Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting of Unusual Aerial Object, Tooma, N.S.W., 5 January 1954

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated correspondence regarding a sighting of three unusual aerial objects near Tooma, New South Wales, on January 5, 1954. The report details an observation made by three individuals at 1200 hours. The witnesses described three white, oval or circular objects that appeared at a 12-degree elevation in the East. The objects were observed for 10 to 15 minutes, during which they maneuvered in formation, weaved about, and climbed to a 35-degree elevation before traveling West. The witnesses, who used polaroid glasses, noted that the objects maintained high-intensity lights and appeared to grow smaller with distance. One witness, identified as Mr. R. A. Green, was noted to have considerable experience in aircraft spotting from his time in the Navy. The report includes a formal assessment by the R.A.A.F. Headquarters Training Command, which concluded that the event was a probable aircraft observation, noting that the flight duration and general description were consistent with this analysis. However, the documentation also highlights a discrepancy: when the observers compared their sighting to actual aircraft passing overhead later that day, they reported no similarity between the two. The document includes specific details regarding the observers' locations, the weather conditions (unlimited visibility), and the lack of physical evidence or radar confirmation. The correspondence emphasizes that the witnesses were on a fishing holiday and had no prior knowledge of other sightings, and one witness specifically requested that his report not be released to the press.