Compilation of FBI Memoranda and Reports on Flying Discs (1947)

This document is a comprehensive collection of internal FBI memoranda, teletypes, and correspondence from 1947 regarding the surge in reports of 'flying discs' or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). The records detail the Bureau's initial involvement in investigating these sightings at the request of the Army Air Forces, and its subsequent decision to withdraw from these investigations. The correspondence reveals a growing tension between the FBI and the military intelligence branches. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover expressed significant frustration with the Air Force's handling of the matter, particularly regarding the 'sourrilous wordage' used in military communications that suggested the FBI was merely a tool to handle trivial reports of 'ash can covers, toilet seats and whatnot.'

The documents include specific case reports from various field offices, including Seattle, Butte, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. These reports cover a wide range of incidents, from sightings by pilots and research engineers to reports of physical debris. One notable case involves the investigation of alleged 'flying disc' fragments found near Maury Island, which were later determined by the Air Force to be a hoax or unrelated industrial debris. The records also highlight the role of media sensationalism, with several reports noting that newspapers were 'pestering' witnesses and that some individuals were attempting to profit from the phenomenon.

By late September 1947, the FBI formally decided to discontinue its investigative activities related to flying discs. The Bureau instructed its field offices to refer all future reports to the appropriate Air Force representatives, effectively ending the FBI's direct role in the investigation of the phenomenon. The documents reflect a bureaucratic effort to distance the Bureau from a subject that was increasingly viewed as a source of public hysteria and a drain on investigative resources, while simultaneously maintaining a cooperative, albeit strained, relationship with military intelligence.