A retired police officer is appealing for fresh witnesses to come forward to help with a new book attempting to unravel the mysterious Rendlesham UFO incident.
John Hanson is working with retired American air force officer, Colonel Charles Halt – who was deputy base commander of the twin USAF bases at Woodbridge and Bentwaters at the time of the incident in December, 1980 – on the project.
Mr Hanson, who lives in the West Midlands, believes there are still people yet to come forward who may have vital evidence – or who saw strange phenomena which may or may not be connected to the events in Rendlesham Forest.
He said a recent appeal had indeed elicited new memories from people in Suffolk.
He said: “One man from Bury St Edmunds, near the British Corporation Sugar works, told me he and his wife had seen a cone-shaped object, hovering above his front garden in December 1980, which is of interest, as we have other sightings from the Bury St Edmunds locality, not too far away from the same factory.”
Mr Hanson, co-author of a series of UFO books entitled Haunted Skies, also wants to contact local former DJ Gary Collins, ex-Pc David King and Pc Brian Creswell, one of the original officers that attended the scene.
He said: “I hope people will get in touch if they saw anything around the time of the incident – or can put me in touch with any of these people – as this forms part of our social history, whatever you may think about such matters, and should be recorded.”
After the 1980 incident, Col Halt prepared a memo to the Ministry of Defence describing “unexplained lights”, and recorded what became known as the Halt Tape – a documented investigation in the forest, during which he saw mysterious lights like those witnessed by airmen Jim Penniston and John Burroughs two nights earlier.
In 2010, Col Halt signed an affidavit claiming the encounter was extraterrestrial and that it had been covered up by the Government.
Anyone who can help should call John Hanson on 0121 445 0340, email johndawn1@sky.com or skype john.hanson108
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