Welsh UFO Sightings 1916

Welsh UFO sightings from 1916. For sightings from other years please click HERE.

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Reports of a ghost in Swansea were quickly debunked, but the response is amusing enough to bear recording (Cambria Daily Leader, Sep 21st 1916):

"A rumour circulated amongst the youngsters of Brynmill that a ghost was making periodical appearances in a certain street at nightfall has created considerable commotion in that particular thoroughfare. Each night at dusk crowds of children have congregated, with the result that an erstwhile peaceful corner of the district has been converted into a positive pandemonium. So exasperated have the residents become that on Tuesday evening one of them took to throwing buckets of water among the rowdy crowd. Where are the police? The origin of the rumour was the result of a stupid prank by two boys several nights ago."

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PRESS
26th September
Cardiff

A 'thunderstone' fell following a flash of lightning. I found this via Fort's ook of the Damned, via Nature 95/98:

According to the Times a "meteorite (commonly known as a 'thunderbolt ')" fell at Dinas Powis, near Cardiff, on the night of September 26-27, and did some damage. The cause of the damage was, however, not a meteorite, but a lightning-flash. There had been thunderstorms on or about the same day of the month in the previous May, June, and July, whilst it was on March 27 that the famous storm occurred.

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PRESS
Monday 16th October, 19:00 - 20:00
South east Wales

South-East Wales was on tip-toe on Monday evening between 7 and 8 o'clock gazing excitedly at a luminous shape in the sky, away towards the south-east.

Locally, in common with other districts opinion was divided as to the nature of the apparition, some inclining to the belief that it was the northern lights, others that it was a peculiar light from Dowlais or other works. Very few believed that the mysterious light was an airship.

Major Baird, M.P., of the Air Board, in reply to an enquiry from Mr. C. B. Stanton, M.P., who watched the "light" in his own constituency has informed that gentleman that "There is no doubt that the airship seen over Aberdare and Merthyr was one of ours. You will not ask me where it lives. The main thing is that it is ours."

Mr. Stanton was given authority to make the fact known.

Source: Labour Voice (Llais Llafur) 21 October 1916.

In the House of Commons on Tuesday Mr. J. H. Cory (U., Cardiff), asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he was aware that a British airship's sudden appearance over parts of South Wales on Monday night week, created a good deal of excitement that would have been avoided had any warning been the practice in London; and whether he directed the officials responsible for these flights by British airships to give warning whenever possible of such proposed visits?

Dr. Macnamara: Airships were over South Wales, during Monday, the 16th October but returned to their base in day light. No reports have been received indicating that any alarm was caused.