see a military jet for the first time
and I reiterate, the UK's military aircraft testing centre is 17 miles away, must be what all the aliens had come to see eh

a reply to: Marduk

I don't think your point is invalid just that in a town near to a number of military bases wouldn't some folks be used to seeing supersonic jets and mention it?

It may explain part of the story of course just not all of it.

originally posted by: mirageman
a reply to: Marduk

I don't think your point is invalid just that in a town near to a number of military bases wouldn't some folks be used to seeing supersonic jets and mention it?

It may explain part of the story of course just not all of it.

not really, how often do people look up in daytime, and night time is when the glowing cigars come out


and these were all top secret jet aircraft, people were familiar with the drone of a fixed wing prop in the 60s, but delta winged jets were still sci fi

After a while, you start to wonder why there's loads of UFO sitings around military aircraft test centres, take Groom lake or Bundeswehr TACA for example...
If you're inclined to believe its aliens, then they've come to watch, if you're not, then the answers a lot more obvious.
But why would aliens come all the way here to secretly watch military manoeuvers and then make sonic booms and scratching noises and light up the night sky with their spaceships... Dumb Aliens

You've also got to take into account peoples ability to communicate knowledge in the 60s. It wasn't great. Sure some people might know they were military aircraft, but why would they then start broadcasting that to the rest of the town. Next thing you know, you've got MI5 on your doorstep with a gagging order


Anyway, I've no wish to rain on your brilliantly researched thread, this is my last post here
good luck

I believe it with the Taos sound and the air trumpets.

THANK YOU! this is a fantastic thread so good to hear UFO stories and studies from my home country! you researched alot and i thank you for your time!.

a reply to: mirageman

Well put together, formatted, written, and the visual aids were a nice touch. This legitimately seemed like it was a research project for school.. was it by chance?

Excellent post!! I will have something new to read into for the next couple days now. Thank you for the time and effort you put into this.

S & F

a reply to: mirageman

Brilliant thread! this old footage reminds me of this old lady describing a ufo sighting back in the day. I always thought it was quite compelling. Have a wee watch

www.youtube.com...

a reply to: Marduk

Anyway, I've no wish to rain on your brilliantly researched thread, this is my last post here

Not at all.It was a good point my friend and it could well have been one of the factors that people thought was the 'Thing'

originally posted by: SGTkilt
THANK YOU! this is a fantastic thread so good to hear UFO stories and studies from my home country! you researched alot and i thank you for your time!.

Thanks for the kind words. Although they are perhaps not as well known, because this is a US based site, I have done a few more threads that happened in Britain you might be interested in.

Did a RAF Tornado crash during a UFO intercept mission in 1997?

The Great UFO Cover Up? : Berwyn Mountains, Wales, Jan 1974

British SAS in 'Alien' Riddle : “little grey men” walk into ambush - then vanish

Phantom Helicopters over the UK

The Ilkley Moor Alien Photo – Was it a Fake?

Rendlesham Forest…1980


God Save the Queen -
©1977

originally posted by: dr1234
a reply to: mirageman

Well put together, formatted, written, and the visual aids were a nice touch. This legitimately seemed like it was a research project for school.. was it by chance?

No the last time I was at school Thatcher was still in charge of the country.

a reply to: mirageman

What an amazing thread! I vaguely remember something about that story, but not clearly, so it was fantastic to read such an in depth analysis.

I'm guessing there has been an FoI request about the military sites that were nearby? Was any information released that could shed a bit more light on what the noises were?
The people (if that's what they were) that pepper the story have an almost terrifying quality to them. What or who did the witnesses think they were?

(S&F yesterday, I didn't have time to reply then).

B x

a reply to: October

Yeh I've seen that clip before I think it was in Arthur C Clarkes' mysterious world back in the 80s. She seemed very convinced of what she's describing except where she talks about how the occupants of the UFO looked a bit like the "photographs of old kings with golden hair". Not sure about that bit.

a reply to: beansidhe

....I'm guessing there has been an FoI request about the military sites that were nearby? Was any information released that could shed a bit more light on what the noises were? The people (if that's what they were) that pepper the story have an almost terrifying quality to them. What or who did the witnesses think they were?

Excellent question.

I only vaguely remembered it myself. But seeing as it was the 50th anniversary decided to look into it a bit more. The impression I get now is that most people writing about look at it as some kind of social phenomenon. Very few, if any, actually seem interested in what the causes of the noise and sightings in 1964/1965 were.

I have a lot of the MoD UFO files that were released in the last decade or so on file. But they are not searchable (mainly because a lot of the content is handwritten and photocopied) and there was nothing obvious I could see. Whether something is hidden away in the National Archives I don't know. But if something turns up I will be sure to update this thread.

a reply to: mirageman

That would be great if you found something.
Holton's behaviour was a bit strange. I wonder if he was threatened not to release the contents of his dossier? Claiming anxiety over a 'media circus' seems an odd reason not to disclose what he had presumably put time and effort into researching.

It seems to point to something being tested I guess, but that doesn't explain the alleged phone calls and the weird people, which has a very John Keelesque feel to it. Weirdness just seems to attract more weirdness though, in so many of these stories!

originally posted by: beansidhe
a reply to: mirageman

That would be great if you found something.
Holton's behaviour was a bit strange. I wonder if he was threatened not to release the contents of his dossier? Claiming anxiety over a 'media circus' seems an odd reason not to disclose what he had presumably put time and effort into researching.

It seems to point to something being tested I guess, but that doesn't explain the alleged phone calls and the weird people, which has a very John Keelesque feel to it. Weirdness just seems to attract more weirdness though, in so many of these stories!

Aah glad you mentioned our friend Mr. Holton. There is more information on him that he was actually behind some kind of 'test' or he was just a hoaxer. One story about the pigeon deaths was that it was all a hoax that kicked things off and he was feeding 'information' to Arthur Shuttlewood. Even a written 'confession' in the 21st century is supposed to have appeared in the Warminster local paper around 2005??? I think. However anyone can write a letter to a paper.



The famous photograph is claimed to be a hoax by many. But when you actually look into it, it is always other people who claim Faulkner hoaxed it. He (Faulkner) never admitted to it.

So I would like to get more source information on that whole 'Holton' episode to give a balanced view on it.

You might have to wait a day or two though as I don't really have the time to pull it all together at the moment.

Even solving that part of the story, hoax or not, still wouldn't solve the source of the sounds people were hearing though!

a reply to: mirageman

I'll wait happily as long as it takes. I'm intrigued now.

Long time lurker & poster who's forgotten his details so having to start again!

Absolutely brilliant read! I'm from London and hadn't heard of the "Warminster thing" until now!

One thing I did find interesting though is the section about Kearne from "Aenstria" or Inxtria as it's also known...

I've heard of a few stories prior to this involving beings from this particular planet including 'Lya,' (a pseudonym) the main contact of Mexican Prof. R.N. Hernandez said that's where she came from. And in July 1980, James Forber and two other witnesses from Johannesburg, South Africa, also encountered beings from Inxtria/Aenstria.

The planet is said to circle Mirach (Beta Andromedae) which is located in the constellation of Andromeda, approx' 197 light years away from Earth.

a reply to: beansidhe

I'm glad you reminded me about it! I left it out of the original posting and almost forgot about it.
I am actually intrigued myself now.

Regards MM

a reply to: TheBatch

Oh yes. There is a lot more about the 'aliens' communicating with Shuttlewood as well. I left an awful lot of that stuff out of thread because it would have sidetracked it too much and is very bizarre.

Although I suppose now as this thread is gathering steam maybe it's worth adding that information as well.

I must say it is nice to see so many fellow Brits participating in this thread as well.