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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.
“Sea”47 pages
IOUD POUNDINGS IN THE NIGHT AND STRANGE STENCHES: It is with reluctance that I relate these personal experiences of an equally strange nature, but I feel that my story will not be complete without them. If the incidents had been confined to myself and the other party mentioned, no significance, other than a few days of puzzlement, would have been attached to them. The occurrences, to my knowledge, were confined to the headquarters of C.S.I. (N.Z.) and A.F.S.B. (Aust.), these headquarters being, really, the private residences of Mr. E.R. Jerrold, President of A.F.S.B., and myself, President of C.S.I. (N.Z.) On approximately 21st July, 1953, whilst I was engaged upon.C.S.I. affairs in the late afternoon, our pet Siamese cat became very disturbed at something outside the window (she was on the window sill). Hearing the growling of the animal, I investigated by opening the window, but nothing was in sight and all I detected was a strange odour. The cat, however, defied all efforts to put her out of this window. The matter was soon forgotten. When I arose to leave for work on the morning of approximately 18th August, a particularly unpleasant smell was noted as I left via the front door. When I arrived home from work that evening my wife immediately told me of a similar experience she had encountered at the back door. I had not told her in the morning of my experience on leaving by the front door. My wife added that the cat, (pedigree), made to dash out as she opened the door, but recoiled rapidly, spat, leapt into the air, and doubled back inside as it ran into the strange stench. We discussed the incident, said it was strange, and forgot about it. The next day I received a letter from the President of an American Organisation, and was surprised to read that he had been informed of strange incidents at the Australian Headquarters. Some strange odours had been detected outside Mr. Jerrolds doors, I was informed. For the first time my interest was really aroused, and I wrote to Mr. Jerrold immediately. Two nights after I had written this letter, my wife and I were awakened in the early hours of the morning by a particularly loud and violent pounding on the outside of the house. I awoke with a mixture of fright and apprehension, and the noise stopped as suddenly as it had begun. I lay listening intently in case it happened again before investigating, because I was not exactly sure from which direction it had originated. The noise did not occur again, and I did not investigate. You can imagine my surprise when I received the following account from Mr. Jerrold of the experiences at his home in Fairfield, Australia. "REPORT OF STRANGE OCCURRENCES AT A.F.S.B. HEADQUARTERS: Just as the August issue of the A.F.S.B. Magazine went to Press, a series of puzzling, but apparently related incidents, occurred outside the A.F.S.B. Headquarters in Fairfield. The meaning or purpose behind the events is placed on record as being as inexplicable as the actual happenings themselves. At 2.45 a.m. on July 21st, the President was awakened by a violent pounding outside the Bureau, and on investigating, a strange odour, suggestive of burning Plastic, was noticed. On going outside, however, nothing unusual could be seen or heard. Liverpool Police, called in to investigate soon after daylight, were unable to account for the phenomena. (Expressed to the President himself) that a hoax or publicity stunt may have been attempted by someone. Dissatisfied with those explanations, further personal enquiries by the President showed that others besides himself had heard the pounding, and that one other person had smelt the strong burnt odour. A lady residing across the road heard the noise, but did not investigate. The following morning, July 22nd, at 3 a.m., a mystery car pulled up outside the Bureau and remained there until 6.30 a.m. It was heard to cruise past very quietly several times between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. when it stopped outside. It carried no lights.
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