www.ufomatrix.com Volume 1 Issue 3

UFO LANDING AT WOODBRIDGENew witnesses.

Firsthand eyewitness. An interview by Philip Mantle.

Scotland’s LivingstonIncident Debated.

David Slater &Malcolm Robinson.

EXCLUSIVE

Bentwaters 30thAnniversary Edition

UFO FACE–OFF.

THE LATESTALIEN IMPLANT

SURGERY FROMDR ROGER LEIR

Sgt John Burroughs Interview

UFO REPORTS from Malaysia & Brazil

Bentwatersscreenplay underway. Gary Heseltine reports.

A new investigationby John Hanson.

UK £5.99

04 UFO MATRIX

20 PHILIP GARDNERSceptic's Guide. Philip Gardiner tries torestore the balance with his down-to-earth look at things.

24 THE LIVINGSTON INCIDENTThe Livingston Incident - A newperspective from Malcolm Robinson.

28 THE LIVINGSTON INCIDENT EXPLAINED? Spaceships, Spheres and the Devil's Herb.A possible explanation for the LivingstonIncident by David Slater.

06 AND NOW THE NEWS…The latest ufological news from around the globe by Steve Johnson.

10 REPORTS FROM PUERTO RICO1987 - 1997: Puerto Rico's IncredibleDecade. Ten years of UFO sightings gounder the spotlight by Scott Corrales.

16 NICK POPE MOD FILES The Rendlesham Forest Incident. NickPope starts our look at the 30thanniversary of this landmark event.

32 PORTER’S WOOD UFO LANDING, SUFFOLKReport of a UFO landing and occupantsseen in Porter's Wood, Woodbridge,Suffolk in December 1980. Are there morewitnesses to the Rendlesham events? Anexclusive from John Hanson.

36 OZ COLUMNHelp, some of our pineapples are missing! Our regular column from down-under takes a look at some very curious UFO sightings around some very curiouslooking landforms.

16

44

54

UFO MATRIX 05

CONTENTS

60 UFO PHOTOS FROM MALAYSIAAhmad Jamaludin takes us aroundMalaysia looking at some of thephotographic evidence there for UFOs.

64 SCIENTIFIC RENDLESHAM?The Rendlesham Forest Incident: AScientists View. Astrophysicist AndrewPike looks at the possible scientificexplanations for the Rendlesham Forest sightings.

69 UFO MATRIX EXCLUSIVE!!!

70 READERS UFO SIGHTINGSA look at some UFO sightings reported by the readers of UFO MATRIX.

74 PETER ROBBINS: ON ASSIGNMENTRendlesham at Thirty: Why Larry Warren continues to matter. Peter Robbins discusses the contribution to the Rendlesham Forest Incident by Larry Warren.

79 BRAZIL - THE PLACE FOR UFOs.Thiago Luiz Ticchetti takes an in-depthlook at UFO sightings around Brasilia, his nations capital.

38 RENDLESHAM FOREST SCREENPLAYThree Nights in December. Gary Heseltineupdates us on his efforts to turn theRendlesham events into a movie and hisrecent meeting with Colonel Halt.

43 SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

44 MIKE HALLOWELL, BACKLIGHTMike Hallowell's cold case review looks back at some intriguing closeencounter cases.

48 CASH-LANDRUM CASEThe Cash-Landrum case by Steven S. Bass.A unique close encounter case from theUSA that took place around the sametime as the Rendlesham events.

50 CLAS SVAHN COLUMNClas Svahn delves once again into thearchives and brings us yet more fascinating UFO cases from aroundScandinavia and Europe.

54 ALIEN IMPLANTS, WHAT HAVE WELEARNED?Dr Roger Leir details two recent surgeriesto remove alleged alien implants.

82 JOHN BURROUGHS INTERVIEW Philip Mantle takes the opportunity tointerview John Burroughs, one of theprinciple witnesses to the RendleshamForest UFO sightings.

85 MAILBOX (READER’S LETTERS)Your letters to UFO MATRIX.

87 THE RENDLESHAM FILESDr David Clarke offers his latest scepticallook at Britain's most famous UFO event,Rendlesham.

94 COMPETITIONMore books up for grabs in ourcompetition!

95 COMING NEXT ISSUEWhat to expect in our factpacked issue 4.

96 REVIEWSOur residentreviewer KevinGoodman castshis eyes over the latest ufological releases.

Volume 1 Issue 3

32

HEALINGS OF ATLANTIS, SPONSORS OF THE STONE

16 UFO MATRIX

IntroductionDecember, 2010, is the thirtieth anniversary of

Britain’s best-known and most compelling UFO

case, known in the UK as the Rendlesham

Forest Incident, though often referred to by

Americans as the Bentwaters Incident. In this

article, I intend to give an overview of the case,

focus on the official Ministry of Defence (MoD)

and United States Air Force (USAF)

investigations and then assess some of the

theories that have been put forward to explain

what happened.

The First NightIn the early hours of 26th December, 1980,

military personnel at the twin bases of RAF

Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge (UK bases

operated by the USAF), in Suffolk, saw a strange

light in Rendlesham Forest, which lies between

the two bases. Acting on the possibility that an

aircraft might have crashed, three men were

sent out to investigate. Two of them

approached the light and encountered a small,

triangular-shaped craft that had landed in a

clearing. Nearby farm animals were going into a

frenzy. One of the security police officers, Jim

Penniston, got close enough to touch the side

of the object. He and another of the airmen

present, John Burroughs, attached sketches of

the craft to the witness statements they

subsequently made. Penniston’s sketch includes

strange symbols that he saw on the craft’s hull,

which he likened to Egyptian hieroglyphs.

The Second NightTwo nights later, the UFO returned. The Deputy

Base Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Charles

Halt, was informed and, together with a small

group of men, went out into the forest to

investigate. As they progressed, radio

communications were subjected to

interference and powerful mobile generators

(called light-alls), that Halt had brought to

illuminate the forest, began to cut out. Despite

his initial plan to “debunk”the UFO sighting, Halt

and his team then encountered the UFO,

which, at one point, fired beams of light down

at his party and, later on, at the Woodbridge

facility. “Here I am, a senior official who routinely

denies this sort of thing and diligently works to

debunk them and I’m involved in the middle of

MoD X-FilesThe Rendlesham Forest Incident

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by Nick Pope

MOD X-FILES

something I can’t explain,”he subsequently

commented.

Halt had taken a hand-held tape recorder

into the forest with him to document his

investigation. This tape is now in the public

domain and one can hear the rising tension in

his voice and the voices of his men as the UFO

approaches:

“I see it too... It’s back again... It’s coming this

way... There’s no doubt about it... This is weird... It

looks like an eye winking at you... It almost

burns your eyes... He’s coming toward us now...

Now we’re observing what appears to be a

beam coming down to the ground... One

object still hovering over Woodbridge base...

beaming down.”

The MoD InvestigationCharles Halt reported the various incidents to

the MoD in a memorandum dated 13th January,

1981. Despite the innocuous title, “Unexplained

Lights”, the document described the UFO as

being “metallic in appearance and triangular in

shape... hovering or on legs”. In what may have

been either a typographical error or a slip of the

memory, Halt gave incorrect dates for both

sightings, recording each as having taken place

a day later than was, in fact, the case.

The MoD’s investigation included an

inconclusive search for radar evidence that

might have corroborated what was seen, but

the error in the dates meant the wrong tapes

were checked. Of far more interest was an

assessment of radiation readings that had been

taken from the landing site with a Geiger

counter. The readings had peaked in three

holes in the ground, which formed the shape of

an equilateral triangle, which had been found at

the spot where the craft landed. The Defence

Intelligence Staff stated that the readings

seemed “significantly higher than the average

background”. Their report suggested that the

radiation was between seven and eight times

what would have been expected for the area

concerned. This official assessment is now in

the public domain, as the MoD’s case file on the

event was released to author, Georgina Bruni,

and to other UFO researchers in 2001.

The USAF InvestigationIn parallel to the MoD investigation, Charles Halt

undertook his own inquiry, interviewing

Penniston and Burroughs and taking formal

statements from them and three other airmen,

who had been involved in the first night’s

activity. However, some of the USAF witnesses

have claimed that other senior officers,

delay and poor information-sharing. The USAF

had not cordoned-off the landing site, taken

soil samples or used a metal detector to search

the area. The incident was not reported to the

MoD until nearly three weeks after the events

and, when it was, the dates in the official USAF

report were incorrect. The USAF didn’t pass the

witness statements (including Jim Penniston’s

sketch, which would have made it abundantly

clear to everyone that a structured craft was

involved) to the MoD, nor did they tell MoD

until some time later that General Gabriel had

been given evidence relating to the case, which

had not been passed to MoD.

MoD, too, had committed errors. The

Defence Intelligence Staff assessment of the

radiation levels at the landing site had not been

passed to the USAF. Critically, no follow-up

interviews were conducted with Halt or any of

the witnesses. The fact that the USAF had been

so slow to report to the MoD may have been a

factor here, as the clear implication was that the

including Base Commander, Colonel Ted

Conrad, and Chief of Security Police, Major

Malcolm Zickler, were undertaking separate

investigations. It is also alleged that the Air

Force Office of Special Investigations was

involved, along with other unidentified

agencies.

Shortly after the event, General Gabriel,

Commander in Chief, United States Air Forces in

Europe, visited the bases and took possession

of Charles Halt’s tape recording. This is

confirmed in a document in MoD’s case file, but

it is not known if other material relating to the

incident was involved or what further action

was taken.

Cold Case ReviewIn 1994, I undertook what police would call a

‘cold case review’of the Rendlesham Forest

Incident. What I found shocked me. It was soon

clear that the original investigation had been

fundamentally flawed by procedural errors,

UFO MATRIX 17

“I see it too... It’s back again... It’s coming thisway... There’s no doubt about it... This is weird... Itlooks like an eye winking at you... It almost burnsyour eyes... He’s coming toward us now... Nowwe’re observing what appears to be a beam comingdown to the ground... One object still hoveringover Woodbridge base... beaming down”

Craft symbols artistimpression: David Sankey

18 UFO MATRIX

going on duty.

Two other suggestions are that the incident

was caused by a prank involving a police car

with its flashing lights being used to spook

personnel on guard duty or a stolen truck of

manure that was set on fire in Rendlesham

Forest. In evidential terms, both theories hang

on unsubstantiated claims from a single

individual. There is no evidence that such a

prank or a crime ever occurred, let alone

evidence that such events – even if they did

take place, as claimed – had anything to do

with the Rendlesham Forest Incident.

Astronomical events such as meteors,

fireballs and rocket re-entries have also been

proposed, but such events are short-lived and it

is very difficult to see how any such events

would be compatible with what the witnesses

saw and the time period over which their

experiences occurred.

The best-known sceptical theory is that the

witnesses misidentified the Orford Ness

lighthouse (or possibly the nearby Shipwash

lightship). This idea was first proposed by local

forester, Vince Thurkettle, but seems unlikely.

The lighthouse was a well-known local feature

and not one likely to confuse the witnesses.

Furthermore, it isn’t visible from most of the

locations where the witnesses actually were.

The lighthouse cannot possibly explain Charles

Halt’s sighting of a UFO firing beams down at

them from above (“lighthouses don’t fly”was his

terse response to the suggestion) or hovering

over the base at Woodbridge. Indeed, at one

point Halt stated he saw the lighthouse to one

side of the UFO – proving that they were not

one and the same. On a personal note, I have

filmed in Rendlesham Forest several times for

various TV documentaries and news features.

Where the lighthouse is visible from the forest

at all, it appears in the distance, as a tiny

pinprick of light.

Possible Military ExplanationsTwo suggestions have been made involving

unusual military activity that might explain

events. The first is that the craft was a secret,

prototype aircraft or drone, probably American,

but perhaps even Soviet – might the symbols

that Jim Penniston saw have been Cyrillic

script? The second theory is that the events

were caused by some sort of psyop

(psychological operation), where the witnesses

were used as ‘guinea pigs’ to see how they

would respond to an unusual experience,

perhaps involving apparently solid objects

being generated by holographic technology –

events were not judged to be of any concern.

In fact, the delay was a consequence of Halt’s

uncertainty about how to proceed, given the

unprecedented nature of the events. The

person whom he needed to ask, the RAF

Liaison Officer, Squadron Leader Donald

Moreland, was on leave.

Most of these failings resulted from

confusion about jurisdiction, though my

assessment was that both the US and the UK

had jurisdiction (jurisdiction can be concurrent

– i.e. shared) but that the UK had primacy – i.e.

should have led the investigation.

In fact, each party thought the other should

take (and was taking) the lead. The MoD view

seemed to be that the USAF had matters in

hand. But when the senior USAF officer in the

UK, General Robert Bazley, was briefed on the

incident by the officer in overall command of

the twin bases, Colonel Gordon Williams, he

stated, “It’s a Brit affair”, on the basis that the

incident had occurred off-base.

It’s well-documented that policy – both in

MoD and in the USAF – was to ‘play down’ the

UFO phenomenon and the extent of official

involvement with the subject. Therefore, it

suited each party to drop the matter, on the

assumption that the other had lead

responsibility.

The BelieversA number of exotic theories have been

suggested in an attempt to explain the

Rendlesham Forest Incident. These include

extraterrestrial visitation, inter-dimensional

activity and even the involvement of time

travellers from the future. Intriguingly, this latter

theory has found favour with two of the key

witnesses, Jim Penniston and John Burroughs.

Even the ever-cautious Charles Halt, while

choosing his words carefully, states, “I still have

no idea what we saw that night. It must have

been beyond our technology... I do know one

thing, without a doubt: these objects were

under intelligent control.”

Exotic theories are put forward on the basis

that no conventional explanation seems to

satisfactorily explain what occurred. However, as

I know from my own official UFO investigations,

when a sighting cannot be explained in

conventional terms, it can only ever be

legitimately categorised as “unknown”. Anything

else is only a guess.

The ScepticsA number of theories have been put forward by

sceptics, in an attempt to provide a

conventional explanation for what happened.

The most serious allegation is that alcohol

and/or hallucinogenic drugs had played a part

in this. It would be foolish to suggest that

excessive drinking and illegal drug-taking never

occurred at Bentwaters and Woodbridge.

However, there is no evidence to suggest any of

the witnesses were drunk or had taken illegal

drugs. Moreover, security police and law

enforcement personnel are routinely checked

for any indications of drink or drugs before

Craft symbolsline drawing

during these interrogations and the whole

thing has had damaging, and lasting, effects on

the men involved.”

ConclusionThe Rendlesham Forest Incident remains

unexplained. This is one of the few things one

can say with any degree of certainty about

these events. Theories – whether they are about

extraterrestrials, lighthouses, time travellers from

the future, burning trucks of manure, psyops,

practical jokes or secret prototype drones – are

just that, theories and nothing more.

Georgina Bruni once called Rendlesham

“Britain’s Roswell”. She was right, but not just in

MOD X-FILES

UFO MATRIX 19

a so-called ‘ghost gun’.

The problem with these theories is that

there’s no evidence to support them, either in

terms of personal testimony or documentation.

Moreover, if a psyop or a secret US aircraft or

drone was responsible, it’s most unlikely that a

UFO report would have been sent to the MoD,

which might have set all sorts of hares running.

If rumours of a psyop or a secret aircraft/drone

were circulating among USAF personnel or

among the local population, it might arguably

make sense to launch a counter-intelligence

operation and ‘rebrand’ the event as a UFO

sighting, but there’s no evidence that any such

rumours had started.

A Soviet aircraft/drone is a slightly more

plausible theory. This was a time of high

international tension and the

Bentwaters/Woodbridge bases were two of the

most important military facilities in the UK.

Critically, all governments involved would have

had good reason for saying nothing or even

developing a cover story. The Soviets would not

admit to having been conducting espionage

activity of this sort, while the US and the UK

would have been horrified that the UK’s Air

Defence Region had been penetrated with

such ease and would not wish any knowledge

of such a security breach to circulate among

junior military personnel (for morale reasons) or

to become public knowledge. But I should

stress that this is speculation. As I say, I am

aware of no documentary evidence or personal

testimony that would support this

interpretation of events.

Rendlesham + 30On the thirtieth anniversary of these

events, some of the witnesses are not

coping well. Some are angry. Others

still show signs of Post-Traumatic Stress

Disorder. People such as Jim

Penniston, John Burroughs and Larry

Warren all claim they were let down

by the chain of command, which failed to

provide proper support after the events. There

are more serious accusations that some

witnesses were subjected to interrogations in

NICK POPE: (UK) The

Real X-Files. Author,

journalist and

broadcaster Nick

Pope commentates

extensively in the

media on the

unexplained,

conspiracy theories, fringe science,

space and science fiction. He worked for

the Ministry of Defence for 21 years and

from 1991 to 1994 was responsible for

investigating UFOs, alien abductions,

crop circles and other mysteries.

www.nickpope.net

“A number of theories have been put forwardby sceptics, in an attempt to provide aconventional explanation for what happened. Themost serious allegation is that alcohol and/orhallucinogenic drugs had played a part in this. Itwould be foolish to suggest that excessive drinkingand illegal drug-taking never occurred atBentwaters and Woodbridge.

the sense that she meant it, i.e. in terms of the

case being significant and well-known. Other

parallels can be drawn. New witnesses will

emerge, some genuine and some not.

Additional documents may come to light. New

theories will be put forward. In time, the

fortieth anniversary will come and then the

fiftieth. Witnesses will pass on, until, eventually,

nobody directly involved will remain. Ultimately,

like Roswell, the events will pass from history

into legend.

which threats and drugs were used, perhaps to

uncover the truth about what they saw or,

perhaps, to obscure it.

Some witnesses are calling for Congressional

hearings about this and there has even been

the suggestion of legal action. A Facebook

group, entitled “Justice for the Bentwaters 81st

Security Police at Rendlesham Forest 1980” is at

the heart of campaigning and, as I write this

article, has nearly 3500 members – a figure that

is rising every day.

While talk of Congressional hearings and

legal action may seem far-fetched, the door

may have been opened to such an outcome as

a result of an extraordinarily frank comment

from Charles Halt. Writing in a chapter of Leslie

Kean’s new book, UFOs: Generals, Pilots and

Government Officials Go on the Record, he made

the following statement:

“OSI [Office of Special Investigations]

operatives harshly interrogated five young

airmen, some of them in shock at the time, who

were key witnesses.”

Halt went on to write:“Drugs, such as sodium pentothal, often called a

“truth serum”when used with some form of

brainwashing or hypnosis, were administered

”

Pope, Penniston & Halt.

www.ufomatrix.comwww.healingsofatlantis.com

COMING NEXT ISSUE

UFO MATRIX 95

Ancient AstronautsET contact from Peru

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