August 1956: a Venom pilot couldn't shake the target behind him at Lakenheath, and four RCAF pilots photographed a disc over the Canadian Rockies.
1956: August UFO|UAP & Entity Sightings Archive
On the night of August 13-14, 1956, a radar contact first picked up by the Ground Controlled Approach unit at RAF Bentwaters in Suffolk, England, moving at several thousand miles per hour, set off one of the longest and most scrutinized radar-visual UFO incidents on record. Over the next several hours, two separate radar systems at RAF Lakenheath tracked an object making abrupt stops, direction changes at 600 mph with no acceleration, and stationary episodes between movements. A de Havilland Venom night fighter was scrambled. The pilot locked his fire-control radar onto the target — “the clearest target I have ever seen on radar,” he told investigators — and was then told by Lakenheath controllers that the object had moved swiftly behind him. For the next ten minutes the Venom tried to shake it. It couldn’t.
The Lakenheath-Bentwaters incident is the anchor of the August 1956 archive and one of the most technically documented cases in the entire Cold War UFO record. It was Case 2 in the University of Colorado Condon Report, which concluded that the probability of a “genuine UFO” being involved was “fairly high.” Around it: an Eastern Airlines DC-4 crew near the Azores watched an orange and white light come within 40 feet of their aircraft; an F-89D north of Maine got a 3-minute airborne radar lock on a target moving at over 500 knots; two confirmed Blue Book radar unknowns were tracked over Denmark on consecutive nights; and four Royal Canadian Air Force F-86 pilots flying over the Canadian Rockies photographed a disc-shaped light estimated by physicist Dr. Bruce Maccabee at many megawatts of luminosity.
Date: August 1956
Location: Granja de Torrehermosa, Badajoz, Spain
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Summary: About 20 small boys, including a 5-year-old identified as CS, heard a loud noise and observed a bullet-shaped object about 4 meters long approaching from the northwest at high speed. It passed overhead, turned east and descended to several meters above the ground about 500 meters from the group. Through a transparent window at the narrow end, the heads and shoulders of two apparently naked occupants were visible. About ten adults joined the children and the group approached to within 50 meters, making gestures toward the “pilots.” CS described them as appearing green, with apparent antennae on their heads. As the group neared, the object ascended rapidly to the east and disappeared in seconds. No traces were found.
Source: Claude Navarro
Date: August 1956
Location: Tuna, Småland, Sweden
Time: Evening
Summary: Brita Räninger was having coffee with friends in her parents’ home when one of the guests asked why all the roe deer in the area were running away. A helicopter-like object was seen over the woods; it descended and landed in a clearing. Four creatures ran out and circled the object several times.
Source: Sven Olof Svensson
Source Status: This is the same Brita Räninger who reported the June 12, 1956 glade landing near Harsby, Östergötland (same county, same investigator). The August account is a second, separate observation of a different kind of object and different entities. The indoor setting and multiple witnesses (the coffee party) distinguish it from the June sighting.
Date: August 1956
Location: Nebit Dag, Turkmenistan, USSR
Time: Evening
Summary: A young woman named Ludmila Vartanyants, an Armenian student at the Ashgabat Medical Institute, was resting in her yard after a hot day when she felt discomfort and sudden paralysis. Opening her eyes slightly, she saw two beings about 3 meters tall with grotesque multi-eyed heads and trunk-like protrusions. She lost consciousness. She regained her senses the next morning feeling sick and weak. Her face was swollen as in an allergic reaction. She was ill for several weeks afterward with continuous joint and bone pain and sleep disturbance. Paradoxically, she reported a sudden increase in her intellectual abilities afterward, apparently knowing exam answers before questions were asked.
Source: Vagiz Garayev, Otrazheniye, No. 3, 1998
Source Status: Single retrospective account, published 42 years after the event, from a Russian-language magazine of uncertain standing. No medical records, classmates or other witnesses have been identified.
Date: August 1956
Location: Filey, North Yorkshire, England
Time: Night
Summary: June Rice was walking home along an isolated dark field when she noticed unusual quiet and the absence of animals. Two very tall men in white-silver one-piece suits appeared from nowhere and walked toward her. They were very pale with white hair and striking eyes. She felt an urge to follow them. Her next memory was being in a round room with seats around the perimeter and other people seated. Beings communicated by telepathy. One placed his hand on her head; she felt herself go backward and her seat rise. She then felt a sharp pain in her side. Her next conscious memory was being in her own bed at home.
Source: Carl Nagaitis and Phillip Mantle, Without Consent (1994)
Date: August 1956
Location: High Bridge, New Jersey
Time: Night
Summary: Contactee Howard Menger reported that a ball of fire landed and revealed a saucer of the type Adamski had photographed, pulsating different colors. Three tall men with long blond hair emerged; one raised his hand and communicated telepathically. Menger was taken aboard to a position in space near Venus; the trip lasted 15 to 20 minutes, during which he was shown visual representations of life on Venus.
Source: Flying Saucer Review, Vol. 3, No. 4
Source Status: Howard Menger was one of the most prominent contactees of the 1950s. His accounts are in the contactee tradition and have not been independently verified.
Date: August 1956
Location: Balneario Norte, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Time: 11:30 p.m.
Summary: A young boy fishing alone by the River Plata felt he was being watched and turned to find a very tall man with fair skin, clear eyes and short well-groomed hair looking at him. The man told him not to be afraid and produced a small sphere emitting bright light. He took the boy by the hand toward the river’s edge, where a silvery disc arrived, hovered close to the ground, and a ramp descended. A second similar being emerged. Both invited the boy inside, where he met a 12-year-old girl who said she had also been taken but that “they” were good. Additional beings including females in mustard-colored outfits appeared. Both children were given different clothing, taken to what was described as a large space station, made to lie on beds and put to sleep while the craft traveled. The beings communicated telepathically and performed mental experiments.
Source: Richard Heiden, quoting Cuarta Dimension, 1987
Source Status: Single-investigator account from a Spanish-language paranormal publication. Single anonymous child witness; no corroboration.
Date: August 4, 1956
Location: Near Cerro Quitilipi, Salta, Argentina
Time: Night
Summary: Several prospectors around a bonfire during a powerful thunderstorm spotted a tall, hairy figure standing in the rain emitting powerful screams. Terrified, they fled down the mountain. On the way down one heard what sounded like ringing bells.
Source: Proyecto CATENT, Argentina
Source Status: Humanoid/cryptid report. No craft component.
Date: August 4, 1956
Location: Copenhagen, near Bornholm Island, Denmark
Time: Unknown
Summary: A radar case. No additional details are on file.
Source: Unknown
Source Status: Skeleton entry. The confirmed Bornholm radar case from this period is August 22-23 (see below). This may be the same event misdated, or a separate early contact preceding the longer August 22 observation.
Date: August 8, 1956
Location: About 20 miles south of Quartzsite, Arizona
Time: 11:00 p.m. (MST)
Summary: Attorneys W. B. Buttermore and J. W. Smith saw a blue-white pulsating light fly fast, straight and level.
Source: Berliner; FUFOR Index (BBU #4270)
Date: August 8–19, 1956
Location: Connecticut (Hartford, West Redding, West Hartford)
Time: Various
Summary: A concentration of sightings over a 12-day period. A retired fire department engineer in Hartford saw an oblong UFO with a halo (August 8). An egg-shaped UFO was observed over West Redding (August 11). Unidentified white lights were reported over West Hartford by the Ground Observer Corps (August 14).
Source: The UFO Evidence (NICAP)
Date: August 10–11, 1956
Location: Duncanville AFS, near Dallas, Texas
Time: 10:00 p.m. to 12:20 a.m.
Summary: The first report came from the White Rock Lake area at about midnight. At approximately 12:05 a.m., an unknown object was reported to the GOC filter center in Dallas over the North Dallas area. Simultaneously, the 745th ACWRON radar tracked an unknown aircraft on their CPS-6B radar in the same vicinity. The Air Intelligence Information Report confirmed that the radar track and the civilian visual observation were in the same area at the same time.
Source: Jan Aldrich; McDonald list; FUFOR Index; BBU Files (BBU)
Date: August 13, 1956
Location: RAF Bentwaters, England, UK
Time: 9:55 p.m.
Summary: An extremely fast radar track was recorded at the USAF-tenanted Bentwaters GCA site: a brilliant white light tracked from about 30 miles east to 30 miles west, passing directly over the radar site. The track indicates an approximate speed of 18,000 mph. The object was at extremely low altitude, roughly 2,000 feet as determined by height-finding radar, and was also observed visually by ground observers. At the same moment, the pilot of a C-47 flying over the base at 4,000 feet reported a bright light streaking beneath his aircraft east to west. This is the opening radar event of the Lakenheath-Bentwaters incident. [Full Report]
Source: Brad Sparks; Project Blue Book files (BBU)
Date: August 13–14, 1956
Location: RAF Bentwaters and RAF Lakenheath, England
Time: 9:30 p.m. to approximately 3:30 a.m.
Summary: Several hours of radar and visual UFO observations at two separate UK air bases. Beginning at Bentwaters GCA, radar tracked four separate unidentified returns, including a group of 12-15 echoes that merged into a single very large return, and individual targets at speeds ranging from 80 mph to estimated 12,000 mph. Lakenheath RATCC radar then acquired an object making stop-and-go maneuvers at 400-600 mph with instantaneous starts and stops. Two Venoms were scrambled from Waterbeach. The first pilot achieved radar gun lock and visual contact, then was told the object had moved behind him; it followed the Venom for 10 minutes before the pilot was forced to return to base due to low fuel. A second Venom returned early with engine malfunction. The case is Condon Report Case #2 and was analyzed in depth by Dr. James McDonald and Gordon Thayer of NOAA. Blue Book listed it as unknown. [Full Report]
Source: Condon Report, Case #2; Gordon D. Thayer, Journal of Aeronautics and Astronautics, September 1971; McDonald list; Project Blue Book files (BBU)
Date: Middle of August 1956
Location: Near Quitilipi, Salta, Argentina
Time: Unknown
Summary: Miner Benigno Hoyo was prospecting near the Morro del Pilar during a severe snowstorm and took shelter in a cave. Inside he encountered a large bear-like creature that lunged at him. He fired his weapon; the creature screamed and disappeared deeper into the cave. Local inhabitants describe this type of creature, which they call the ukamar zupai, as a hairy, human-like being with a pointed head that screams in the presence of humans. Around the same time, local people found condor and eagle nests destroyed with eggs partially devoured, and a Tucumán University archaeological expedition found partially eaten bodies of a four-horned goat species with large footprints nearby.
Source: Gustavo Fernandez
Source Status: Cryptid/unknown creature report with no UFO component.
Date: August 16–17, 1956
Location: Near the Azores, North Atlantic
Time: 12:45 a.m. local (August 17)
Summary: Eastern Airlines Flight 49, a DC-4 flying at 4,000 feet, encountered an orange and white bobbing brilliant light that passed within 40 feet of the aircraft, approaching from above and below. Evasive action was taken. The light was observed for 20 to 30 minutes. The Project 10073 Record Card gives a time of 17/0145Z.
Source: NARCAP; Weinstein; FUFOR Index; BBU Files (BBU)
Date: August 17, 1956
Location: South-southwest of Spragueville, Maine
Time: 10:50 a.m. (EST)
Summary: An object was picked up on the airborne radar of an F-89D aircraft. The radar observer estimated it was moving at over 500 knots. The target produced a return the size of two aircraft on the APG-40 scope and was held for 3 minutes. It crossed in front of the F-89D on a 45-degree angle and went off the edge of the scope at 4,000 yards.
Source: McDonald list; BBU Files (BBU)
Date: August 19, 1956
Location: Newington, Connecticut
Time: Unknown
Summary: A fiery object made a turn; it dimmed, and window-like markings became visible.
Source: The UFO Evidence (NICAP), Section XII
Date: August 20, 1956
Location: Citrus Heights, California
Time: Unknown
Summary: A man and wife saw 25 or more bright, Saturn-like objects in a rough semi-circle formation.
Source: The UFO Evidence (NICAP), Section XII
Date: August 20, 1956
Location: North Bend, Oregon
Time: 10:15 p.m. (PST)
Summary: An object was first picked up on height-finder radar at 54,000 feet altitude, at 320 degrees azimuth, 60 miles range. It descended to 50,000 feet and changed azimuth. The North Bend station contacted the Naselle, Washington radar station which verified the original reading at the same position. After approximately two hours the target faded from radar.
Source: McDonald list; FUFOR Index; BBU Files (BBU)
Date: August 21, 1956
Location: Near Hamilton AFB, California
Time: 11:35 a.m. (PST)
Summary: Radar operator Lt. John W. Curtiss, in the rear seat of an F-89D at 20,000 feet, first observed a round silver object about the size of a dime at arm’s length. Pilot 2nd Lt. Robert C. Morelli then went for a closer look. The object appeared to pass between the F-89D and a contrail above the interceptor, leading the pilot to believe it was very close. He attempted a maximum-performance intercept, climbing at 250 knots indicated, but the object appeared to pull away and up. Fuel became critical and the intercept was terminated. Total observation time approximately 10 minutes. The F-89D’s own radar was inoperative during the sighting.
Source: Dan Wilson; BB Files
Date: August 21, 1956
Location: Wyoming-Montana corridor (near Sheridan, Wyoming)
Time: After 8:00 p.m.
Summary: J. Gordon Campbell, president of a Minneapolis machine tool and industrial supply company, was piloting a private aircraft between Sheridan, Wyoming, and Billings, Montana. A dark elongated object with knobs at each end rapidly approached the aircraft, hovered, then sped away. Seconds later, four similar objects maneuvered near the aircraft.
Source: The UFO Evidence (NICAP), Section VII
Date: August 22, 1956
Location: Bornholm Island, Denmark
Time: 8:50 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
Summary: Radar first reported 2 to 3 objects on an easterly heading at 700 knots. Approximately 2 hours later, 4 objects appeared orbiting over the location (53°30’N, 18°00’E) at 25,000 feet altitude and 700 knots. The tracks faded after approximately another hour and a half.
Source: Dan Wilson; Brad Sparks; McDonald list; FUFOR Index; BBU Files (BBU)
Date: August 22, 1956
Location: Le Boulou, near Céret, Pyrénées-Orientales, France
Time: 11:50 a.m.
Summary: Ms. Porta, riding a moped, was passed by two enormous, absolutely silent motorcycles with a nickel-plated appearance, each carrying two passengers dressed in fawn-colored satin with boots and closely sealed helmets. They stopped and blocked the road. As she squeezed past them they looked at her; their faces were entirely hidden by large smoked glasses. Ten yards further on, she looked back — they had vanished without a sound.
Source: M. Vidal, Flying Saucer Review, Vol. 15, No. 6
Date: August 25, 1956
Location: Ventura, California
Time: Midnight
Summary: A witness was woken from sleep by three slightly built men in metallic jump suits standing by his bed. Their leader asked for the witness’s help in repairing their nearby landed craft, saying he had experience with electromagnetic energy. The witness reportedly helped repair the craft. No further information on file.
Source: Letter by Ernest Dunbar, UFO Universe, Fall 1992
Source Status: Single retrospective account published 36 years after the event.
Date: August 27, 1956
Location: McLeod, Alberta, Canada
Time: About one hour before sunset
Summary: Four Royal Canadian Air Force F-86 Sabre jet aircraft were flying due west over the Canadian Rockies at 36,000 feet. One pilot observed a bright, sharply defined disc-shaped light situated below the planes but above a thick cloud layer. It appeared considerably brighter than sunlight reflecting off clouds. The sighting lasted 45 seconds to 3 minutes. The pilot photographed the object on a Kodachrome color slide. Dr. Bruce Maccabee subsequently analyzed the photograph and, ruling out reflected sunlight and lightning as explanations, estimated the luminosity of the object at many megawatts. The case is cited in The Sturrock Panel Report (Physical Evidence Related to UFO Reports). [Full Report]
Source: The Sturrock Panel Report; Dr. Bruce Maccabee, Journal of Scientific Exploration, Vol. 13, No. 2 (1999)
Date: August 27, 1956
Location: Juniata, Pennsylvania
Time: 9:55 p.m.
Summary: Mrs. R. S. Pope observed a bright disc with a clear dome fly vertically, then move north. A very cold breeze appeared to emanate from the object.
Source: Berliner (BBU #4348)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Lakenheath-Bentwaters: The Incident That Followed a Venom Home
August 1956 is headlined by the Lakenheath-Bentwaters incident on the night of August 13-14: roughly six hours of radar contacts at two separate UK bases, a Venom fighter with radar gun lock on a target that then moved behind it, a 10-minute pursuit the jet could not shake, and the pilot returning to base shaken and low on fuel. Two separate Lakenheath radar systems tracked the object simultaneously, and the University of Colorado Condon Report — not generally sympathetic to UFO cases — called this “the most puzzling and unusual case in the radar-visual files.” James McDonald and NOAA physicist Gordon Thayer both analyzed it in depth. The case is a Blue Book unknown and was designated Case 2 in the Condon Report.
The month’s other military radar cases are substantial. An Eastern Airlines DC-4 crew near the Azores had an orange-white light pass within 40 feet of the aircraft. An F-89D north of Maine held a 3-minute airborne radar lock on a 500-knot target. Two confirmed Blue Book radar unknowns were tracked over Bornholm, Denmark — one on August 4 and a detailed multi-object track on August 22. A Duncanville, Texas radar-visual correlated with civilian observers. The month ends with the RCAF F-86 photograph over the Canadian Rockies on August 27: four military pilots, a Kodachrome photograph and a physicist’s estimate of many megawatts of luminosity in the object. The entity reports from Spain, Sweden, England and South America are each from one or two witnesses and rest on secondary sources, but the August 1956 military and aviation record is among the heaviest documented months of the 1950s.
“He — or it — got behind me and I did everything I could to get behind him and I couldn’t. It’s the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen.”
RAF Venom pilot, Venom No. 1, RAF Waterbeach, after the Lakenheath intercept, night of August 13-14, 1956 — via Lakenheath RATCC nightwatch supervisor, reported in the Condon Report Case #2
