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This MoD file, titled UFOs - Persistent Correspondence - Dr David Clarke, holds Dr David Clarke's Freedom of Information requests and emails to the Directorate of Air Staff from 2005 to 2008. Clarke asked for the DI55 report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in the UK Air Defence Region and for Rendlesham papers. He also sought records about Nick Pope. Other items include an internal review that released redacted passages on plasmas, the MoD's statement that it had no report of the 2008 South Wales police helicopter sighting, and a 2009 disposal form.
“The Unexplained Files”5 pages
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However, briefing papers prepared for ministers who answered the PQs, suggest the Air Staff and DIS were equally "in the dark" concerning the existence, or otherwise, of Aurora. One notes that "there is no knowledge in MOD of a black programme of this nature, although it would not surprise the relevant desk officers in the Air Staff and DIS if it did exist." The FoIA papers suggest that enquiries were made by the MoD at a high level in the US and the answer came back that no such aircraft existed. One memo from the British Air Attache in Washington dated 22 December 1992 addressed to ACAS, London, states "the whole affair is causing considerable irritation with HQ USAF and any helpful comments we can make to defuse the situation would be appreciated." In addition I gather these rumours led the US authorities to seek advice from our own Air Attache on whether "the earlier alleged sightings in Scotland could be attributed to the [RAF] Vulcan display aircraft" or indeed to a black project of British origin! I gather that your answer to both questions was "no." The papers released under FoIA indicate this matter came to your attention once again in April 1993 when a cluster of reports describing a "triangular-shaped" UFO were made to the Air Staff secretariat from a number of places in England and Wales. On this occasion it seems that in hindsight the "UFO" which caused so much concern to the desk officer at the Air Staff Secretariat was actually a piece of space debris re-entering the earth's atmosphere. There does not appear to be any definitive resolution to this matter that is clear and apparent from the papers that have emerged as the result of my inquiries. Were the sightings made around RAF Machrihanish ever accounted for as aircraft or natural phenomena, to your knowledge? I would also be interested to know what view you take on the subject of Aurora/black projects of US origin being the origin of UFO reports in the British Isles during your tour of duty. Is this theory likely in hindsight? In addition, I would also be interested to know what your personal viewpoint is on the subject of UFO reports received by the MoD during this period. Were you aware of the policy on this subject or of the quality and quantity of reports received by the Air Staff secretariat? Do you feel the subject should be treated seriously or do you feel this is a subject that is of no interest to the defence authorities? I look forward to hearing from you and wish you a long and productive retirement. Yours Faithfully,
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