"Under a leaden sky" by Peter Kimberley - Bloodhound ready for anything at RAF Cosford, except it seems, the thing that actually landed there!
In 2004, the Royal Air Force facility at Cosford, near Wolverhampton, is probably best known for its huge museum which is home to an impressive collection of vintage military and civil aircraft. More than thirty years ago, however, Cosford became briefly famous for an entirely different reason.
Around 11:30pm
on the evening of 10th December, 1963, two young RAF Apprentices were hurrying
back to the base as they were late and were extremely worried that they were
going to be reported A.W.O.L and put on a charge. In their desperation they
decided to climb the perimeter fence and take a shortcut back to the barracks
to avoid the inevitable grilling if they were caught by the guards at the gate...
Climbing the fence they crossed the airfield using the hangars as cover, when
suddenly the airfield was bathed in an eerie green light. The airmen warily
peered from behind the hangar and were frozen in their tracks by what they saw.
Hovering a few feet above the ground and emmitting a weird glow, was a Dome Shaped object. So strange and terrifying was the sight, that they abandoned caution and dashed to the guardroom to report what they had seen to the duty Sergeant who understandably ridiculed them, refused to go and look and took them to task for being late.
For forty years the military have denied that the UFO incident took place and have offered a more down to earth "Explanation" that was contrived to say the least!
Now after thirty years, the eighty page file about the incident has been de-classified and is available for inspection at the Public Records Office. An examination of the file, reveal the "hoops" that the military jumped through, in order to divert attention from it.
Almost immediately,
rumours began to surface about an "Incident at the base" but it wasn't
until the beginning of January in 1964 that matters came to a head. A chance
encounter in Albrighton, between Wilf Daniels an investigator from Stafford
and the Cosford base Chaplain, the Reverend B.G. Henry, gave Daniels the opportunity
to question the Chaplain about the airmen. To say he caught the Chaplain "Off
Guard" was an understatement to say the least!
Exact details
of the conversation are sketchy, but Henry happily chatted away until he realised
he was getting into deep water and then he "clammed up".
Wilfred
Daniels wote to Waveney Girvan, the editor of the Flying Saucer Review on 13th
April 1964 and said: "Flight Lieutenant Henry said that publication of
his name would cause him trouble; that it was 'more than his job was worth'
to arrange a meeting between me and the two RAF apprentices; that he really
ought not to be talking to me about it at all; that security had dropped right
down on the whole thing."
When the balloon went up, Henry tried to deny what he had said to Daniels. Flying Officer R.A. Roberts at Cosford, wrote to the Air Ministry at Whitehall, stating that Flight Lieutenant Henry "categorically denies all statements attributed to him". Roberts added that the Chaplain was "seriously considering taking legal action".
In an attempt to get at the truth, Waveney Girvan bombarded both RAF Cosford and the Air Ministry with letters attempting to prise open the mystery and pointing out how ridiculous the contradictory explanations put out by officials, actually were...
The apprentices were variously accused of being "Blind Drunk" ( which they probably were - so what! Even drunk, you'd probably know if you'd seen a UFO or not!), perpetrating a hoax (how two drunk airmen could rig up a green light and hover it ten feet above the ground - is not explained by the Ministry), or a British Railways Steam Train. Even newly discovered burn marks on the runway were attributed to flames from a barbecue in a neighbouring property scorching the runway!
Now I live near Cosford and have walked over every square inch of the base over the years and can offer these observations.
1) The only likely watering holes that the airmen would have been to, were to the East of the base and they would have had difficulty approaching the base from that direction without being spotted by the guardroom, so their most likely approach would have been from the North which would have put them between the Hangars and the UFO - as they describe. Had they approached from the South they would have had a clear view of the Airfield and the UFO "In front of the Hangars" not behind it as they describe.
2) There was a railway on the East side of the Airfield but this would have been to the left of the hangars as they approached and completely hidden being also in the opposite direction to the airfield.
3) The scorch marks - There are no civilian properties anywhere near the the runways, the hangars or any part of the buildings on the base. The nearest properties are several hundred yards away and had there been a big enough fire to scorch the runway, it would have been a major incident - The whole of Wolverhampton would have heard about it!
Girvan decided that there was a cover up, so he lead the very next issue of Flying Saucer Review with an in depth article, writing also the the Kensington News and the West London Times. Highlighting the apparently contradictory stories Girvan said "What is it that the Air Ministry is trying so desperately to hide?'
The Air Ministry was incensed when the local newspaper, the Express & Star, added fuel to the fire by reporting the young airmen's claim without consulting the base commander at Cosford or the Ministry themselves and whilst they grumbled about it in internal memos they decided to lie low and let the matter cool down.
What really happened at Cosford in December 1963? It's probably almost impossible to say. What we do know is the Henry is on record as saying the the boys were terrified by the incident and that they had sought his counsel. He did not retract or deny his statements until the "Lid came off!" - The young airmen's story ties up with the layout of the base whereas the Military's is woefully inadequate, Wilf Daniels is a credible source - he himself had served in the military as a Captain and Waveney Girvan is a respected writer and investigator.
Taking the opposing view, the Chaplain was adamant that he had been mis-quoted and had threatened legal action - this much is confirmed by memos released by the Air Ministry under the thirty year ruling. Examination of the files also reveal that the Air Ministry believes that the young airmen were trying to get out of the RAF and that "We should not have been sorry to see them go!".
What is particularly fascinating about the Cosford incident, is the psychology of the case. Why did the Air Ministry offer so many bizarre and outlandish explanations for an event which they deny took place? Surely it would have been sensible to stick to one story? But, on reflection, it seems obvious that an organisation whose professional ethic is grounded in secrecy would have offered contradictory stories in order to "confuse and obfuscate the enemy!". Then again if you need to confuse and obfuscate anyone, you are usually up to no good!
Peter Kimberley.
UFO Research Midlands 2004
Quoted Sources:
Cosford:
An Enduring Mystery by Nick Redfern
Flying Saucer Review - Waveney Girvan
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Peter Kimberley is a Journalist, Professional Photographer, UFO
Researcher and qualified Electronics and Computer Engineer. Peter has written
for both technical journals, the press & radio, having a number of TV and
radio appearances to his name.
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