Study of Unusual Radar Observations near RAF West Freugh, Wigtownshire, SW Scotland, April 4 1957 © Martin Shough1 November 2009 (revised March 2010) 1 UK Research Associate, NARCAP (National Aviation Reportimg Centre on Anomalous Phenomena)
[email protected] 1 Study of Unusual Radar Observations near RAF West Freugh, Wigtownshire, SW Scotland, April 4 1957 Martin Shough 1.) Background Unusual radar contacts were detected simultaneously on three tracking radars of the Bombing Trials Unit based at RAF West Freugh and followed for 36 minutes. The three radars were located at two different sites near Luce Bay, Wigtownshire, providing tracking and telemetry for the bombing range operated on behalf of the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) Farnborough through the Ministry of Supply. There was a 1000ft cloud ceiling and no visual sightings were made, but the case was very influential. The radar operators gave interviews to the press, as did the RAF West Freugh CO, Wing Commander Whitworth, and stories appeared in newspapers around the world (see Appendix D). Wing Commander Whitworth stated that a substantial object of unknown nature had been tracked and that there could have been "no mistake". Questions were asked in the House of Commons. Government responses to inquiries were muted and vague, intimating that a detailed statement would follow completion of expert evaluation. No detailed statement was ever made public. The then Air Ministry stated only that no definite conclusion had been arrived at, offering the suggestions that a weather balloon from RAF Aldergrove, N. Ireland, may have been in the area at the time, or that it was possibly a Soviet spy plane.