The article below was published in the daily newspaper New York Times, New York, USA, on November 20, 1953.
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Special to the New York Times.
LONDON, Nov. 19 -- The "Thing" that Royal Air Force pilots and Army radar operators saw over southern England seventeen days ago may have been nothing more than a meteorological observation balooon, an Air Ministry spokesman said today. Newspapers today published a number of "flying saucers" stories.
The Air Ministry said that on the day this objects were seen a balloon about twelve feet in diameter was sent up near the south coast.
"Underneath the balloon is a small parachute and also a triangular shaped object which is a specially designed metal radar reflector," it was explained. "This is to give a very strong echo on a radar screen, as strong an echo as would be given by a four-engined bomber."
