Up until the 1980s and Budd Hopkins book and all the UFO related tv series of that period, I was the only person seriously investigating and cataloguing what I term Alien Entity cases in the UK.
Most UFO people dismissed accounts as "psychological" while accepting accounts of "alleged" alien craft shooting around the planet. Made no sense to me. Of course, there were those who called all of it "psycho-sociological". Others only accepted "Adamski type Venusians" -I rest my case. Anyway, in the 1970s I up-dated (with absolutely no credit given -BUFORA took that) the UK section of Ted Bloecher's Hum-Cat.
The Roestenberg case always stuck in my mind as my late colleague, Graham F. N. Knewstub of the British Flying Saucer Bureau (BFSB) was pretty convinced by it and he was nobody's fool.
Now, imagine the late 1970s and Chepstow race course where a couple hundred people were working on behind-the-scenes event organising. They saw a UFO -well described by all. So, I go to the race course with a BFSB member and the first person I meet is named Roestenberg and so I mention the 1954 sighting and the response was: "Yes, that was my mother"! I learnt a lot more that night about the event that was never reported by UFO investigators and it made the case more solid. But as we are talking, someone calls out "Is that it? Is it back?"
That night, and I still cannot believe it but then, I could not explain it away, myself and around 120 people watched bright, upright (ie. on long base) coloured triangles that were a good 2-3 inches above the hills (so around 25-30 feet above ground) and moving out over water. At one point I was handed a torch: "You're the expert -you signal them!" So, for the sake of ensuring I got statements later, I did. And my signals were responded to.
Even to this day I can't explain it but my BFSB colleague could. "They are radio towers" to which I responded (confirmed by using night vision binoculars) "There is no tower or towers there". And he said "That's what they are!" I then pointed out that they gained altitude -moving at least 2-3 degrees higher and to the left. "It's cars on the hillside roads" and I pointed out, even showed the map -"No roads!" As the lights moved out over water I pointed this out and the response was that "They are helicopters!" Yes, a fleet of helicopters signalling back and no noise -with the breeze coming our way.
Eventually the lights faded away and I got statements and over the next few days, despite the aggressive attitude of the BFSB member, I submitted my full report. My 'colleague' was appointed that very day to head of investigation and research (it had been my job) and I found that my notes and reports were all destroyed...by the "head of investigation and research" who believed all UFOs were caused by nuclear power stations and close proximity to them (even at the North Pole!).
But I vividly recall the conversation with Mrs Roestenberg's son and all the additional information he gave me. I kept those notes.
Addendum
How Accurate Was My Memory
It's rather odd that mentioning the Jessie Roestenberg case and events in 1979 at Chepstow Race Course brought back a lot of memories.
Although it is 37 (37?!) years ago I can still see the view from the spectators box where I stood with Mrs Roestenberg's son. I can recall the object looking squarish at one point then triangular and vanishing or fading and coming back a different colour and how it duplicated my torch signalling. I remember to the right of the landscape a slight hill, the water in the mid distance and to the rear one hill line and another behind that.
The sighting lasted ten minutes and having seen most phenomena, aircraft and more since that time nothing has ever appeared the same. I am still stumped and just wish I had all my notes.
So I drew the scene (remember this was a dark evening so every light shone out including beacon tower lights) as I recalled it. All from memory but then I asked "how accurate is this?"
Here are my two rough illoes:
At the far right of illo 2 you'll notice the sloping hill I mentioned in the other post.
It took a couple of hours but I found a photo taken closer to the Channel than we were and I was surprised -not a bad match!
We would have been looking further to the right so the hill is not seen but what was it? A map shows that it would have been Beachley. Where did see lights from traffic -though what we watched and signalled was way above the ground/water.
It fascinates me that I can recall things visually and yet cannot remember names! In fact, though the names are missing from my memory, I can recall witness reports and sketches or sketches I drew of what they saw and approved going back to 1975.
Oh to have those files again!
Although it is 37 (37?!) years ago I can still see the view from the spectators box where I stood with Mrs Roestenberg's son. I can recall the object looking squarish at one point then triangular and vanishing or fading and coming back a different colour and how it duplicated my torch signalling. I remember to the right of the landscape a slight hill, the water in the mid distance and to the rear one hill line and another behind that.
The sighting lasted ten minutes and having seen most phenomena, aircraft and more since that time nothing has ever appeared the same. I am still stumped and just wish I had all my notes.
So I drew the scene (remember this was a dark evening so every light shone out including beacon tower lights) as I recalled it. All from memory but then I asked "how accurate is this?"
Here are my two rough illoes:
It took a couple of hours but I found a photo taken closer to the Channel than we were and I was surprised -not a bad match!
We would have been looking further to the right so the hill is not seen but what was it? A map shows that it would have been Beachley. Where did see lights from traffic -though what we watched and signalled was way above the ground/water.
It fascinates me that I can recall things visually and yet cannot remember names! In fact, though the names are missing from my memory, I can recall witness reports and sketches or sketches I drew of what they saw and approved going back to 1975.
Oh to have those files again!
Excellent work Terry ...
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