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.
# HEADQUARTERS AIR DEFENSE COMMAND Mitchel field, New York In reply refer to: D333.5EX 3 September 1947 SUBJECT: Cooperation of FBI with AAF on Investigations of "Flying Disc" Incidents. TO: Commanding Generals, First, Second, Fourth, Tenth, Eleventh and Fourteenth Air Forces ATTENTION: Assistant Chief of Staff. A-2 1. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has agreed to assist Air Force Intelligence personnel in the investigation of "flying disc" incidents in order to quickly and effectively rule out what are pranks and to concentrate on what appears to be a genuine incident. 2. It was the original intent of the AC/AS-2, Headquarters, Army Air Forces that whereas the ADC Air Forces would interview responsible observers whose names would be furnished by AAF, the FBI would investigate incidents of so called "discs" being found on the ground. 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. 3. It is requested that each A-2 informally coordinate and cooperate with the FBI, generally keeping the FBI informed of any proposed calls that intelligence personnel will make on this subject. Very shortly, with the separation of the AAF from the War Department, a firm policy will be established to clarify the liaison arrangements between A-21's and FBI Special Agents. Presently, it is considered inadvisable to promulgate a formal interim policy -- only to have it replaced in a month or so by another. ## BY COMMAND OF LICUTINANT GENERAL STRATEMEYER: /5/ R. H. SMITH R. H. SMITH Colonel, GSC Ass. Chief of Staff-Intell.
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.