Releases / 3 / CIA-UAP-014

British activity in the Field of "Unidentified Flying Objects"

File

CIA-UAP-014

Type

Document, 2 pages

Agency

CIA

Date

December, 1952

Released

Release 3, June 12, 2026

Open the original on war.gov

The government's description

A December 1952 Memo on the activities the British are taking to identify UFOs. The memo references a UFO sighting at an RAF field seen by high officials and RAF pilots. A more redacted version of the memo has been available on CIA's public website.

Approved fo r Release 2026 Under Section 18 42 o f the Nat ional Defense Aut h ori zat i on Act
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18 JDecemeer 1952
MEM0RANDtJM FOB RECORD
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British Activity in the field 0f "Unidentified Flying Objects"
I
On 15 December, the recem.tly arrived messenger from Britain reported
the following.
Re 1aa4 talked with R. V. Jones and
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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.
5.
The traveler teld Jones of' 0ur interest at this time, mentioned
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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H. MABSHALI. ClWJWELL
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Assis~t Direc;tor
Scientific Intelligence
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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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