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.
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# Office Memorandum . UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO : THE DIRECTOR FROM : D. M. LAUD SUBJECT: FLYING DISCS The Bureau was requested by the Air Forces Intelligence to assist the Air Forces in attempting to arrive at an explanation of the above phenomena. The Air Forces indicated that the alleged sightings of flying discs might have been made by individuals of Communist sympathies for the purpose of causing mass hysteria in the United States over the fear of a secret Russian weapon. The Bureau agreed to assist in the investigation of the reported sightings, and the Field was advised in Bureau Bulletin No. 42, Series 1947, dated July 30, 1947, that they should investigate each instance which was brought to their attention of the sighting of a flying disc in order to ascertain whether or not it was a bona fide sighting, an imaginary one, or a prank. The results of the investigation conducted by the Bureau Field Offices in this matter have failed to reveal any indication of subversive individuals being involved in any of the reported sightings. The Bureau has received a communication in the captioned matter from the Special Agent in Charge at San Francisco, dated September 19, 1947, which attached a "restricted" letter that was furnished confidentially to the SAC at San Francisco by Lieutenant Colonel Donald L. Springer, A-2, Army Air Forces, Hamilton Field, California, a copy of which is attached hereto. It is noted that the letter, which is dated September 3, 1947, is signed "By Command of Lieutenant General Stratemeyer" by Colonel R. H. Smith, Assistant Chief of Staff Intelligence, Headquarters, Air Defense Command, Mitchel Field, New York, and is addressed to the Commanding Generals of the various Air Forces. This letter is entitled "Cooperation of FBI with AAF on Investigations of 'Flying Disc' Incidents." This letter states in substance that it was the original intent of the AC/AS-2, Headquarters, Army Air Forces that whereas the ADC Air Forces would interview responsible observers, the FBI would investigate incidents of so-called discs being found on the ground. Further, it indicates that the services of the FBI were enlisted in order to relieve the numbered Air Forces of the task of tracking down all the many instances which turned out to be "ash can covers, toilet seats and whatnot." RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Bureau protest vigorously to the Assistant Chief of Air Staff - 2. It is also recommended that the Bureau discontinue all activity in this field and that the Bureau Field Offices be advised to discontinue all investigations and to refer all complaints received to the Air Forces. A proposed Bulletin is attached for your approval. Attachment.
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.