Rendlesham Forest

The haunting

The incident began during the early hours of 26 December 1980. Security personnel at RAF Woodbridge noticed strange lights beyond the East Gate, towards Rendlesham Forest. Initially, they suspected that an aircraft might have crashed. A small group of security personnel was sent into the forest. As they moved through the trees, they reportedly encountered something far stranger than a crashed aircraft. The object was described as metallic, triangular and approximately the size of a small car, although the exact descriptions vary between witnesses and later accounts. The object appeared to illuminate the forest. It then reportedly moved away through the trees and disappeared. The following day, investigators returned to the area and reported finding three unusual impressions in the ground. Radiation readings were also taken. The incident might have ended there, but on the night of 27/28 December, another series of strange lights was reported. This time Lieutenant Colonel Charles Halt became personally involved. Halt gathered a small group and entered Rendlesham Forest. He carried a tape recorder and a Geiger counter. What happened next was captured, at least partially, on the famous Halt tape.

Historical background

Rendlesham Forest is a large area of pine woodland on the Suffolk coast, close to the former American military bases of RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge. During the Cold War, these bases were important USAF installations, with Woodbridge's East Gate opening directly onto the forest. (nationalarchives.gov.uk) In the early hours of 26 December 1980, unusual lights were reported outside RAF Woodbridge. Over the following nights, several American servicemen entered Rendlesham Forest to investigate what they believed could have been an aircraft that had come down in the trees. The incident eventually became known as the Rendlesham Forest UFO Incident and is sometimes described as "Britain's Roswell." What makes the case particularly fascinating is the amount of surviving documentation, including military statements, an official report and an audio recording made during the investigation.

References & research

Sources & background

These sources document the location, story or claimed activity. They do not prove paranormal activity.

• Police Record - Relating to the incidentInvestigation report · Suffolk Constabulary

  Reports concerning unusual lights and the investigation near RAF Woodbridge

• You TubeHistoric record · UAP Files Podcast

  The Halt Tape - Recording of incident

• Ministry of DefenceHistoric record · The Black Vault

  National Archives discussion of the Rendlesham Forest UFO incident

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