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FBI file: UFO, UFO Part 05

Federal Bureau of Investigation · 74 pages · text by GLM-OCR

This is part five of the FBI's UFO file, a set of Bureau memoranda and reports from 1947 to 1949. Most of it covers the FBI's inquiry into the Maury Island flying disc story in Tacoma, which concluded that the disc fragments were ordinary rock formations and that the story was a hoax. It also examines the fatal crash of a B-25 at Kelso and finds no sign of sabotage. The file includes other items: the Rhodes disc photographs, a proposed flying saucer convention in Alexandria, Louisiana, and ash from a fire near Scranton that someone suggested came from a flying saucer.

  • p. 1 …Lieutenant Colonel A-2, Fourth Air Force, Hamilton Field, California, involving reported sightings of flying discs…
  • p. 17 …Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWN of Army A-2 Intelligence from Hamilton Field, California, all met…
  • p. 20 …25 was carrying disc fragments returning to Hamilton Field, California and furnishing the inference that the…
  • p. 21 …N, officers with Army A-2 Intelligence at Hamilton Field and that the fragments were top…
  • p. 26 …Shortly afterward, Colonel BROYN called him from McChord Field stating that Hamilton Field had requested that…
  • p. 32 …had made a telephone call to Hamilton Field to contact a Captain Davidson and a Lieutenant…
  • p. 33 …Davidson were going back to Hamilton Field and that he would get in touch with me…
  • p. 38 …According to them they called in army intelligence officers from Hamilton Field, California and one Captain…
  • p. 43 …of A-2, Hamilton Field, California, dated August 27, 1947, with attachments reporting the sighting of…
  • p. 45 HEALQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, A-2 Intelligence Hamilton Field…
  • p. 46 ## C HEADMARTIN FIELD AIR FORCE Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, A-2 Intelligence Hamilton…
  • p. 47 …departed NOCBORD FIELD at 0212 PST for HAMILTON FIELD, California. The weather was reported as CFR…
  • p. 48 …B at HAMILTON FIELD but no answer was received; however, it was known that HAMILTON AFS…
  • p. 51 …Intelligence Hamilton Field, California Title Investigation of Flying Disc Investigation made at Taoons and Kelso, Washington…
  • p. 53 …Widson returned to NaChord Field and prepared for a night flight to Hamilton Field. The weather…
  • p. 56 OFFICE 4TH AIRFORCE HAMILTON FIELD CALIF. SENT ARNOLD $200 TO GO TO TACOMA TO INVESTIGATE FLYING…
  • p. 62 …of A-2, Hamilton Field, California. Even though Col. feels that Mr. may have read some…
  • p. 67 …representative of the Air Force Intelligence, from Hamilton Field, California, and Special Agent with one Phoenix…
  • p. 69 …Bureau Agent) and A-2 representative from Hamilton Field, California. The purpose of the interview was…

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

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Island to BROWN and DAVIDSON. Following this recitation, Lieutenant BROWN, in answer to a query from said that he and Captain DAVIDSON were of the opinion that there might be some truth in the current flying disc stories, but that their immediate superiors (presumably A-2 at Hamilton Field) did not agree with them. BROWN and DAVIDSON then held a brief discussion as to whether they should return that same night to Hamilton Field and they decided that they would. All five of the men then went down to the lobby where BROWN detached himself from the group and entered a phone booth to call for a car from McChord Field. Also left the group and met BROWN outside the phone booth where they held a short discussion relative to the credibility of the story. BROWN indicated that he should attent to find out if the story was on the level and that BROWN would call him the following day regarding this matter. The group then proceeded to the front of the Hotel at which time brought his car to the front of the Hotel and took from his trunk a box of the alleged flying disc fragments picked up on Maury Island. He offered them to BROWN and DAVIDSON and when the Army car arrived from McChord Field the box of fragments was placed in the car with the officers. Departed alone and went in search of something to eat and later returned to the Hotel for the night.

On Friday morning, August 1, 1947, received a call from a friend informing him that a B-25 had crashed during the night and it was believed to be the same plane which BROYN and DAVIDSON were flying. Following this call, and came to the Hotel room and from the room again called McChord Field in an attempt to get information about the crash. He took the phone from BROYN and spoke to a Colonel identifying himself and asking if the B-25 which crashed was the only one which had taken off from McChord Field the previous night. He told him that it was. Following this call, called in Chicago and informed him of the previous night's conversations and the fact that DAVIDSON and BROYN were believed to have been killed. He told him to discontinue his investigation of the incident and that he, was no longer interested. Then took the phone from BROYN and asked if he could shed any light on the situation. He was unable to say what he replied to. For lowing these telephone discussions he says that he called whom he identifies as a personal friend of his and states that he had previously made an agreement with BROYN in Chicago that should he ever run across any flying disc stories which showed promise of news value, that he would contact BROYN and this call was a result of that agreement. Shortly afterward, Colonel BROYN called him from McChord Field stating that Hamilton Field had requested that BROYN submit their addresses to Hamilton Field for convenience of any Army investigation of the incident which may be forthcoming. After this call the four men went to a restaurant for lunch. During the course of this meal, excused himself from the table and attempted to call SAC BOBBITT of the Portland Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation with whom he claims acquaintance. BOBBITT, however, was unavailable and was unable to complete the

Cases discussed

About this file

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. 74 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.