DISCLOSURE / FILE
UFO Sightings at Weapons Testing Site, Woomera Rocket Range
1960 Maralinga security officer's report on an unidentified light seen by five named witnesses near the Wewak Vixen A test site, 15 miles from Maralinga Village.
DISCLOSURE / FILE
1960 Maralinga security officer's report on an unidentified light seen by five named witnesses near the Wewak Vixen A test site, 15 miles from Maralinga Village.
1960 Maralinga security officer's report on an unidentified light seen by five named witnesses near the Wewak Vixen A test site, 15 miles from Maralinga Village.
On 15 July 1960 at about 7:15 p.m, Constable Hubert Dave Scarborough reported a burning balloon over the Wewak Vixen A test site; the Balloon Officer found all balloons intact. Five named witnesses, including Capt. Keith Angus Ross, Trevor James Hoskins, Russell McFarlane Kingsley, and Ian Kenneth Haskard, described a white-to-red light traveling east to west over the R.E.M.E. Workshop Building, with duration estimates ranging from two to fifteen seconds. Inquiries with Woomera and an Exoil Pty. Ltd. survey party near Emu returned negative results, and a photo-flash explanation was discounted because no aircraft was heard and no flash lasts fifteen seconds. Security Officer J.J.A. Banlon concluded the source could not be positively identified, while Health Physics Officer Oliver Harry Turner independently judged it was an unidentified flying object, either a satellite cone or a flying saucer.
At 7.15 p.m. on 15th July, 1960, a telephone report was received from Constable Hubert Dave SCARBOROUGH, who is stationed on the site, that a balloon had burnt in the air. The Balloon Officer made an inspection and found that all balloons were intact.p.1
He left the caravan and saw what he described as a white light travelling from East to West. As it appeared to come nearer, or grow larger, it turned to a red colour.p.1
The only fact contributed that could assist was that the light appeared to occupy 1½ to two degrees of the horizon. The Constable thought that the light burned for thirty seconds.p.1
A suggestion that the light could have been produced by a photo-flash from a high-flying aircraft was discounted. No aircraft was heard at the time and, in any case, no known photo-flash has a duration of anything like fifteen seconds.p.2
He is of the opinion that the light was not the result of a natural phenomenon but caused by an unidentified flying object; either a cone from a satellite or a "flying saucer."p.2
It is felt that all avenues of inquiry at Maralinga have now been covered and that it is not possible to positively identify the source of the light. It is felt, however, that the light was the result of either a meteor or static electricity.p.2
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COPY CONFIDENTIAL 2A
M.518.1 24th July, 1960
UNIDENTIFIED LIGHT - WEWAK AREA.
The Range Commander,
Maralinga.
At Wewak, the site of the Vixen "A" tests, approximately
15 miles from Maralinga Village, are a number of static balloons used in
instrumentation. At 7.15 p.m. on 15th July, 1960, a telephone report was
received from Constable Hubert Dave SCARBOROUGH, who is stationed on the
site, that a balloon had burnt in the air. The Balloon Officer made an
inspection and found that all balloons were intact.
2. The Constable was questioned and said that he was sitting
in his caravan at approximately 7.5 p.m. when his attention was drawn to
a light, of approximately the power of bright moonlight, playing on the
ground. He left the caravan and saw what he described as a white light
travelling from East to West. As it appeared to come nearer, or grow
larger, it turned to a red colour. Because of its position and height he
thought, at first, that it was a balloon afire and reported it as such.
Owing to lack of knowledge as to distance away it was found difficult to
estimate the size of the light. The only fact contributed that could
assist was that the light appeared to occupy 1½ to two degrees of the
horizon. The Constable thought that the light burned for thirty seconds.
3. Constable Richard Henry MAXWELL who was outside the
caravan at Roadside, thirteen miles from the Village, saw a light out of
the corner of his eye at about 7 p.m. He thought that the light appeared
to come from the direction of Wewak a distance of 2¼ miles. As far as he
knows the light did not play on the ground in his immediate vicinity. The
light had made so little impression on his mind that he failed to mention
it to his companion when he returned to the caravan and recalled it only
when he received a telephone call from the Constable at Wewak inquiring
if the light had been witnessed at Roadside.
4. The light was observed from the Village at about the same
time by the following personnel -
2/945 Capt. Keith Angus ROSS, Catering Officer.
Trevor James HOSKINS, Technical Assistant, Health Physics Group,
Russell McFarlane KINGSLEY, Fitter, Department of Mines, and
Ian Kenneth HASKARD, Supervising Technician, P.M.G's Department.
All gave, more or less, the same description. They saw a light over the
R.E.M.E. Workshop Building in the Village and coming from the general
direction of Wewak. There was some disagreement as to the duration of
the light; this varied between two and fifteen seconds. The discrepancy
could be explained by some people seeing the light some seconds after it
had first appeared. The person who saw it for fifteen seconds was able
to reconstruct his movements at the particular time and it is thought that
his estimate is reasonable. While an agreement could not be reached as to
the exact time all agree that it was some time after 7 p.m.
5. Inquiries, with negative result, were made of Woomera in
case a firing had taken place and was witnessed in this area. The same
source was used to contact a survey party from Exoil Pty. Ltd. who were
camped in the vicinity of Emu in an effort to discover if they had
witnessed any phenomenon such as a meteor. The result was negative.
CONFIDENTIAL /6. APage 2 · vision OCR
CONFIDENTIAL
-2-
6. A suggestion that the light could have been produced by
a photo-flash from a high-flying aircraft was discounted. No aircraft
was heard at the time and, in any case, no known photo-flash has a
duration of anything like fifteen seconds.
7. Scientific personnel who would have the "know-how" were
questioned in case the light was the result of a practical joke.
Assurances were given that no member of the Scientific parties were
responsible.
8. One practical suggestion was made by a Scientific Officer
that the light could have been caused by "St. Elmo's fire". The Balloon
Officer said that, although the balloons are "earthed" sometimes static
electricity does build-up sufficiently to electrify the anchor vehicle.
Three balloons are in line with the position where the light was observed
from Wewak and approximately half a mile distant from the caravan. At
such a distance it is understood that 1½ degrees of the horizon could be
calculated to approximately 40 feet. Opportunity was taken during a
visit to Adelaide to attempt some research into static electricity at the
Adelaide Public Library. No reference book produced gave much useful
information. The following description of "St. Elmo's fire" was extracted
from an encyclopaedia -
"...the glow accompanying the brush-like discharges of
atmospheric electricity which usually appears as a tip
of light on the extremity of pointed objects such as
church towers or the masts of ships during stormy weather.
It is commonly accompanied by a crackling or fizzing noise."
9. Mr. Oliver Harry Turner, Health Physics Officer, who
possesses an inquiring mind, made an independent investigation and
extensive calculations. He is of the opinion that the light was not
the result of a natural phenomenon but caused by an unidentified flying
object; either a cone from a satellite or a "flying saucer."
10. It is felt that all avenues of inquiry at Maralinga
have now been covered and that it is not possible to positively identify
the source of the light. It is felt, however, that the light was the
result of either a meteor or static electricity.
11. Submitted.
SGD. J.J.A. BANLON
Security Officer, Maralinga
CONFIDENTIALConcatenated page-by-page transcript. Born-digital pages came through pdf.js; scanned pages were transcribed by Claude vision OCR. Pages marked unreadable failed multiple OCR retries (heavy redaction, microfilm artifacts, or blank separators) and are kept in place for audit.
COPY CONFIDENTIAL 2A
M.518.1 24th July, 1960
UNIDENTIFIED LIGHT - WEWAK AREA.
The Range Commander,
Maralinga.
At Wewak, the site of the Vixen "A" tests, approximately
15 miles from Maralinga Village, are a number of static balloons used in
instrumentation. At 7.15 p.m. on 15th July, 1960, a telephone report was
received from Constable Hubert Dave SCARBOROUGH, who is stationed on the
site, that a balloon had burnt in the air. The Balloon Officer made an
inspection and found that all balloons were intact.
2. The Constable was questioned and said that he was sitting
in his caravan at approximately 7.5 p.m. when his attention was drawn to
a light, of approximately the power of bright moonlight, playing on the
ground. He left the caravan and saw what he described as a white light
travelling from East to West. As it appeared to come nearer, or grow
larger, it turned to a red colour. Because of its position and height he
thought, at first, that it was a balloon afire and reported it as such.
Owing to lack of knowledge as to distance away it was found difficult to
estimate the size of the light. The only fact contributed that could
assist was that the light appeared to occupy 1½ to two degrees of the
horizon. The Constable thought that the light burned for thirty seconds.
3. Constable Richard Henry MAXWELL who was outside the
caravan at Roadside, thirteen miles from the Village, saw a light out of
the corner of his eye at about 7 p.m. He thought that the light appeared
to come from the direction of Wewak a distance of 2¼ miles. As far as he
knows the light did not play on the ground in his immediate vicinity. The
light had made so little impression on his mind that he failed to mention
it to his companion when he returned to the caravan and recalled it only
when he received a telephone call from the Constable at Wewak inquiring
if the light had been witnessed at Roadside.
4. The light was observed from the Village at about the same
time by the following personnel -
2/945 Capt. Keith Angus ROSS, Catering Officer.
Trevor James HOSKINS, Technical Assistant, Health Physics Group,
Russell McFarlane KINGSLEY, Fitter, Department of Mines, and
Ian Kenneth HASKARD, Supervising Technician, P.M.G's Department.
All gave, more or less, the same description. They saw a light over the
R.E.M.E. Workshop Building in the Village and coming from the general
direction of Wewak. There was some disagreement as to the duration of
the light; this varied between two and fifteen seconds. The discrepancy
could be explained by some people seeing the light some seconds after it
had first appeared. The person who saw it for fifteen seconds was able
to reconstruct his movements at the particular time and it is thought that
his estimate is reasonable. While an agreement could not be reached as to
the exact time all agree that it was some time after 7 p.m.
5. Inquiries, with negative result, were made of Woomera in
case a firing had taken place and was witnessed in this area. The same
source was used to contact a survey party from Exoil Pty. Ltd. who were
camped in the vicinity of Emu in an effort to discover if they had
witnessed any phenomenon such as a meteor. The result was negative.
CONFIDENTIAL /6. ACONFIDENTIAL
-2-
6. A suggestion that the light could have been produced by
a photo-flash from a high-flying aircraft was discounted. No aircraft
was heard at the time and, in any case, no known photo-flash has a
duration of anything like fifteen seconds.
7. Scientific personnel who would have the "know-how" were
questioned in case the light was the result of a practical joke.
Assurances were given that no member of the Scientific parties were
responsible.
8. One practical suggestion was made by a Scientific Officer
that the light could have been caused by "St. Elmo's fire". The Balloon
Officer said that, although the balloons are "earthed" sometimes static
electricity does build-up sufficiently to electrify the anchor vehicle.
Three balloons are in line with the position where the light was observed
from Wewak and approximately half a mile distant from the caravan. At
such a distance it is understood that 1½ degrees of the horizon could be
calculated to approximately 40 feet. Opportunity was taken during a
visit to Adelaide to attempt some research into static electricity at the
Adelaide Public Library. No reference book produced gave much useful
information. The following description of "St. Elmo's fire" was extracted
from an encyclopaedia -
"...the glow accompanying the brush-like discharges of
atmospheric electricity which usually appears as a tip
of light on the extremity of pointed objects such as
church towers or the masts of ships during stormy weather.
It is commonly accompanied by a crackling or fizzing noise."
9. Mr. Oliver Harry Turner, Health Physics Officer, who
possesses an inquiring mind, made an independent investigation and
extensive calculations. He is of the opinion that the light was not
the result of a natural phenomenon but caused by an unidentified flying
object; either a cone from a satellite or a "flying saucer."
10. It is felt that all avenues of inquiry at Maralinga
have now been covered and that it is not possible to positively identify
the source of the light. It is felt, however, that the light was the
result of either a meteor or static electricity.
11. Submitted.
SGD. J.J.A. BANLON
Security Officer, Maralinga
CONFIDENTIAL