RAF Cosford

A place i have been to many a time for the great airshow but now i have just found this out.

RAF Cosford


According to various sources, on 10th December 1963, 2 RAF personnel
observed a strange domed object fall behind a hanger at RAF Cosford,
Wolverhampton, England.

The 2 men then stated that the object swept the airfield with a strange
green beam. However, when they returned with help, the object gone.

The 2 men were then allegedly subjected to a rigorous interrogation, and
the events covered up.

A couple of days later a very large transport plane landed, which was
extremely unusual for this base, and was loaded up with a large hidden
object.



[Image][Image][Jenny Randles Column][In the Chair][News][Events][UFO Times]

[Image]

Nick Redfern is perhaps the UK's leading researcher into Government
involvement with UFO cases. This is slow, often tedious, work but which is
invaluable if ufologists are to unearth the nuggets of information which
can help demonstrate a case was mundane after all or to provide the
neccesary bait to continue the search for further documentation. Nick will
be writing a regular bi-monthly column for UFO Times on all aspects of his
research, making UFO Times up to the minute with government information
released under the 'thirty year' rule.

Cosford

An Enduring Mystery

by Nick Redfern

In 1995, the Royal Air Force facility at Cosford, near Wolverhampton, is
probably known for its huge museum which is home to an impressive
collection of vintage military and civil aircraft. More than thirty years
ago, however, Cosford became briefly famous for an entirely different
reason.

At around 11.30pm on the evening of December 10, 1963, a dome-shaped UFO
touched down on the base, bathed the surrounding area in a beam of green
light, and was seen at close quarters by at least two RAF apprentices. At
least, that has been the accepted story for the last three decades.

In accordance with the British Government's 'thirty year ruling' the
Ministry of Defence's eighty page file on the case has recently been
declassified and is now available for inspection at the Public Record
Office. Its contents make for interesting reading.

Rumours that something extraordinary had occurred at the base surfaced
almost immediately, but it was not until early January 1964 that matters
escalated. On January 9, Wilfred Daniels, a UFO investigator from Stafford,
had the opportunity to speak with Reverend B.G. Henry, the Chaplain at RAF
Cosford, and duly put to him a number of questions relative to the alleged
close encounter.

We cannot be sure what was actually said during the course of their brief
conversation (both men recalled their 'chat' in markedly different ways),
but a controversy was created which raged for months.

In an April 13, 1964 letter to Waverney Girvan, editor of Flying Saucer
Review magazine, Wilfred Daniels reported: "Flight Lieutenant Henry said
that publication of his name would cause him trouble; that it was 'more
than his job was worth' to arrange a meeting between me and the two RAF
apprentices; that he really ought not to be talking to me about it at all;
that security had dropped right down on the whole thing."

For his part, Reverend Henry's recollection were somewhat opposed to those
of Daniels. A letter from Flying Officer R.A. Roberts at Cosford, to the
Air Ministry at Whitehall, stated that Flight Lieutenant Henry
"categorically denies all sttaments attributed to him". Flying Officer
Roberts further added that the chaplain was "seriously considering taking
lefal action".

To his credit, Waverney Girvan resolved to get to the bottom of the
mystery, and fired off a barrage of letters to both Cosford and the Air
Ministry. As Girvan pointed out to the staff at Cosford, several
contradictory explanations had been offered by the authorities to explain
the encounter: 'Nothing at all', 'two drunk apprentices', 'a hoax', and,
somewhat amusingly, 'a British Railways steam train' were the various
theories mooted by the Air Ministry in its attempts to squelch interest in
the case.

Smelling a rat, Girvan gave the incidemt pride of place in the next issue
of Flying Saucer Review, and write a lenghty article on the case in the
Kensignton News and West London Times. Commenting on the Government's
'self-contradictory explanations', Girvan said: 'What is it that the Air
Ministry is trying so desparately to hide?'

Preferring to keep its head down, the Air Ministry fumed behind closed
doors. Of particular concern to the Air Ministry, the media persisted in
promotong the case: '...the Express and Star of Wolverhampton, in spite of
seeking the Station's views, reported the boys' claim....,' grumbled the
Ministry in an internal memorandum of March 12, 1964.

By May of that same year, the controversy had begun to die down and
normality returned to RAF Cosford. The pro-UFO facrtions continued to
champion the case, while the Air Ministry was more than happy to play the
matter down.

So, what exactly did happen on that long gone winter's evening in December
1963? On the plus side, Waverney Girvan was a much-respected individual,
well-known for his diligent researches. In addition, Wilfred Daniels had
served in the military at the level of Captain - an equally credible
source. Moreover, it is a proven fact that the Air Ministry did offer a
variety of contradictory explanations in its attempt to dismiss the case.

On the other hand, the negative aspects of the case have to be addressed.
Flight Lieutenant Henry was adamant that he had been mis-quoted by Wilfred
Daniels; the possibility of him taking legal action was discussed in
inter-departmental memos. Furthermore, a hand-written note which originated
with the Air Ministry stated that with respect to the two apprentices who
reported seeing the UFO: 'I believe the two boys in question wanted to get
out of the servive - and we should not have been sorry to see them go.'

However, if nothing untoward occurred, why did the Air Ministry feel the
need to offer a variety of ever-changing explanations as it sought to
diffuse both public and media interest in the event?

In the final analysis, whatever truth lies behind the alleged 1963 UFO
encounter at RAF Cosford, of only one thing we can be truly certain: with
the release of the Government's eighty page file on the incident, the
decades-old controversy looks certain to re-surface.

For the original source visit this site.

yeppo sorry bout that, there are several sites talking about this, fact or fiction makes a good story

Nice Story. I've been to RAF Cosford many times, but have never heard of that incident. I wouldn't like to guess as to whether it really happened, but the whole area, particularly Cannock Chase is a hotbed for UFO sightings.

Cannock is also good for Rock Clubs (but thats another story) yea Cosford was/is a populer pas time for my family goin to the airshows there.

Have any of you heard about the 'incident' which occurred during the early hours of March 31st 1993 at RAF Shawbury? A meteorlogical officer stationed at RAF Shawbury said he said a set of two red lights, with a rear red flashing light. Ihese lights were fixed, as if part of an object, which emitted a white beam towards the ground. There has been suggestions that it could have been a helicopter belonging to the Dyfed-Powys police force. Which would be able to ascend/descend vertically and manoeuvre erattically. Although this object is said to have done so at "hundreds of miles per hour". It is also mentioned the object climbed to an altitude of at least 4,000 feet. An altitude which is much higher than the operational altitude ceiling of helicopter; which is between 500-1,000 feet.