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This is a New Zealand Defence Force public release of RNZAF file AIR 39/3/3, "Flying Saucers," which covers 1952 to 1955 and was declassified in September 2010 under the Official Information Act. It collects sighting reports from the public and military personnel, press clippings, and a table of 1952 sightings. It also holds Carter Observatory opinions attributing some reports to meteors. A large part covers the inquiry into lights seen from National Airways Corporation Flight 108 on 31 October 1955, which the RNZAF could not fully explain as Venus.
“Hamilton”28 pages
References: Cont'd. (18) Military Aircraft of the U.S.S.R. - Cain & Voaden,1952. (19) Soviet Air Force - Lee, 1950. (20) Russia's Guided Missiles - Gatland, R.A.F. Flying Review, October, 1953. (21) Daily Telegraph - 25/2/48 (22) Daily Telegraph - 19/5/47. (23) Daily Express - 19/5/47 (24) Flying Saucers Are Real - Keyhoe, 1950. (25) Riddle of The Flying Saucers - Heard, 1950 (26) Flying Saucers From Outer Space - Keyhoe, 1954. (For copies of "FLYING SAUCER NEWS" sent IO/- per 4 issues to Mr.W.E. Nicholas,30 Melbourne Tce, Newtown, Bristol 2, England. An excellent little printed UFO magazine.) # A VETERAN SEA CAPTAIN REPORTS ## "I SIGHTED A FLYING SAUCER" - OR "HOW CAPT. JAN PIETER BOSHOFF DEBUNKED THE FACT THAT UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS WERE NOT SEEN BY SEAMEN". It all started on the eve of Wednesday, the 28th July, 1954. The third mate Kooy was on watch. "The Great Bear" quietly ploughed the "waves of the Atlantic Ocean on its way from Halifax to New York; she was as obedient on the rudder as a circus-bear on a chain. "Yet something queer was in the air", the third mate explained later. "I can't put it into words, but I had that odd feeling." "That's why it did not surprise me at all when suddenly I noticed a queen object, suspended in the sky. I got hold of my binoculars, observed thoroughly and was right off to the Captain's cabin." "There my report exploded like a bomb, interrupting a conversation between the Captain, first mate, doctor and purser." "Captain, would you mind coming to the bridge, a Flying Saucer has just been sighted." The Captain did not even move in his chair. "A Flying Saucer," he said, "that's mighty interesting," and then in a voice in which annoyance was noticeable: "Say, Mate, how many beer-tickets have you seen before you sighted that thing through your binoculars." It didn't take the mate long to prove that he was perfectly sober, for a minute later Captain Boshoff was on the bridge looking upwards to that peculiarly circular-shaped object. Not only Captain Boshoff, but also Dr. Weyschede, first mate Maazon, purser Kikkert, fifteen members of the crew and a little group of passengers watched the object for ten minutes while it was suspended in mid-air. It looked like a perfectly round disc, which clearly stood out like a wheel against the slightly clouded sky. It resembled a smaller copy of the moon with spots that radiated a bright golden light. The presence of the unidentified object caused feverish activity on the bridge. Captain Boshoff, not at all anticipating the thought of being ridiculed as the announcer of a "good yarn" was quick and decisive in giving orders. Speed and position of the "Great Bear" were accurately appointed. Wind-velocity, temperature and humidity of the air were measured from minute to minute. In the meantime the first mate kept track of the radiating disc by means of the big ship's compass, while at the same time the mate measured the altitude by way of a sextant. During the ten minutes everyone tried, with the aid of the available instruments, to collect as much data as possible of "the hovering riddle".
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