West Malling Vampire sighting

Two RAF aircrew flying a de Havilland Vampire over West Malling reported an unidentified object. The report reached the House of Commons, where the Air Minister called it a weather balloon. Another MP raised it again the next day.

Explanation

In Parliament, the Secretary of State for Air said the object was "a weather balloon". The crew did not accept this.

What was seen

Shape: Bright object
Witnesses: RAF aircrew Terry Johnson and Geoffrey Smythe
Duration: —

Sources

• The National Archives (UK) — MoD UFO files
• Wikipedia — UFO sightings in the United Kingdom

Browse

• United Kingdom
• 1950s
• Disputed
• Aviation encounters
• Official government documents
• Military witnesses
• Pilot and aircrew witnesses

Similar cases

• Salandin near-miss over Southend 14 October 1954
• U.S. Navy R5D — object over the North Atlantic 10 February 1951
• Milton Torres — ordered to fire on a UFO 20 May 1957
• Little Rissington Meteor encounter 21 October 1952