CIA-UAP-014: British activity in the Field of "Unidentified Flying Objects"

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Approved fo r Release 2026 Under Section 18 42 o f the Nat ional Defense Aut h ori zat i on Act
fo r Fiscal Year 2 02 4

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                                                  18 JDecemeer 1952

    MEM0RANDtJM FOB RECORD

    Sl:'JBJEC'?:   British Activity in the field 0f "Unidentified Flying Objects"
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           l.      On 15 December, the recem.tly arrived messenger from Britain reported
    the following.      Re 1aa4 talked with R. V. Jones and   ~I---~
         2.   The British have be.4 a standjng committee created a.bout sixteen
    months ago on f'lyillg saucers. . Pre8'1Dlably this is now ud.er Dr. Jeaes through
    inheritance. The RAF are aetien peopl.e. The graup bas c~ncludea. that the
    observations are not eneiq aircraft and ~ t none have been. over Brita.in.
          3. The activity has been quiet and normal up to about tem. to twelve
    days ago, at wJaich time the Yorkshire incident took place. In some W' field,
    there was same sort of demenstratien to whieb. high official.a of the BAF in
    Lendon had been invited. During the show, a "perfect f ~ g saucer 11 -~ •seen
    by these officials as well ..as BAF pilots. So.Dlal:lY peaple saw it tbat ~
    articles appeared in the pulic presa. Thi~ is disturbing te Jones because
    he rea1izes that the ·ereatisn of the e0rrection Qf pablic opinion is a part
    of' his responsibilities.

           4.    Jones reminded us ef the SWedisb. incident (pres'QD18.bly he refers                   ·:•,
    to the 013.e in 1946-)., and reminds us o'f a paper on the origin of' meteari tes        -....__ ~: ,
                                                                                               . ~ .:- ~
    pu.blisllted ill the French Acu.em;y of' Sciences betlfeen 176o and 1780 by Cb.la.dni.
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           5.  The traveler teld Jones of' 0ur interest at this time, mentioned                                      _.
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    the film vhich had been taken by the Naval non-commissioned officer (1'remonton
    incident). It is possibl.e that Jones. Will. write asking for a copy of'. the film
    or :further on the same subJect . .


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                            l                     H. MABSHALI. ClWJWELL
                                                  Assis~t Direc;tor
   Distributien:     /                           Scientific Intelligence
        Opns/SI - l.
        P&E7SI - l.
        W&E/SI - 1
          AD/SI - 2




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                                    /SECRET-

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     While there is no indication that these objects represent a
direct threat to the national defense, there are certain potential
dangers which are related to these sightings. These are:
          1.   The difficulty and delay in positive 1dentification
     which could weaken the early warning system in alerting defense
     in the event of commencement of hostilities.*
          2.   The possibillty of mass hysteria whieh might be ~ ­
     posely induced by an enemy at a critical time by faked reports.
          3. The possibillty that the emergency eonmnmications
     systems to command headquarters might be seriously overloaded
     at a critical time by such reports.
     It is believed that the problems of communications confusion and
overload and the serious e:ff'ects of mass hysteria mist be dealt with
outside the intelligence community, and 1t is planned to bring these
matters to the attention of those agencies with whom the prime respon­
sibility appears to rest. With respect to ma.ss hysteria, it is believed
this problem would lie with the Federal. Civil Defense .Administration and/
or the Interdepartmental. Cammittee on Internal Security. Accordingly,
it is planned to bring this to the attention of the FCDA and ICIS through
established channels. With respect to emergency eommm:deatiellS overload­
ing, it is believed that each of the individual Mil.itary Services should
examine this problem. Accordingly, we intend to introduce the subject
at a meeting of the Joint Communications and Electronics Cammittee.




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