Project 10073 Record Cards and Related Correspondence — Richmond, California, August 1952

This document collection contains Project 10073 record cards, worksheets, and teletype communications regarding two separate unidentified aerial phenomena sightings in Richmond, California, in August 1952. The first incident occurred on August 23, 1952, at 0050 PDT, involving a round, orange or reddish object described as the size of a nickel. The witness, Gary Will of the Richmond Police Headquarters, reported the object circling and moving north before fading into darkness. The observation lasted approximately 30 seconds. A second report for the same date identifies the observer as Richard Purnell of the Hall of Justice. A subsequent sighting occurred on August 25, 1952, at 1700 PDT, involving a white, round object observed for 25 minutes. This object was described as drifting on a straight, unvarying course. The report notes that two F-86 aircraft were in the area at the time of this second sighting, and that surface winds were blowing against the object's direction of travel. The documents include detailed questionnaires completed by the observers, providing information on their location at the Richmond Police Headquarters and their activities, which included spotting aircraft as part of their Ground Observer Corps duties. The files also contain weather data sheets and balloon launch information, though the latter remains largely incomplete. The official evaluation of these reports is categorized as having insufficient data, with one internal note on a worksheet simply labeling the report as 'Bad report'.