RAF Topcliffe
On 19th September 1952, during a NATO exercise, 2 RAF officers and 3 aircrew at
RAF Topcliffe observed a strange object which appeared to be following a Meteor
Jet. In a written statement Flight Lieutenant John Kilburm wrote.
"The Meteor Jet was crossing from east to west when I noticed the white object in the sky.
This object was silver and circular in shape, about 10,000ft up some five miles astern of the
aircraft. It appeared to be travelling at a lower speed than the Meteor but was on the same
course.
I said 'What the hell's that?" and the chaps looked to where I was pointing. Somebody shouted
that it might be the engine cowling of the Meteor falling out of the sky. Then we thought
it might be a parachute. But as we watched the disc maintained a slow forward speed
for a few seconds before starting to descend. While descending it was swinging in a
pendulum fashion from left to right.
As the Meteor Jet turned to start its landing run the object appeared hung in the air rotating
as if on its own axis. Then it accelerated at an incredible speed to the west, turned
south-east and then disappeared.
It is difficult to estimate the objects speed. The incident happened within a matter of 15 to 20
seconds. During the few seconds that it rotated we could see it flashing in the sunshine.
It appeared to be about the size of a Vampire jet aircraft at a similar height.
We are all convinced that it was some solid object. We realised very quickly that
it could not be a broken cowling or parachute. There was not the slightest possibility
that the object we saw was a smoke ring or was caused by the vapour trail
from the Meteor or from any jet aircraft. We have, of course, seen this, and we are
all quite certain that what we saw was not caused by vapour or smoke.
We are also quite certain that it was not a weather observation balloon. The speed at
which it moved away discounts this altogether. It was not a small object which appeared
bigger in the condition of light. Our combined opinion is that , it was something
we had never seen before in a log experience of air observation."
This along with other reports during 1952 caused the RAF to officially recognise UFO's.
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