"Strange Company: Military Encounters with UFOs in World War II" authored by Keith Chester (published by Anomalist Books in 2007) is an excellent resource concerning information about "Foo-Fighters."
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| Image courtesy of Amazon Books |
US researcher Barry Greenwood was recently the recipient of 8000 pages of documentation about "Foo-Fighters" from Chester. Discussions between Greenwood and Melbourne based researcher Paul Dean, raised the possibility of a search for any similar sightings buried in military records held by the National Archives of Australia (NAA).
Paul Dean has already posted two blog posts on his own blog. Click here and here to read these. Paul later located, several potentially interesting files in the NAA. Paul and I have divided these up in order to search through them. These files contain dozens of intelligence reports of missions flown out of Australia.
So far, a two hour search by myself has reviewed NAA file series A9652, control symbol Box 14, barcode 13057920. It is titled "RAAF Squadron narrative reports - 18 Squadron" and dated 1943.
On this file, I found two potentially interesting observations.
(1) "Unexplained sightings."
On the 26 June 1943, aircraft undertook Operation NEI 18 which was to attack Penfoey in order to destroy any aircraft at the aerodrome. Unusually, the mission report has an additional paragraph titled "Unexplained Sightings."
"Bombadier on Duty three reports that he experienced for a second time a peculiar light underneath the plane, thought to be at ground level, dull streaks, which follow a wavy course, but on the whole follow the same course as the aircraft.
Smoke has been seen similar to that emitted from a rocket. Left behind as the object shoots along, and the rate of travel is fairly fast.
A more close look will be kept on the next mission to obtain further details. Bombadier did not report this on the first time seen as he did not pay much attention, and was not sure he had actually seen the occurrence on the first occasion of sighting."
The Bombadier on Duty three was listed as "Sgt. McPhee."
(2) "Unexplained occurrence."
"On the 24 July 1943, aircraft conducted Operation NEI 36, which was to attack the Koepang and Tenau areas.
Aircraft Duty 8 "...reports while passing over Babaoe a verey light, blue to white light shone for 2-3 seconds in that vicinity."
"Bombadier Duty 8 states that he would not have reported this occurrence but for the fact that the light went up. Other observers have discussed question before and always estimated that lights seen were shooting stars, but as streak went up Bomabdier mentioned this fact.
The supposition is now put forward that the lights signal (reported above) and the absence of A/A may indicate the presence of night fighters.
Observer states that the light went overhead and ahead, rose up and then suddenly stopped. The rise coupled with the sudden extinguishment would seem to preclude any possibility of a shooting star. Aircraft was at the time flying straight and steady.
It is known that enemy aircraft do not always attack when flying at night (see Summary No. 104, Paras 52 to 63) and it may be that the enemy is practising in this theatre to endeavour to effect interceptions.
One noticeable difference is the absence of searchlights. No sighting of enemy aircraft was made."
The mission report gives the name of the Duty 8 Bombadier as F/O Simpson.
Paul and I will bring you any other observations which we find on this series of files.
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