ACUFO-1943-05-27-ESSEN-1
In 2003, researchers Dr. David Clarke and Andy Roberts explained on the website page about the “Foo-Fighters” that had discovered one more RAF account of a huge UFO in the files of the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA).
They noted that as yet the case was not backed up by official documents, the account is worth relating.
It was told by Sergeant Pilot G.N. Cockcroft of Bradford, West Yorkshire, who flew with a Halifax bomber squadron:
“On the night of 26/27 May 1943 we were to carry out an attack on the Krupps Armament Works at Essen. As I recall between 400/500 aircraft were involved in the raid. We experienced the usual flak, when crossing the Dutch coast .but fortunately sustained no serious damage. The barrage flak in the Ruhr Valley was extremely heavy, particularly in the last few minutes on the approach to the target. The first wave had already bombed and the general target area was well alight.
“It was in the two or three minutes before our final run-in, when we were at approximately 18,700 feet when we saw in front, but slightly to port and about the same height, a long cylindrical object, silvery gold colour, very sharply defined, hanging in the sky at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. There were, evenly spaced along the length of the object, a number of port holes. The first crew member to sight this object was the Captain, at that time Sgt/Pilot Ray Smith of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Besides Ray and myself other members of the crew to see the object, which was called to their attention by the Captain were the bomb aimer, the flight engineer, the mid-upper gunner and wireless operator.
“I think that the first reaction of most of us was amazement because this object just had no right to be there. After a very short space of time, twenty to thirty seconds, it suddenly began moving and, retaining its attitude, climbed rapidly until it vanished from sight. The speed it attained seemed to us completely incredible. It was certainly into the thousands of mph! As it accelerated, the outline became blurred and the shape foreshortened. The size is more difficult to judge but it was very large, certainly very much bigger than our own aircraft, appearing at least as long as a king-sized cigarette or small cigar at arm's length. We then completed our bomb run and returned to base.
“The intelligence officer de-briefing us was given a description of this object but we were unable to judge what importance was attached to it by the authorities and, quite frankly, it was just another unusual phenomenon which, since apparently harmless, was of far less importance to us than other wartime hazards.”
Clarke and Roberts note that the only members of the crew who did not see the object were the navigator and rear gunner who were both otherwise engaged in ensuring the bomber did not get in trouble.
| Date: | May 27, 1943 |
|---|---|
| Time: | Night. |
| Duration: | 20 to 30 seconds. |
| First known report date: | 2003 |
| Reporting delay: | Hours, decades. |
| Country: | Germany |
|---|---|
| State/Department: | Ruhr |
| City or place: | Essen |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 5 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 2 |
| Reporting channel: | Debriefing, BUFORA archive, David Clarke et Andy Roberts. |
|---|---|
| Visibility conditions: | Night. |
| UFO observed: | Yes. |
| UFO arrival observed: | ? |
| UFO departure observed: | Yes. |
| UFO action: | Hovered, departed fast. |
| Witnesses action: | |
| Photographs: | No. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | Puzzled. |
| Witnesses interpretation: | Unidentified. |
| Sensors: |
[X] Visual: 5.
[ ] Airborne radar: N/A [ ] Directional ground radar: [ ] Height finder ground radar: [ ] Photo: [ ] Film/video: [ ] EM Effects: [ ] Failures: [ ] Damages: |
|---|---|
| Hynek: | NL |
| Armed / unarmed: | Armed, 7 to 8 7.62 mm machine guns. |
| Reliability 1-3: | 2 |
| Strangeness 1-3: | 3 |
| ACUFO: | Possible extraterrestrial craft. |
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH:
476: 1943/05/27 00:00 5 7:00:00 E 51:25:00 N 3331 WEU GER NRW 6:A
ESSEN,GERM:NMRS BOMBER CREWS:GIANT CIGARETTE SHAPE SEEN:NFD:/BFJ 9'77+AFU Swdn
Ref# 65 HALL, Richard: Frm AIRSHIPS to ARNOLD Page No. 21: IN-FLIGHT
[Ref. dcr2:] DR. DAVID CLARKE AND ANDY ROBERTS:
We discovered another RAF account of a huge UFO in the files of the British UFO Research Association. Whilst this case is not, as yet, backed up by any documentary evidence the detailed account is worth relating here. Sgt Pilot G.N. Cockcroft of Bradford, West Yorkshire, who flew with a Halifax bomber squadron, recalled:
“On the night of 26/27 May 1943 we were to carry out an attack on the Krupps Armament Works at Essen. As I recall between 400/500 aircraft were involved in the raid. We experienced the usual flak, when crossing the Dutch coast .but fortunately sustained no serious damage. The barrage flak in the Ruhr Valley was extremely heavy, particularly in the last few minutes on the approach to the target. The first wave had already bombed and the general target area was well alight.
“It was in the two or three minutes before our final run-in, when we were at approximately 18,700 feet when we saw in front, but slightly to port and about the same height, a long cylindrical object, silvery gold colour, very sharply defined, hanging in the sky at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. There were, evenly spaced along the length of the object, a number of port holes. The first crew member to sight this object was the Captain, at that time Sgt/Pilot Ray Smith of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Besides Ray and myself other members of the crew to see the object, which was called to their attention by the Captain were the bomb aimer, the flight engineer, the mid-upper gunner and wireless operator.“
In fact, the only members of the crew not to see the object were the navigator and rear gunner who were both otherwise engaged in ensuring the bomber didn't get lost or shot down. Cockcroft continues:
“I think that the first reaction of most of us was amazement because this object just had no right to be there. After a very short space of time, twenty to thirty seconds, it suddenly began moving and, retaining its attitude, climbed rapidly until it vanished from sight. The speed it attained seemed to us completely incredible. It was certainly into the thousands of mph! As it accelerated, the outline became blurred and the shape foreshortened. The size is more difficult to judge but it was very large, certainly very much bigger than our own aircraft, appearing at least as long as a king-sized cigarette or small cigar at arm's length. We then completed our bomb run and returned to base.
“The intelligence officer de-briefing us was given a description of this object but we were unable to judge what importance was attached to it by the authorities and, quite frankly, it was just another unusual phenomenon which, since apparently harmless, was of far less importance to us than other wartime hazards.”
[Ref. mmn1:] UFOLOGY BULLETIN "MICHIGAN MUFON":
After a Close Encounter of the Food Kind (lunch), Keith Chester, author of "Strange Company: Military Encounters with UFOs in W. W. II", spoke on this subject. Beginning in 1999, Chester researched the National Archives for UFO-related material from World War II. Much of Chester's presentation interwove the movements of several key U.S. and British experts with dramatic reports of WWII aerial encounters from August, 1940 onwards. Among the more dramatic cases was [... other cases...] a May 27/28, 1943 case involving a silvery-gold, cylindrical object with windows that seemed to climb at a rate of thousands of miles per hour, [... other cases...].
[Ref. dwn2:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:
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During the evening Captain Ray Smith (pilot) and his crew were flying at 18,000 feet a RAF four-engine Halifax Bomber. They crossed over the coast of Holland and then over the Ruhr Valley, heading towards Essen. Their target was clearly visible. Captain Smith was the first to see the strange looking object in front and slightly portside of their aircraft. The object was silvery-gold in color, larger than the aircraft, and sharply defined. Its shape was cylindrical and had several portholes evenly spaced along its side. The pilot noticed that the object was not in motion, just suspended in the air at a 45 angle. Sergeant Gordon Cockcroft and most of the crew observed the phenomenon which remained in position for about20 or 30 seconds before it climbed abruptly at an incredible speed, possibly several thousands mph and vanished from sight. Upon returning to base, they were debriefed by their Unit intelligence officers.
Sources: Foo-fighters, the RAF experience, by David Clarke and Andy Roberts
[Ref. tgd1:] TIMOTHY GOOD:
This author indicates that on the night of May 26/27, 1943, during a raid on Essen, Germany, involving up to 500 aircraft, an RAF Halifax four-engine bomber encountered a structured craft similar to the one reported over Turin six months earlier. Flight Sergeant G.N. Cockcroft, co-piloting, recalled the incident:
“It was in the two or three minutes before our final run-in, when we were at approximately 18,700 feet when we saw in front, but slightly to port and about the same height, a long cylindrical object, silver gold in colour, very sharply defined, hanging in the sky at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. There were, evenly spaced along the length of the object, a number of portholes.”
Timothy Good indicates that Flight Sergeant Ray Smith (Royal Canadian Air Force) was the first to observe the object, and alerted Cockcroft, as well as the bomb aimer, the flight engineer, the mid-upper gunner and the radio operator, whereas the navigator and rear gunner, preoccupied with ensuring that the Halifax stayed on course and did not get shot down, did not witness the incident.
Cockcroft is quoted:
“I think the first reaction of most of us was amazement, because the object just had no right to be there.”
“The speed it attained seemed to us completely incredible. It was certainly in the thousands of mph! As it accelerated, the outline became blurred and the shape foreshortened. The size is more difficult to judge but it was very large, certainly very much bigger than our own aircraft, appearing at least as long as a king-sized cigarette or small cigar at arm's length. We then completed our bomb run and returned to base. The intelligence officer debriefing us was given a description of this object, but we were unable to judge what importance was attached to it by the authorities...”
The author indicates that the source is the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA), cited by Clarke and Roberts in UFO Magazine (UK), January 2003, page 9.
[Ref. kre1:] KEVIN D. RANDLE:
On May 27/28 [1943] near Essen, Germany, a flight crew saw a cylindrical object with several portholes evenly spaced along the side. It hung motionless until it flew off at several thousand miles an hour.
[Ref. tai1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:
Date: May 27/28, 1943
Location: Essen, Germany
Time:
Summary: Cylindrical object, silvery-gold in color, with several portholes evenly spaced along its side; motionless until speeding away at several thousand miles per hour.
Source: Page 40-41 Ref.1
[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
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May 27/28, 1943; Essen, Germany
Cylindrical object, silvery-gold in color, with several portholes evenly spaced along its side; motionless until speeding away at several thousand miles per hour. (Page 40-41 Ref.1)
The reference 1 is described at the end of the document as “Strange Company (2007), Keith Chester”.
[Ref. twf1:] "THE WHY FILES" WEBSITE:
26th/27th May, 1943, Sgt. Pilot G.N. Cockcroft of the Halifax Bomber Squadron reported the sighting of a “long cylindrical object, silvery gold in colour hanging in the sky at approximately 45 degrees”. The object had evenly spaced portholes along its length.
[Ref. get1:] GEORGE M. EBERHART:
1943
May 26
Late night. Capt. Ray Smith and copilot Sgt. Gordon N. Cockcroft are flying at 18,000 feet in a Halifax bomber on a run near Essen, Germany, when they see a silvery-gold cylindrical object, larger than their aircraft, on the port side. It has several evenly spaced portholes. It is hovering at a 45 angle. After 20 30 seconds it climbs away at high speed.
(“Correspondence”, CUFOS Associate Newsletter 3, no. 5 (Oct./Nov. 1982): 46; Strange Company 40; Project 1947, “UFO Reports, 1943”; John Hanson and Dawn Holloway, Haunted Skies: The Encyclopaedia of British UFOs: Volume 1, 1940 1959, Fortean Words, 2010)
[Ref. part5:] JAN ALDRICH - "PROJECT 1947":
On the night of the 26th/27th May, 1943 RAF Sgt. Pilot G. N. Cockcroft from Bradford, West Yorkshire, then based at RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire, (No. 6 (P) AFU Pilots Advanced Flying Unit), found himself seconded to No. 77 Squadron 4 Group Bomber Commando, stationed at Elvington, near York, taking part in an air marking raid over Essen, Germany, which involved dropping incendiaries on the target by the lead Bombers to illuminate the target.
“The first wave had already bombed the general target area - now well alight. Two or three minutes before our final run in, at approximately 18, 700ft, we saw in front but slightly to port, at about the same height, a long cylindrical object, silver/gold in colour, very sharply defined, hanging in the sky at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, showing a number of evenly spaced portholes along its length.”
The first person to sight the object was Sgt. Pilot Ray Smith, of the Royal Canadian Air Force:
“I think the first reaction of most of us was amazement because the object just had no right to be there. After a very short space of time, about 20-30 seconds, it suddenly began to move and, retaining its altitude, climbed rapidly until it vanished from sight. The speed it attained seemed to us completely incredible, moving at thousands of miles per hour. As it accelerated, the outline became more blurred and the shape foreshortened. The size is more difficult to judge but it was very large, certainly much bigger that our own aircraft, appearing at least as long as a king sized cigarette,' or small cigar at arms length, we then completed out bomb run and returned to base. The intelligence officer debriefing us was given a description of the object but we were unable to judge what importance was attached to it and quite frankly it was just another unusual phenomenon, which since apparently harmless was of far less importance that other wartime hazards.”
Despite investigations made by the authorities on both sides no satisfactory answer was ever found for the appearance of these curious light flight phenomena, described as looking like flying silver balls, discs, and Christmas trees, often seen pacing the aircraft in precise formations.
(Source: Norman Oliver, BUFORA)
Reproduced from: Haunted Skies, Volume One, pp33-34
The Handley Page Halifax was a RAF long range heavy night bomber introduced in 1940.
It had 6 to 8 Browning 7.62 mm machines guns, 2 or four on the top, 4 on the belly, and one Vickers 7.62 mm machine gun in the nose.
Below: a Halifax bomber of 76th Squadron in 1943.
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Provided the reporting witness did not make up the story entirely; which nothing indicates so far, I see no other sensible explanation: this was an extraterrestrial craft.
Possible extraterrestrial craft.
* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.
Note: In the available sources, reference is made to an original source, "Haunted Skies, Norman Oliver, BUFORA, Volume One, pp 33-34". I wondered what it was and when it was published.
The closest I found was a book titled "Haunted Skies Volume One: v. 1 The Encyclopedia of British UFOs", by John Hanson and Dawn Marina Holloway, published by "Fortean Words", dated 2010. A revised volume deals with UFO reports from 1939-1959 and contains the original first two volumes.
| Main author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | October 6, 2023 | Creation, [dcr2], [dwn2], [lhh1], [twd1], [tai1], [nip1], [twf1], [get1], [prt5]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | October 6, 2023 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | November 3, 2023 | Addition [tgd1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | June 22, 2024 | Additions [mmn1], [kre1]. |
