Documents / FOIA release
This Federal Bureau of Investigation file section collects 1947 records on flying disc reports, including field office memoranda from Butte, Seattle, Salt Lake City and San Francisco on sightings in Washington, Montana, Utah and Idaho. Several were attributed to burnt paper or weather balloons, and Wright Field judged debris from a Danford, Illinois farm a hoax unconnected to Project Mogul. After the Army Air Forces described FBI work as chasing "ash can covers, toilet seats and whatnot," the Bureau discontinued its flying disc investigations and referred reports to the Air Forces.
Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.
# Office Memorandum . UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO : MR. LADD DATE: SEPTEMBER 23, 1947. FROM : E. G. FITCH SUBJECT: INSTRUMENT FOUND ON FARM NEAR DANFORD, ILLINOIS Reference is made to a memorandum to Mr. Harbo from Mr. Baughman on the above-captioned matter, dated September 3, 1947. The reference memorandum indicates that the instrument has been examined by the Laboratory and the laboratory had contacted a Mrs. Whedon of the Army Engineers and she indicated that the instrument had been used by the Air Forces on tests which were classified as "Top Secret." The memorandum indicates that Special Agent S. W. Reynolds of the Liaison Section contacted the Intelligence Division of the Air Forces and was advised that Mrs. Ehedon alluded that the instrument was used in "Operation Mogul." The instrument was loaned to the Intelligence Division of the Air Forces who in turn forwarded it to Wright Field. The report was received from Wright Field indicating the instrument had no connection with "Operation Mogul" or any other operation at Wright Field. It was classified as a hoax in view of the apparent discrepancy between information developed from Mrs. Ehedon and information received from Intelligence Division of the Air Forces that the Bureau might wish to pursue this matter further. Mr. Zimmers of the Technical Laboratory advised Mr. Reynolds of the Liaison Section that Mrs. Whedon had told him that a Major Hopkins handled the Liaison in Washington for the tests in which this instrument was used. Lieutenant Colonel George Garrett of the Intelligence Division of the Air Forces advised Special Agent Reynolds that he contacted Major Hopkins. He advised that Major Hopkins has had a great deal of experience in radio and along technical lines. Major Hopkins advised Colonel Garrett that the instrument could not have been used in the "Operation Mogul." Hopkins indicated that from the pictures and particles recovered, it appeared to him to be a part or portions of an old-type radio loud speaker. In view of the information received from Major Hopkins, Colonel Garrett stated that he was at a loss as to how to explain the actions of Mrs. Whedon other than to say that she perhaps gave a false impression as to her knowledge of the instrument and the "Operation Dogp." Garrott pointed out that in view of the report received from Wright Field, together with the statement made by Major Hopkins, he felt that there was sufficient evidence that this instrument was not used in any' Department classified project and that in all probability it was just a hoax. RECORDEDATION: It is recommended that this memorandum be forwarded to the Technical Laboratory for their information. 62-83894-122.
FOIA release, from the fbi-vault collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 77 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.