Flying Black Boomerangs and Clapham Wood

Assembled into this article is some information compiled back in 1995 and posted to an internet mail list to which I (Laura) was subscribed. The source of the information was an article in the book series “Mysteries of Mind, Space and Time,” and was written by Hamish Howard and Toyne Newton, edited by Peter Brookesmith, UK. In the post to the referenced mail group, I wrote as follows:

I recently had an exchange with Mike Lindemann on the subject of the sighting of low, slow, flying black boomerangs which seemingly had such disastrous effects on my health and which was followed, 11 months later, by the Initiation of the Cassiopaean Transmissions.

Mr. Lindemann opined that what I had seen was “one of ours,” but did not provide any definite citation for this knowledge. I pointed out to him that the boomerangs were first sighted in this area on the night, and at the time of the hypnosis session with an “abductee” whose husband had worked for various government agencies, and who, herself, had a top level security clearance for most of her professional life.

On that occasion, the object was apparently sighted over my house at the time of the session.

[The second sighting of this type of object, involving myself, was the event recounted in the St Petersburg Times article by Thomas French, The Exorcist in Love, where the children and I were watching a meteor shower from my backyard swimming pool.]

I pointed out to Mr Lindemann that the kind of surveillance that was implied by the knowledge that I was going to do that hypnosis session, particularly when nothing about aliens or abductions was ever mentioned, would be predicated upon mind reading.

And further, that the second sighting, which seemed designed especially to get my attention and induce fear, implied further surveillance that, if our government possesses and uses it, WE ARE ALL SCREWED! Which is, of course, a distinct possibility!

However, his remarks prompted me to do some further research on the matter and, I discovered, oddly enough, that flying boomerangs in connection, though perhaps not directly, with messages on a “board” type instrument are not exclusive to my situation.

I further discovered that the earliest sighting I have been able to locate that is described exactly as what I experienced was called the “Lubbock Lights” in its later incarnation, though the particular type of phenomenon was originally reported from Albuquerque in 1951.

Now, that date should give us all pause!!! 1951.

And, as it so happens, in the month of August, which is the month in which my own sighting took place, exactly 42 years later. This (1951) would be four years after Roswell. Nine years after the alleged Philadelphia Experiment. Who knows?

In any event, the citation is found in Major Kevin Randle’s book: The UFO Casebook, starting on page 56 for those who wish to read it.

I found a further reference to the subject in William F.Hamilton III’s book: Cosmic Top Secret, on page 77, where it says that the flying boomerangs were sighted in southwest Virginia, but did not give a date. He said that the first sightings were in the towns of Clifton and Morenci, Arizona, in 1981, and the individual being quoted also gave as his opinion that they were secret government aircraft based on principles of alien technology.

They were also reported in Hamilton’s book as having been sighted in the Hudson Valley Area of New York, but no details on that were given.

I found another reference that is particularly fascinating for its implications; British writers Hamish Howard and Toyne Newton reported:

“Clapham Wood is a small densely-treed area nestling in the shelter of the South Downs in West Sussex, England. …this is an area of mystery and intrigue and UFO sightings….. Stunted trees, a large crater where nothing grows, and mysterious little clearings containing ruins of old cottages [are found there.]

“Several hundred years ago, an aged resident of Clapham reported that she had seen a “bright round shape like the full Moon” float down into the woods and disappear into the bushes. The woods were “filled with fumes that stinketh of burning matter” and the people of the town were afraid to go there afterwards. Since that time, there have been many more UFO sightings in this small area.

“In October, 1972, a telephone engineer saw a large saucer shaped object in the sky above the woods. It hovered for some time before making a circle of the area, then veered off. At the same time, a couple were walking near the main road and thought they saw Jupiter or Venus low in the western sky – until it started to move very quickly due north, keeping in line with a ridge as it came toward them. Suddenly, when the object was over Clapham Wood, a beam of light descended vertically from it, and then rapidly withdrew, and the object shot away north-eastward at great speed.

“Paul Glover of the British Phenomenon Research Group was walking along the downs toward Clapham Wood one clear starlit night in the summer of 1967. At about 10 p.m., both men suddenly became aware of a HUGE BLACK MASS low in the sky blotting out the stars as it moved very quickly toward them. The object was BOOMERANG-SHAPED AND MADE NO SOUND. As it passed overhead the displacement of air was so great they ducked into the bushes for safety. They vehemently denied it could have been a cloud, for it retained its shape, was on a definite course, and there was no wind to drive it. Minutes later, they saw two bright objects high in the sky, which they watched for several minutes. One of the UFOs released a smaller object that travelled across to the second object, seemed to enter it, and then re-emerged and veered off, disappearing from sight. An hour later, on their return in the opposite direction of their walk, [apparently] two yellow lights descended in the region of the woods, followed just a few seconds later by two more, and then a final pair, making a total or three groups of two. Then at the point where they seemed to have dipped down into the woods, two white beams of light shot out horizontally – quite unimpeded by the contours of the downlands – followed by the next two beams and then the final two, all travelling very fast, before disappearing into the night sky. No craft of any kind could be seen behind the lights.”

This would have been 20 years after Roswell, 25 years after Philadelphia, 16 years after Albuquerque, and 27 years before my pool sighting. No change in model and design? Those boys in Black Ops are really slipping!!! No imagination at all!!!

“During that same year, in the village of Rustington a few miles westwards along the coast, two schoolboys, Toyne Newton and John Arnold, who had never even heard of Clapham Wood, had a strange story spelled out to them ON A OUIJA BOARD: that Clapham Wood was a base for spacecraft, and that one had landed recently to fetch supplies of sulphur and other chemicals.

“No one believed the boys, of course, but nearly 10 years later an investigation was carried out when soil samples were taken from the woods. From the report given in BBC-Tv’s Nationwide program at the time, it seems there was more than a grain of truth to the sulphur story. The investigation had been triggered by reports of dogs disappearing in the woods in 1975.

“According to a local paper, the “Worthing Herald,” Wallace, a 3 yr. old chow belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Peter Love of Clapham, disappeared, as did a 2 yr old collie belonging to Mr. John Cornford. Apparently the collie, although normallly obedient, suddenly rushed off into a small copse between two trees in an area known locally as the Chestnuts, and was NEVER SEEN AGAIN. The mystified owner searched thoroughly!

“Mrs. H.T. Wells, who lives at nearby Durrington, said that when her collie gets near the woods, it becomes “desperate,” and a golden retriever belonging to mr. E.F. Rawlins of Worthing ran into the woods one day and returned “very distressed.” Shortly afterwards it became paralysed and had to be destroyed.” [Newton, et al.]

Now, Troops, all this makes me very suspicious because, I, too had a beautiful collie, DannyBoy, who was present at the time of the sighting, and who died on November 13, three months after the sighting, of a mysterious “wasting disease.”

“Another dog owner, who wished to remain anonymous, reported that when she took her dog to this area it ran around in circles, foaming at the mouth, with its eyes bulging as if in great pain.” [Newton, et al.]

A horseman (who also wished to remain anonymous, but his report was verified) tied his horse to a tree and stepped back a ways to have a pit stop. When he stepped back out of the bushes, he was amazed to find his horse missing. Although he searched the area extensively and made exhaustive enquiries, the horse WAS NEVER FOUND!

Several people have reported the feeling of being “pushed over by invisible forces” in this area and other have had spells of faintness.

Two men walking through the wood reported that both were afflicted at the same moment: one doubling over in internal agony and the other clutching his head and screaming that his eardrums were “being pulled out of his head.” They both staggered about 50 yards further and the effects ceased.

The body of a missing man was found two weeks after he went missing, but in an extremely advanced state of decomposition. Forensic evidence showed that the rate of decomposition had been greatly accelerated due to “unknown factors.”

A skeptical investigator, Dave Stringer of the Southern Paranormal Investigation Group, visited the area with a geiger counter in August [there is that month again] 1977. The woods were silent and the air still. Everything appeared normal, but, as he pushed through heavy undergrowth, he had to lift the machine above his head. When he did so, it began to register an alarming high level. Mr. Stringer stopped and looked back at the area he had just passed through. He saw a dark shape about 12 feet in height; while not being distinctive in outline, it was very definitley not smoke and he could only describe it as a “black mass.” Seconds later a large white disk shot out from behind nearby trees at a 45 degree angle and disappeared into the sky. Simultaneously, the dark mass disappeared. Stinger retraced his steps [braver than I!] and found at the spot wher the form had appeared, an imprint of a four toed footprint similar to one found at a place called Devils’ Dyke near Brighton, where there was known to be a black magic “coven.” [Newton, et al.]

A Demonic Connection??? Why, oh why, am I not surprised???

Stringer made a quick sketch of the footprint. It was unknown to him at the time, that it matches a footprint reproduced in Collin de Plancy’s “Dictionaire infernal” published in 1863, and that this footprint is supposed to be that of the “Demon Amduscias.”

UFO sightings continued at Clapham into 1978 and 1979. The spate of strange reports at that time concluded with the disappearance of the Reverend Neil Snelling, vicar of Clapham church. One morning after shopping at Worthing, he decided to walk back to his Steyning home through Clapham Wood. He has not been heard of since and an exhaustive search of the area revealed nothing.

Paul Glover and Dave Stringer and another man went to Clapham to see if they could spot any UFOs. There was no activity. They decided to go home and as they were walking out of the woods, all three of them simultaneously had a feeling of intense cold. They hurried on and the feeling ceased. They decided to go back and check it out again. They did this three times, and each time experienced the sensation of a sudden and unnatural drop in temperature. Glover pointed his camera at the area of the cold, even though nothing was apparently visible. When the film was developed, it showed an uncanny white mass in the unmistakable image of a goat’s head. [Newton, et al.]

I have the reproduced photo here before me. Yeah, some misty stuff that sort of looks like a goat’s head. More like the “Aries” symbol than a living goat, though.

Well, Troops, that is the story of Clapham Wood where the black boomerang was sighted many moons ago. I thought I ought to mention that on the night the things sailed over me and the kids in the pool, (and poor DannyBoy), that about 2 hours earlier it had been seen by a friend of mine about a mile away as the crow flies. He, too, was out looking for meteors with a neighbor, in the driveway of his residence, and when the boomerang came over him, it had a row of lights on it. Must be a whole flock of them!

A year or two after my sighting, I was describing it to my aunt, who lives about 150 miles north of here. She was pretty amazed because she had seen a similar form flying in a similar manner, over a watermelon field up there in boondocks land.

As I mentioned above, I don’t think Herr Lindemann is right about this particular configuration… unless he knows something the rest of us don’t; and I don’t want to consider the implications of THAT!

Added May 20, 2001:

In April of 2001, a report was issued by The National Institute for Discovery Science(NIDS), about “Low Flying Triangular Objects.” I have excluded the large charts in quoting from this report as follows:

In late 1999, NIDS announced the creation of a 24-hour hotline [702-798-1700] to receive calls from the public regarding their sightings of unusual aerial phenomena. To date, NIDS has reported only anecdotally on the large number of low flying triangular craft reports received. One of these cases involved the sighting by four policemen and several other eyewitnesses in Illinois on Jan 5, 2000 and was thoroughly investigated by NIDS. The case gained considerable media attention and was the subject of an hour-long documentary TV program entitled “UFOs over Illinois” on the Discovery Channel.

The purpose of the present paper is to publish a more complete summary of the 127 reports that NIDS has received in the past 14 months on the triangular craft phenomenon. Secondly, we ask the question: does the reported low altitude of these aircraft constitute a safety hazard in the United States? Although NIDS receives information on these triangular craft from overseas, by far the greatest number have come from within the United States. It should be emphasized that the craft perfonnance characteristics in these 127 reports is generally not consistent with any acknowledged aircraft being currently deployed by the United States military. The recurring characteristics of the objects described in this report are: (1) Flying at low or very low altitude; (2) Huge or large; (3) Flying silently; (4) Hovering or flying very slowly (less than 100MPH); (5) Very brightly lit, sometimes with multi-colored lights. The majority (60.5%) of the reports in the NIDS database describe recent events that occurred between January 1999 and present. Here we report that the extremely low altitude of these triangular aircraft, as reported by dozens of eyewitnesses from dozens cf separate locations, probably constitutes a hazard to public safety and should be investigated by appropriate authorities.

Table 1 shows a summary of the locations and general characteristics reported by eyewitnesses for 127 flying triangular craft sightings. The “triangular” category is actually a catch-all definition that encompasses wedge shapes, boomerangs, pentagonal shapes, isosceles and equilateral triangular shapes. In all subsequent mentions of “triangular” in this report, this blanket description should be borne in mind. […]

An examination of the data […] reveals a variety of sizes and a variety of colors of aircraft reported. This probably indicates more than one type of aircraft. […] 58 (45.6%) of these reports describe “dark”, blue-green or black colored objects. A further 28 (22%) are described as “white” or “tnetallic/silver”. Both the dark colored and metallic silver objects have been reported flying at estimated altitudes under 1000 feet.

[…]108 reports (85%) indicate that no sound is corning from the object, even the objects flying at low altitude. In multiple cases, witnesses were able to hear other aircraft in the air at much greater distances than the triangular objects. It is important to note that in multiple instances the witnesses insist that the objects were close enough for sound to have been noticed, but that they emitted no noise.

Examination of the database indicates the majority of triangular objects were witnessed very recently. Out of 119 cases in which witnesses could accurately remember the dates of sightings, 72 cases (60.5%) occurred since January 1999. A further 28 cases (23.5%) were witnessed from 1990-1998. Only 8 cases (6.7%) were witnessed in the 1980s, 7 (5.8%) in the 1970s, 2 (1.68%) in the 1960s and 2 (1.68%) in the 1950s.

[…]104 (81.8%) of the reports indicate the objects were seen in clear weather. This may simply be an indication that witnesses are more likely to be out looking at the sky in clear weather and that visibility is better.

In addition to the characteristics of the triangular objects that are described […] we examined eyewitness accounts of the speed of the objects. [We summarize] the data frotn 123 cases in which the eyewitnesses chose to give an estimate of speed. The estimates varied and the data are thus grouped into six categories[…]. The tnost striking feature of the data is 75 reports out of a total of 123, a frequency of 60.9%, describing very slow movement or the ability to hover. In some cases witnesses reported the ability to tnove extremely quickly from a stationary position.

[…] The altitude estimates from the eyewitnesses contain the usual caveats that it is extremely difficult to accurately estimate altitude at night However, the recurring theme in many of the eyewitness testimonies is amazernent at how low the aircraft flew. There are several noteworthy features […]: (a) 52 reports have either size code 3 (greater than 150 feet in size) or size code 6 (large, football field size etc). (b) Of these 52 reports, 29 (55.7%) are reported flying at under 1000 feet. In other words NIDS has reports of 29 separate incidents throughout the United States of giant craft that are flying below 1000 feet (c) But regardless of the size of these aircraft, out of the total of 127 reports obtained by NIDS on triangular objects, 69 or 54.3% were reported flying at less than 1000 feet (this includes 5 cases categorized as “GROUND” meaning flying or hovering within 10 feet of the ground). In this category variations of the phrase “treetop level” occurred eight times […].

To summarize, NIDS has a total of 69 reports of triangular objects flying below 1000 feet, and of these 69 reports, 29 are reported to be “huge,” “large,” `football field sized,” etc.

For example, NIDS previously published a graphic artist’s drawings of a large “football field” sized object that appeared over Port Washington, Wisconsin in October 1998. […] The following is the same eyewitness account of the appearance of the object: “clear starry night; took dog out between. 10:31 – 10:37 pm; was waiting for her to finish …standing by our lot-line fence, facing north… just looking at the beautiful night ….suddenly, this monstrosity came out of the “blue”. Just like a Star Trek uncloaking, no kidding—-so quiet 1 couldn’t believe it and so huge by my estimation. no more than. 500 or so feet up (possibly 1000, but if that’s true then. this thing was BIGGER than. a football field!) and big enough to take up my field of sky vision . ….the pine tree at the rear of the neighbor’s property is about 65-75 ft tall taller than I had originally thought and this craft looked like it was right over it, that’s how huge this thing looked to me …. ”

Next, NIDS examined the original descriptions of altitude given by the eyewitnesses and […] we summarize the subset representing a reported altitude constituting a probable safety hazard. This subset includes the “huge” objects as well as the smaller sized objects. The […] original descriptions by the eyewitnesses are graphic as they describe aircraft flying dangerously low, sometimes over populated areas.

Even taking into consideration the uncertainties inherent in altitude estimates by eyewitnesses, NIDS considers there are 31 cases in Table 2 that constitute evidence of a hazard to public safety. Even a small private aircraft flying “at treetop” level is a danger to public safety. But aircraft that are described routinely as “huge” or “football field size” that fly or hover at extremely low altitudes, in NIDS’ estimation, represent a public safety hazard. This safety hazard is noteworthy regardless of who is piloting these objects.

Whether these objects are being deployed and piloted by the United States military has been a subject of intense speculation. If this is true, then their deployment constitutes an even greater hazard since the objects are possibly experimental. However, it is puzzling that many of the objects reportedly display extremely bright lights even as they fly at low altitude over populated areas. This behavior is not consistent with deployment of a stealth military aircraft. For example, in response to a question from NIDS regarding aircraft behavior, one eyewitness responds: `looked like it was on a dreamy pleasure cruise …very quiet …just low humming …and strobing, bizarre red/clear blue huge banks of lights-may have been green ones too-can’t remember clearly. This thing was so psychadelic (sic)-flashy, I couldn’t believe Iwas standing there alone watching it. I knew it was for real when I saw the dog look up at it… ” This description is not atypical of the brightness of the lights and the behavior of the craft in multiple sightings. The brightness of lights, especially on objects that appear to fly at such low altitudes, is not consistent with the deployment of a military stealth aircraft. In the case of the Illinois sighting of January 5, 2000, we have previously ruled out the B-2 bomber and an alleged experimental hybrid composite blimp/aircraft manufactured by Aereon Inc.

Further, the wide variety of locations of the sightings as defined in Table 2 (East, West, and central United States) indicates that if they are military aircraft, they are probably originating from more than one airbase in the country. We know from the size variations described that at least two, and possibly several, different types of objects are being reported. Several different colors are also reported, with the dominant color being dark or black[…]. If they are military unacknowledged aircraft, the logic of deploying them with bright lights at unsafe altitudes sometimes near populated areas, remains elusive.

The recurring characteristics of the objects […] are: (1) Flying at low or very low altitude; (2) Huge or large; (3) Flying silently; (4) Hovering or flying very slowly (less than 100MPH); (5) Very brightly lit, sometimes with multi-colored lights.

In an effort to address the possibility that these are military aircraft, we compared the locations of 80 randomly selected sightings of these triangular objects in our database with the locations of Air Force facilities in the country. […] It is also apparent […] that many of the sightings of triangular aircraft occurred within less than 300 miles of multiple Air Force bases. This makes pinpointing a putative origin for these aircraft more difficult. Additional complexity lies in the fact that somee AFBs are officially “closed,” but aircraft are still observed flying in and out.

[There is] no obvious patterns that might point to where these aircraft originated. The research into possible points of origin of such aircraft, if they are military, is continuing. We are still unable to rule out that the military is piloting these aircraft, but we note some of the characteristics (1) Flying at low or very low altitude; (2) Huge or large; (3) Flying silently; (4) Hovering or flying very slowly (less than l0OMPH); (5) Very brightly lit, sometimes with tnulti-colored lights, appear inconsistent with stealthy deployment or testing of such an aircraft, particularly near populated areas.

NIDS has investigated 127 reports of triangular shaped aircraft, many with unusual characteristics, the majority flying in United States airspace. Many of these aircraft have reported behavior that does not conform to currently acknowledged United States military aircraft. According to a significant number (31) of the reports received by NIDS, some of these aircraft are flying at very low and unsafe altitudes, sometimes over populated areas. This constitutes a hazard to public safety and should be investigated by appropriate authorities.

A few words of explanation are necessary here for those who are astounded by the conclusion that these craft merely “constitute a safety hazard.” NIDS is a working group funded by Robert Bigelow of Bigelow Teas fame. Jacques Vallee is the chief expert of this group, and his approach to the subject has always been open-minded caution. The intent of NIDS seems to be that they wish to act very cautiously, to support their research with data, even if it is the anecdotal reports of witnesses rather than the experimental results of scientists in the laboratory. Their hopes are, in this manner, to get a foot in the door of scientific acceptance within the mainstream scientific community.

Thus, with the anecdotal reports of Flying Triangular Objects, the only “hard conclusion” they can draw to use as a key to open scientific discussion is that such incidents may “constitute a hazard to public safety.”

I think that it is pretty obvious that the government is aware of these objects and many others. And the fact that the subject is so ridiculed in the scientific community that Bigelow, Vallee and his group must be reduced to such mealy mouthed “conclusions” is pathetic.

My hat is off to them for trying; but I can promise that their careful efforts won’t make a bit of difference. However cautious and reasonable this approach may be, I don’t think we have time to waste debating the “hazards to public safety.”