MOD file DEFE 24/2032/1

. .
I have identified 21 reports fitting Dr Clarke's request. There are difficulties with
supplying the assessment because despite the fact that there is a paragraph in one of
Mr Pope's loose minutes to the Head ofSec(AS) saying that D Air Def(now DAO)
said that RAF Neatishead confirmed nothing was detected on air defence radar, Mr
Pope continued to make enquiries with a number of other departments and the case
was eventually put through the Head of Sec( AS) to ACAS. This makes the case look
unusual because once established with D Air Def that they were not concerned from
an air defence point of view, no other enquiries would normally be made. The file
contains no real conclusion to these events and Mr Pope was eventually told by the
Head ofSec(AS) to "drop the subject".
Request 5
Reports of unusual phenomena on radar in the early hours of 5 October 1996
reported by the SOC Neatishead and UFO reports made by Lincolnshire Police
and the Skegness coastguard. Copies of investigation notes and assessment
made.
File D/Sec(AS)64/2 Part D searched and the following papers were identified.
Signal message from UKCAOC High W;ycombe to MOD UK AIR (Copied to HQ
11118 Gp Bentley Priory and CRC Neatishead) dated 5 Oct 1996 concerning a UFO
report made by MV Conocoast to Great Yarmouth Coastguard
A fax message from RAF Neatishead to GESM dated 5 Oct 1996 attached to a
transcipt of conversations between Neatishead, the Coastguard, MV Conocoast and
Skegness Police. (The file copy is difficult to read and despite our best efforts it has
not copied well. DAO ADGE 1 contacted Neatishead to see if they had retained a
clearer copy, but unfortunately their files have been destroyed).
Loose minute from DAO ADGE I to Sec(AS)2al dated 7 October 1996 given his
thoughts on what may have been seen on 5 Oct 1996.
File D/Sec(AS)64/4 also contained a very detailed loose minute from ADGE 1 to
Sec(AS)2a1 dated 13 Nov 1996 about the events of 5 Oct 1996. This was prepared
as background material to a letter from Mr Martin Redmond MP to the Secretary of
State in which Mr Redmond seriously criticised UK Air Defence systems. The
current ADGE 1 has looked at this and with some removal of names, posts etc, he is
happy for it to be supplied to Dr Clarke.