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01-23-1964
THE “FIRST” OFFICIAL “UNKNOWN” – THE ELECTROMAGNETIC
LIGHT WHEEL NEAR GROOTE EYLANDT
According to the summary, we have to wait until January
23rd, 1964, for the first official “unknown” in the RAAF Directorate of Air Force
Intelligence (DAFI) files. For a list of “Aerial sightings,” it is unusual
for it was reported as located in water. The summary describes the report as
follows:
“Seen at sea by crew of a vessel NE point of Groote
Eylandt, WA. Large
lights in water, made compass go ‘Haywire.’ Shadow in centre of lights
rotated clockwise, causing lights to pulsate.”
Biologist, Ivan T. Sanderson, lists it in his book Invisible Residents – A Disquisition upon
Certain Matters Maritime, and the Possibility of Intelligent Life under the
Waters of This Earth in a listing of submarine “Lightwheels.”
Sanderson sourced his brief listing from a newspaper article.
The Air Force Intelligence files hold a report of the
unusual sighting made by the crew of the landing craft Loellen M. The incident was located between Cape Grey and the northeast
point of Groote Eylandt, a large island on the western side of the Gulf of
Carpentaria, Northern Territory. The official summary incorrectly lists the
incident as occurring in “WA” (Western Australia). The report mentions that the vessel encountered a
number of submarine “light patches”:
C. W.____ turned on the compass light and found the
vessel approx. 60° off course. The compass went ‘Haywire.’
As soon as he had corrected the vessel as best he could,
he switched off the compass light and found the unnatural light was about 6
ft. on the starboard side. The light was in the water. It was described as a ghostly white
light; in the centre was a shadow which rotated in a clockwise
direction causing the light to pulsate. The light appeared to draw away to
the stern. It is
estimated that it was miles across and a few hundred yards through…
“The light
on the water passed about 100 yards to
port. As the barge began to return to course, another light was seen coming
at the barge at an angle of about 45° which [sic?
– with?] the bow. It came to within inches of
the starboard side and appeared to rebound at 45° with the stern and moved
away. It disappeared in a few seconds....
“All lights were the same colour, with this strange rotating shadow, causing
the lights to pulsate. The pulsations timed at 12 for 9 seconds, then
completely irregular, then settled down to 12 for 9 seconds.
“The
compass swung out of control, but became worse as the light approached …
This is a
fascinating report, but its origins may lie in some form of extraordinary bioluminescence.
This reference courtesy of UFO researcher Bill Chalker
of Australia and his contribution to website: http://www.project1947.com/forum/bcoz5.htm#groote
UFOCAT PRN – 135236
UFOCAT URN – NONE
Newspaper - The Australian of May 15, 1968
UFOCAT URN – 081400 Invisible Residents by Ivan T.
Sanderson, p. 112, © 1970
UFOCAT URN – 135236 UFOs over the Southern Hemisphere by
Michael Hervey, p. 204, ©1975
UFOCAT URN – 169851 *U* UFO Computer Database by Larry
Hatch, # 06462, © 2002
Note: Sanderson’s original reference was
“Some Australian Sightings” (taken from Department of Air files), bylined by
John Hallows, in an unidentified Australian newspaper (probably Victoria).
The paper in question is The Australian
of May 15, 1968, as relayed to me in an e-mail by Bill Chalker. (-CF-)
Australia - Western Australia
Groote Eylandt Latitude
14-00 S, Longitude 136-40 E (D-M) [Island]
Cape Grey Latitude
13-00 S, Longitude 136-40 E
Gulf of Carpentaria Latitude 14-00 S, Longitude 139-00 E
Reference: Australia Gazetteer, prepared in the Office
of Geography, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., June 1957
UFO Location (UFOCAT) Latitude 13.83 S, Longitude 137.50
E
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