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This National Archives research guide on Unidentified Flying Objects was written by Dr David Clarke of Sheffield Hallam University in March 2008 and revised in 2010 and 2011. It traces British official interest in UFOs from the phantom airships of 1909 and 1913, through the 1950 Flying Saucer Working Party, to Air Ministry and MoD investigations. It also points readers to key record series, including Freedom of Information releases and the Rendlesham Forest files. The guide notes that most reports had ordinary explanations.
3) Public correspondence; 4) UFO sighting reports There are several files documenting the UK Government’s policy on UFOs, including references to how and by whom it was drawn up and how it evolved. These papers illustrate how a number of different branches and divisions with MoD were involved at different times handling policy and investigations. Policy files created by the former Air Ministry DDI (Tech) and their successor, the Defence Intelligence Staff, can be found at references DEFE 31/118 (1953-1963) and DEFE 31/119 (1967). Air Staff policy can be followed at AIR 20/11612 (1967-68), AIR 2/18117 (1967) and AIR 2/19086 (1970-75). UFO Policy, 1985-1995, was opened in August 2011 at DEFE/1958/1. A file containing details of a 1997 review of UFO Policy by Sec(AS) can be found in DEFE 24/1986/1. Two more files in this sequence, UFO Policy 1998-2000 and UFO Policy, 2000-2002 were opened in 2011, at DEFE 24/2006/1 and DEFE 24/2019/1. More UFO Policy files were opened in July 2012. These include UFO Policy 1995-97 at DEFE 24/1985/1, UFO Policy 1997-98 at DEFE 24/1987/1 and UFO Policy 2002-2008 at DEFE 24/2087/1. The final UFO Policy file, covering 2009, was opened in 2013 at DEFE 24/2458/1. A collection of ‘selected papers’ on MoD UFO policy from 1972-1995 was assembled for a policy review carried out in 1997. This file was released in July 2012 and can be found at DEFE 24/2080/1. Examples of Parliamentary correspondence can be found at DEFE 24/1535. This file also contains papers relating to the British Government’s response to the Prime Minister of Grenada’s attempts to table a debate on UFOs at the United Nations in 1977-78. Other contents include references to the French Government’s UFO policy and the study group established by the French Space Agency. Another series of files contains responses to Parliamentary Enquiries on UFOs, at DEFE 13/1183, DEFE 13/1187, DEFE 13/1188 and DEFE 71/97-100 . There is a substantial collection of papers relating to the UFO debate held in the House of Lords in January 1979. A number of MoD branches, along with the Foreign Office and the Department of Science & Energy, contributed to the Government's response in the Lords. DEFE 19/253 contains RAF Chief Scientist papers, DEFE 31/172 contains DIS papers, while AIR 20/12966 is the Head of S4 (Air)’s file on the debate and its aftermath. DEFE 24/1970/1 (Parliamentary Questions and Enquiries on UFOs 1985-1995) was opened in August 2009. A number of more recent files containing MoD responses to parliamentary questions and enquiries from MPs were released in 2010 and 2011 covering the years 1995 to 1998. This period represented a high-water mark for reported UFO sightings in the UK, see for example DEFE 24/1983/1 and DEFE 24/2004/1. Two files containing Parliamentary Correspondence on UFOs were opened in March 2011: DEFE 24/2018/1 covers 1998 and DEFE 20/2092/1 covers 2001-2006. DEFE 24/2033/1 and DEFE 24/2034/1, opened in August 2011, cover Parliamentary Questions 1998- 2001. A file containing responses to Parliamentary Questions on UFOs by Martin Redmond MP in 1996 was opened in July 2012 at DEFE 24/1984/1. A second file containing responses to PQs tabled by Lord Hill-Norton in 1996-97 can be found at DEFE 24/2005/1. Ministerial correspondence files covering 2008-9 can be found at DEFE 24/2453/1, DEFE 24/2457/1 and DEFE 24/2629/1. 8
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