Rendlesham Forest Incident
Over three nights in December 1980, USAF personnel at RAF Woodbridge, Suffolk, encountered a structured craft in Rendlesham Forest. Deputy base commander Lt. Col. Charles Halt documented the events in a memo to the UK Ministry of Defence and captured audio of a second encounter on microcassette.
Over three nights in December 1980, USAF personnel at RAF Woodbridge, Suffolk, encountered a structured craft in Rendlesham Forest.
Brief
Over three nights in December 1980, USAF personnel at RAF Woodbridge, Suffolk, encountered a structured craft in Rendlesham Forest. Deputy base commander Lt. Col. Charles Halt documented the events in a memo to the UK Ministry of Defence and captured audio of a second encounter on microcassette. On December 26, USAF Sgt. Jim Penniston, A1C John Burroughs, and A1C Ed Cabansag responded to lights descending into the forest. Penniston reported touching the craft's surface. Two nights later, Halt led a larger team and recorded objects maneuvering overhead and firing beams toward the ground. The Halt Memo (January 13, 1981) remained classified until 1983. MoD file DEFE 24/1948 is held at the UK National Archives.
Metadata
- Date
- 1980-12-26
- Year
- 1980
- Location
- Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, England
- Region
- United Kingdom
- Status
- confirmed
- Tag
- civilian claim
- Primary
- DEFE 24/1948: UFO reports of sighting, Rendlesham Forest, December 1980
- Source type
- html
- Sources
- 3
Key Points
- Over three nights in December 1980, USAF personnel at RAF Woodbridge, Suffolk, encountered a structured craft in Rendlesham Forest.
- Deputy base commander Lt. Col. Charles Halt documented the events in a memo to the UK Ministry of Defence and captured audio of a second encounter on microcassette.
- On December 26, USAF Sgt. Jim Penniston, A1C John Burroughs, and A1C Ed Cabansag responded to lights descending into the forest.
- Penniston reported touching the craft's surface.
Most Interesting
- MoD file DEFE 24/1948 is held at the UK National Archives.
- On December 26, USAF Sgt. Jim Penniston, A1C John Burroughs, and A1C Ed Cabansag responded to lights descending into the forest.
- Over three nights in December 1980, USAF personnel at RAF Woodbridge, Suffolk, encountered a structured craft in Rendlesham Forest.
Timeline
- 1980-12-26 · Encounter
Over three nights in December 1980, USAF personnel at RAF Woodbridge, Suffolk, encountered a structured craft in Rendlesham Forest.
- 2008 · Source record
DEFE 24/1948: UFO reports of sighting, Rendlesham Forest, December 1980 is the preferred source material attached to this encounter.
Sources
- DEFE 24/1948: UFO reports of sighting, Rendlesham Forest, December 1980UK National Archives, 2008
- Rendlesham Forest incidentWikipedia, 2024
- Rendlesham Forest/RAF Bentwaters Incident. House of Lords debateUK Parliament Hansard, 2001
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