Project 10073 Record Card: Bentwaters-Lakenheath Sighting, 13-14 August 1956

This document is a collection of intelligence reports and correspondence regarding a series of Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) sightings that occurred in the vicinity of the Bentwaters and Lakenheath RAF stations in England on the night of August 13-14, 1956. The reports detail multiple radar and visual observations of objects exhibiting erratic behavior, including high-speed movement, sudden stops, and rapid changes in location. Radar operators at the Bentwaters GCA (Ground Controlled Approach) unit reported tracking several groups of objects, with some targets estimated to be traveling at speeds exceeding 4,000 miles per hour. Visual observers, including control tower personnel and interceptor pilots, described seeing objects that appeared as bright, amber-colored lights, which later shifted to a bluish-white hue. The document includes detailed correspondence between Captain George T. Gregory of the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) and Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a consultant for the Air Force, regarding the analysis of these events. Dr. Hynek and other experts, such as Dr. F. L. Whipple, were consulted to determine if the sightings could be attributed to natural phenomena, specifically the Perseid meteor shower, which was active during that period. The official assessment provided by the Air Force suggests that the radar returns were likely the result of 'anomalous propagation' and weather-related phenomena, noting that radar equipment can sometimes produce false returns under certain atmospheric conditions. However, the reports also highlight the difficulty in reconciling the radar data with the visual observations, as the interceptor pilots reported being unable to shake the objects, which appeared to remain in close proximity to their aircraft. The document concludes with a call for more rigorous scientific investigation into such incidents, with Dr. Whipple criticizing the inadequacy of typical UFO reports and urging the Air Force to adopt a more active, scientific approach to data collection, such as the use of automated 'fish-eye' cameras to monitor areas with frequent reports. The file includes various record cards, internal memos, and technical summaries, all of which were eventually declassified in 1963.