Welsh UFO Sightings 1950

 The South Wales Evening Post of November 1st 1950 reported:

Please find below various transcribed newspaper articles relating to the sighting:

Glamorgan Advertiser, November 3rd: Was 'Flying Saucer' Over Maesteg? Society Interested in Woman's Story. A Maesteg woman, Mrs. I. Morris, of 6, Albert Terrace, is reporting to Mr. B. E. Featherstone, director of Swansea Astronomical Society, that she saw a "flying saucer" over Maesteg on Monday night. Exhaustive inquiries by "Advertiser" correspondents in various parts of South Wales elicited firm corroboration of Mrs. Morris's story. Eye-witness stories from Porthcawl and Penclawdd, near Swansea, and from Southern England at Paignton, Devon, which all reported the "saucer," were identical in times, rough description and the path of the phenomenon. Mr. Featherstone is to investigate all the reports on behalf of his society.

Mrs. Morris described what she saw on Monday night to an "Advertiser" reporter: "At about 11 p.m. on Monday," she said, "my dog began barking loudly and I went downstairs to see what was the matter. There was nothing in the house so I went into the back garden and looked up to the sky. It was moonlight and suddenly, from the Swansea direction, I saw an object streaking across the sky. At first I thought it was a rocket set off by someone locally but then I saw it had a long tapering tail which seemed divided and appeared to glow. The tail seemed to be about four times as long as the head and there was no sound at all. I had it in my view about 10 seconds and then the angle of the house cut it from my view." Told that the Astronomical Society at Swansea were anxious for reports of "flying saucers," Mrs. Morris sat down immediately to write to Mr. Featherstone.

From Porthcawl. Closely following Mrs. Morris came Mr. Ernest Strike, a pumpsman employed by the Porthcawl Town Council at Ffynon Vawr. "At about 11 p.m. on Monday I saw a bright light in the sky to the north-west of Porthcawl," said Mr. Strike, "and it travelled right over the town. Then it seemed to disintegrate over the Channel. The object had a distinct split tail, longer than the body, and it left a vapour trail in the sky marking its path. There was no noise." Mr. E. J. Francis, of The Croft, Penclawdd, said that the object he saw at 11 p.m. on Monday had a long, seemingly golden tail as it glided across the sky.

From Paignton. Mr. A. W. Bearne, of Southfield Avenue, Preston, Paignton, an estate agent, reported his experience to the local police. He thought that an object he saw in the sky at 11 p.m. on Monday was wreckage from a burning aircraft. "It was all over in a few seconds," he said, "and there was no noise at all." (Footnote: Questioned about the mysterious objects, Mr. G. H. Corbett, vice-president of Cardiff Astronomical Society was non-committed. "You can get really bright meteors which this may, or may not, have been. Astronomical societies will be very interested and I am going to wait for more news.")

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Aberdare Leader, November 4th: SAW 'FLYING SAUCERS' AT HIRWAUN? Two sisters-in-law report 'objects' with pointed tails. Reports in a daily newspaper yesterday of flying saucers having been seen at Paignton and Penclawdd (Gower) brought to the "Leader office" late yesterday (Wed) afternoon two residents of Brecon Road, Hirwaun. Mrs. M. J. Stephens and Miss D. Stephens, sisters-in-law, who reported seeing a strange phenomenon. They told a reporter, "At about 11 p.m. on Monday, we saw two star-like objects in the sky, with pointed tails. They were like the head-lights of a car and were moving across the sky towards Aberdare. We watched them for a few seconds before they disappeared. We had no idea what they were, but neighbours later suggested they must have been "flying saucers."

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South Wales Echo, November 4th: THE MYSTERY OF MONDAY NIGHT. Those lights seen over South Wales last Monday still mystify readers. In the following letters, readers who watched and wondered describe the strange object...

I was interested in the reports of a "flying saucer" seen over South Wales: I also saw the phenomenon on Monday night. My observation of it was as follows: Time 11-11.15 p.m. It appeared to me like a fair-sized star, very bright and rather low down, and when first observed seemed to be stationary, but suddenly it started to move due south. What struck me was that its path was almost horizontal and that it travelled much slower than meteors usually do. It eventually disappeared out of view over the houses. There was no sound whatsoever, and I observed it for about six to eight seconds, which is a considerably longer period than I have ever observed a meteor or shooting star. S. W. E. Williams. Y Groes, Rhwbina, Cardiff.

I was greatly interested to read of the mysterious lights seen in the sky last Monday night, for I, too, saw them. I saw a fairly large object, very much illuminated, travelling at a fast speed from the direction of Old Ynysybwl to Abercynon. It was silent, and I immediately thought it was an aircraft with engine trouble. The object was nosing down and I was expecting to hear a crash, when quite suddenly it disappeared behind a small cloud. I told my wife on getting home about the incident, and she remarked, "I expect you saw a flying saucer." S. I. Kerslake. Buarth-y-Capel, Ynysybwl.

Stream of Fire... At about 11 p.m. on Monday last I was going into my house when an extraordinary light passing across the sky attracted my attention. After a few seconds the single light seemed to become two separate ones, from between which came a stream of fire or some other matter. The whole thing disappeared just as quickly as it came. There was a faint outline of something around the "lights," but it could not be distinguished in that short time. I did not write to the South Wales Echo earlier because at the time I thought such a queer case was too fantastic to mention. A. R. Lewis. Mortimer-road, Canton, Cardiff.



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The Pontypridd Observer for November 4th reported: "FLYING SAUCERS. It's no good saying nothing ever happens in Pontypridd, because on Monday a local resident saw flying saucers. The gentleman who makes this claim is Mr Fred Lewis, who keeps a fish and chip shop in Llantrisant Road, Graig. He was locking up his shop in the evening when his attention was drawn to a weird sight in the sky - in other words - two flying saucers. Mr Lewis tells me that the saucers were coming from the direction of Swansea and travelling towards Newport. Their speed was that of a fighter plane. Mr Lewis says that each of the circular objects was followed by a silver trail of light. One of Mr Lewis' customers also saw the saucers quite distinctly."

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The Western Mail also carried a report in their November 1st edition, which was followed up by further articles over the next few days:

(November 2nd) More say they saw flying saucer. Further claims to have seen flying saucers over Wales on Monday night were made by a number of people yesterday at Swansea and neighbouring towns and at Hirwaun, near Aberdare. Mrs. Mary J. Stephens, Brecon-road, Hirwaun, a miner's wife, was with her sister-in-law, Miss Doris Stephens, when she claims she saw two objects "like big stars with long pointed tails" moving slowly in the direction of Aberdare. "They were glittering and appeared to be quite low," she said. Mr. James Hardwick, Brecon-road, Hirwaun, also said he saw the objects. Several people in the Swansea, Penclawdd and Gowerton districts claim to have seen an object resembling two large stars with a golden tail gliding across the sky.

Glided in sky. One Swansea woman said she watched the "stars" for several minutes gliding across the sky over Swansea. They disappeared over the Bristol Channel. The reports agree that the star-like objects travelled together and were either attached or very close to one another. Mr. B. E. Featherstone, honorary observation director of Swansea Astronomical Society, told a Western Mail reporter yesterday that he had received a number of letters from people reporting they had seen the objects, but he had not sufficient detailed information to form an opinion. The general trend of information seemed to show that the objects approached from the west and proceeded eastwards. Some spoke of them dividing and continuing on parallel paths, and others said that they later saw the objects returning.

Detective's version. Detective-sergeant Ambrose Davies, Gowerton, said that he saw a white ball of flame about 10 times larger than a star travelling at a terrific speed. It broke into two stars and a shower of reddish sparks flew out of the rear. It was not an aircraft or a meteor, he asserted. A bar of light joined the two parts.

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Western Mail, November 3rd: "Flying Saucers" in Wales? Although unexplained brilliant object travelling at unimaginable speeds across the heavens are reported to have been seen in many parts of Europe and the United States, Wales's interest in the "flying saucer" controversy has until this week been more or less academic. On Wednesday the Western Mail reported that eye-witnesses in Penclawdd, near Swansea, had seen two huge "stars" travelling across the sky at about 11 p.m. on the previous Monday. At the same time approximately a man in Paignton, Devon, saw a similar sight. Since the report was published observations of the same nature have been described in letters and telephone calls to the Western Mail office from all parts of South and West Wales and the West Country. Distances of more than 80 miles separated the observation points, which lie mainly on a line between Haverfordwest and Cardiff, and Cardiff and Paignton. Despite the distances between them, the watchers agree in the main on two important particulars - the time and the appearance. They differ only about the course of the strange body, or bodies.

Golden Stars. The time was 11 p.m., within minutes either side. The appearance has been most generally described as like that of two large golden stars with a kind of flaming tail stretching across the heavens. They were travelling at terrific speeds and were quite soundless. The courses reported present the strangest puzzle. Observers in the west say unanimously that the objects were heading roughly from west to east with a tendency towards south. Those in the east, the Cardiff and Rhondda area, are equally sure that the course was in the main south to south-east. These general directions, which are approximate at the best, were constructed from readers' information, of which the following are samples.

"Between 10.45 and 11.30 I saw two huge lights, like car lights, approximately 20ft. apart, extremely bright and followed by a large flame jet tapering off into a series of sparks travelling from the Cowbridge area over Wenvoe." (R. W. Kemp, Dinas Powis)

"I saw this phenomenon in the sky at 11 p.m. on Monday night appearing from the west and disappearing due south." (Howard C. James, Rhiwbina)

"I saw two lights at 11.05 p.m. moving in a southerly direction." (Mr. C. W. V. Davies, Radyr)

"There was a bright light towards the tail and the object seemed to vanish into thin air. It travelled at a terrific speed." (Mrs. H. R. Kelly, Pontyclun)

"I observed a bright flash in the sky roughly south-west of Penrhiwfer at 11.02 p.m. It remained stationary then moved across the sky at a terrific speed in the shape of a small sun, travelling towards the south, approaching the earth at an angle of roughly 10 degrees. It appeared to have a kind of tail which broke off." (Frederick Walsh, Penygraig)

"I saw an object passing over Carmarthen in an easterly direction about 11.10 p.m. It looked like two golden stars with a tail, the second star being smaller than the first." (Miss V. L. Tew, Carmarthen)

"I also saw the peculiar object about 11 p.m. It appeared to be about three or four times the size of ordinary falling stars travelling east." (Lem. Emmanuel, Penclawdd)

"My friend and I saw two highly illuminated objects travelling from west to east about 70 to 80 miles south from here, close together at a terrific speed, but no great height." (W. F. Edwards, Haverfordwest)

"I noticed a peculiar object about 11 p.m. gliding east, bigger and brighter than a shooting star." (Miss M. E. Davies, Cilyewm, Llandovery)

"I saw the object about 11 p.m. It was brilliant and there was no enging noise as it went over the Channel. The tail did not seem to be connected. It looked like a shadow of something burning, with a red tint running through the shadow." (J. S. James, Splott)

Local astronomers have been puzzled by the reports, and the "flying saucer" theory has been discredited by Mr. Llewellyn Lloyd, hon. secretary of the Cardiff and District Astronomical Society. He has suggested that what was seen might have been a fire-ball or bolide, which have in the past been observed to break into two or more pieces. However, Mr. Lloyd, who lives at 164, Whitchurch-road, Whitchurch, and the vice-president (Mr. G. H. Corbett) are anxious to acquire as much data as possible on the sightings from correspondents.

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On November 6th the Western Mail published a potential explanation for the sightings under the headline, FLYING SAUCERS. HE BELIEVES THEY ARE METEORS.

"Flying Saucers" reported to have been seen over Wales last week are natural phenomena in the opinion of a Western Mail reader who is a member of the Royal Observer Corps, trained in split-second observation and with war-time experience. Following the report in the Western Mail on Wednesday of their appearance over South Wales further communications by letter and telephone were received during the week-end. "Though sceptical of the 'flying saucer' reports I have for a long time been on the look-out for such phenomena," writes Mr. Titus Lloyd, Upper St. Mary-street, Newport, Pembs., of the R.O.C. "Night and day I have scanned the heavens wherever possible. About this time last year I saw what I consider to be a meteor... but Monday night's is the first one I have seen describing elongated arcs and changing colour and velocity as it spend through the sky. At first I thought it was under the clouds, then realised that its light penetrated through the inner clouds. Still, I believe these objects are natural phenomena and not the direct creations of human or any other planetary beings." Mr. Lloyd has prepared a map, showing that the object travelled in a south-easterly direction at a height of about 3,000ft., and that when first sighted by him it was of a greenish colour, changing with accelerated velocity into a burst of orange and red flame, and then from orange back to green.

Another person who saw the strange light in the sky was Mrs. G. Thomas, Frondeg-terrace, Llanelly, who says that when looking through the window at about 11.00 p.m. last Monday she noticed what appeared to be two stars, with "smoke tails," over the sea between Lanelly and Penclawdd. Unlike shooting stars, they were travelling upwards, and Mrs. Thomas remarked at the time, "I have a double wish." About a year ago a person standing on Loughor Bridge reported having seen a village reflected in the sky over Penclawdd. It was believed to have been a reflection of a village lower down the coast and not visible from the bridge.

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PRESS
Friday November 3rd, 23:30
Neath

William George Johns, a newsagent of Tonna, with his wife, saw a brilliant flat disc like a plate in the sky over Llandarcy oil refinery at 11.30 pm. It was giving off rays like a chandelier and appeared to be about a foot wide. Even the clouds passing over did not blot out the object. He watched for about ten minutes, and the disc moved gradually towards Port Talbot (south-eastwards), its light becoming dimmer till it disappeared.

Three or four minutes later, looking in a south-easterly direction, a brief white glow appeared, like a shell burst at a tremendous height.

Mr Johns has frequently seen the sky glow from the furnaces opened at Port Talbot, but says this was quite different – indeed the characteristic furnace glow appeared later.

Source: South Wales Evening Post, Saturday 4th November 1950.

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PRESS
Sunday November 5th, 18:55
Barry

Shooting star like object with a very long tail seen in the sky. The Western Mail of November 6th reported:

Last night John O'Sullivan, Aneurin-road, Barry, told the Western Mail that shortly before seven p.m. yesterday he saw an object in the sky over Barry "like a shooting star with a very long tail. It seemed to be a ball of fire with a luminous trail, going across the sky at a terrific rate and travelling in a westerly direction," he said. "It made no noise. I was with Malcolm Eveleigh, aged 14, Forster-road, Barry, and Graham Slooks, aged 16, Main-street, Barry, and we saw the object for a period of five or six seconds. After that it suddenly disappeared from sight." (Footnote: A small luminous object, believed to be a meteorite, fell near the racecourse, Wrexham weather station reported last night.)

Possibly this was the same object described as having been seen 'last week' by a man in Aberaman in the Aberdare Leader of November 11th: ANOTHER FLYING SAUCER? Another reader of the Aberdare Leader" claims to have seen a flying saucer last week. He is Raymond Passmore, 76 Brook Street, Aberaman, who said the object he saw had a long tail and was "out of the ordinary."

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PRESS
Thursday 9th November, c. 19:00
Gwelfa, Mydroilyn

Sarah Jones saw a saucer the size of a half moon travelling horizontally across the night sky, describing it as 'the queerest thing I have ever seen in my life.' The Welsh Gazette of November 16th reported:



FLYING SAUCER OVER CARDIGANSHIRE. Mydroilyn Woman's Strange Story. NO TAIL, NO FLAMES - TRAVELLING EAST.

This week a flying saucer was sighted in Cardiganshire streaking across the skies over the little village of Mydroilyn, about six miles away from Aberaeron. It was seen by 50-year-old Miss Sarah Jones, who lives on her own at Gwelfa, a little small holding in the village. Miss Jones is not given to flights of fancy nor exaggeration, and when seen by our reporter on Friday last, she seemed quite perturbed about her experience of the night before. Miss Jones has not been away much from rural Mydroilyn all her life, but she has read of flying saucers in America.

When she was interviewed, Miss Jones put her floor broom to one side and said, "It was the queerest thing I have ever seen in my life, and I'll tell you all about it. Last night," she said, "I had been to the village stores to get my groceries, and I was a bit late coming back. On arriving home just before seven o'clock, I went to fetch my two goats for milking. I happened to look up, and saw the saucer-shaped object moving at a fast speed in the sky. It was a good way up," she said, "and it was travelling from west to east."

Miss Jones said it was the size of a half moon, travelling horizontally and remained in sight for a couple of minutes. It seemed as if there was a very powerful light inside the saucer which reflected up into the heavens. Contrary to other reports, there were no flames emitting from the saucer, neither did it have a tail. The light of the saucer was not as bright as the many stars that were in the sky that night. It disappeared suddenly, as if the light inside had been put out, or else it disappeared behind a cloud. "I was surprised to see it disappearing so suddenly," she said. Miss Jones, who has worked on the farm all her life and has been out at all hours of the night, said she had never seen anything resembling this before.

From the Herald of Wales, November 18th: Flying Saucer with a light inside. Forty-nine-years-old Miss Sarah Jones, who lives alone at Gwelfa, a smallholding in the Cardiganshire village of Mydroilyn, about six miles from Aberayron, says she has seen a flying saucer. The saucer was "a good way up" and travelling from west to east. It was the size of a half moon, travelling horizontally, and remained in sight for a couple of minutes. It seemed as if there was a powerful light inside the saucer, which reflected up into the heavens. There were no flames coming from the saucer, nor did it have a "tail." The light of the saucer was not as bright as the many stars in the sky. It disappeared suddenly as if the light inside had been put out, or else it had disappeared behind a cloud.

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PRESS
Friday 10th November, 07:55
Aberkenfig

Six men travelling from Aberkenfig to Llynfi Power Station saw a 'classic' silver saucer moving at high speed in the sky. The Glamorgan Gazette of November 17th reported:

"FLYING SAUCER" SEEN AGAIN? From Aberkenfig, last Friday, came a report that a "Flying Saucer" - described as being bigger than a Lancaster bomber - swooped out of the clouds over the district at 7.55 a.m. Eye-witnesses who claim they saw the mysterious object said it was flying at a "phenomenal speed." They were six Aberkenfig workmen, who were on their way to the Llynfi Power Station at the time. They described what they saw as "a circular, silvery disc., ball-shaped in the middle, with about half a dozen large black marks around the edges."

One of the men, Alan Higgins, of St. Bride's Road, Aberkenfig, said: "The object was about 700 ft. up after diving, and the terrific pace at which it shot back into the clouds gave us the impression that it was not a product of this earth. It left a white vapour trail before disappearing." Note - a fortnight ago "flying saucer" reports were received from several parts of South Wales and the rest of the country. A Maesteg woman and a Porthcawl man were among many who claimed to have seen it.

(The original report seems to have been made to the South Wales Echo of November 10th.)

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CONTACT
Saturday December 2nd, c. 16:00
Towyn, near Rhyl

A yellow object emitting sparks. Watched by several observers. Others saw a cigar shaped object. Over the Bristol Channel and from Llandaw a flash of light was seen in the sky about 16:05.

ETA: Now I'm doing my newspaper trawl for 1950 this appears to be a single report from a widely reported phenomena that occurred that Saturday afternoon, while thousands were out at football and rugby matches to witness it. December 3rd's Sunday Dispatch reported:

WHAT FLEW ACROSS ENGLAND YESTERDAY? Football Crowds See 'Flying Saucer'

Thousands of people in many parts of Britain, including spectators of football matches, saw what many of them believed to be a flying saucer yesterday. In each case the phenomenon - a strange white flash which darted across the sky at terrific speed - was seen about 4 p.m. These reports of the passage of this object through the sky were received by the Sunday Dispatch last night: More than 500 spectators at a Soccer cup match at Chard, Somerset, saw a strange white phenomenon dart across the clear sky high above the grandstand at about 3.45. Within a split second of passing it seemed to disperse on the horizon. Spectators in the stand cried "Oh!" as the white liquid form sped inland from the direction of the English Channel.

Spectators at a Rugby match two fields away saw it. One, Mr. Arthur H. Jenkins, postmaster of Chard, said: "It was like a diamond flash; its shape was like a big peardrop, with the thin end tapering behind. Suddenly it 'melted' into nothingness." Other people described it as a "blob of brilliant whiteness" and a "sheet of white hot metal." Chairman of Chard F.C., Mr. William Taunton, sitting in the stand, said: "It came right over the top of us like a brilliant streak and then seemed to dissolve before our eyes."

Channel Explosion. Miss Myra Scott, who was watching a football match at Perry Street, three miles south of Chard, said she saw a "low-flying, silvery star with a tail" shortly before four o'clock. At North Petherton, near Bridgwater, spectators at another match saw an object in the north-west sky shortly before four o'clock. It was described as "a long snake-shape thing which streaked through the sky at a terrific rate." Mr. T. Hollinghurst, of North Petherton, said: "It appeared suddenly and went away suddenly, leaving a creamy smoke. There was no noise and there were no planes about."

A few minutes later a flash, as though from an explosion, was seen at a great height over the Bristol Channel, 50 miles to the north of Chard. Reports from places as much as 130 miles apart were received at the Air Ministry. Portishead (near Bristol) police reported that a white flash was seen between 4.05 and 4.10 p.m. which appeared to be an explosion. It turned pink and disintegrated. The estimated height was 20,000ft. Western-Super-Mare police reported to the Air Ministry that they saw a similar flash in the Portishead direction at the same time. Another sighting was reported from as far away as Durham.

Airmen Saw It. Pilots of four jet aircraft of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force coming in to land at Llandaw, near Cardiff, reported a flash of light at 15,000ft, to the north-east of the airfield. At a football match at Easten-in-Gordane, near Bristol, spectators saw a flash. Mr. M. V. Perrett, of Ham Green, said: "It looked like a rocket coming down from 2,000ft. There was an intense white flash which left a trail of vapour. Spectators at the match between Shaftesbury and Longfleet St. Mary reported what appeared like a giant rocket. It seemed to fall from the sky.

Bovingdon airport in Hertfordshire, 150 miles east of Llandaw, also reported to the Air Ministry that a brilliant white light was seen a long way to the west at 4.05 p.m. Observers estimated that it was at about 20,000ft and say that it vanished in a trail of smoke. Air Ministry said last night: "A thorough check has been made and no aircraft is missing or believed to have blown up in the air. It is most unlikely that an unscheduled private flight could have taken place at such a height. We cannot explain the phenomenon. No aircraft was flying in the Portishead area."

Game Stopped. At Towyn, near Rhyl, North Wales, Rugby players dropped the ball and, with spectators, stared into the sky as a yellow object trailing sparks flashed across it. It vanished over Tower Hill, Abergele, within ten seconds. At about four o'clock spectators at Amersham, Buckinghamshire, football ground saw a brilliant object "like a huge star" flash across the sky, leaving a volume of smoke in its way. Among people who saw the object at Launceston, Cornwall, were two ex-R.A.F. officers who were watching a Rugby match. The object, which was circular, gave off a bright bluish-white light.

Footnote: One theory advanced last night by Professor F. A. Paneth (Professor of Chemistry at Durham University and a leading expert on meteorites) was that the object was a meteor. "If pieces of meteorite are found," he said, "it will be only the tenth to have fallen in this country. I would like to appeal to anyone in the areas from which it was reported to report at once if they notice a hole in the ground or a damaged tree that was not there yesterday."

The Western Mail of December 4th reported: Flash in sky over Wales mystery. What was it that caused shoppers, spectators at football and Rugby matches in all parts of Wales and the South of England to crane their necks skyward at about four o'clock on Saturday afternoon? Most eye-witnesses described what they saw as "a brilliant yellow flash speeding across the sky and leaving a trail of smoke." One man, a spectator at the Corris v. Tonfannau football match at Corris, seeing this strange object, said, "Oh! It's a flying saucer." But he was the only person to describe it as such. Here are the observations of other townspeople.

Aberdovey: Two women, Mrs. G. M. Palmer, of Monkshill, and Mrs. W. D. Jones of Melrose, saw the object from their homes. They agree it was "red, and looked like a rocket. Instead of emitting sparks it finished off with a bright flash." At Towyn the Rugby match between Rhyl and District and the Old Rockferrians was stopped while players watched the "bright yellow object, shaped like a tadpole, and with sparks flying at its tail," speed across the sky. It made no noise. Mr. Leslie Williams, a well-known Central Wales football referee, said the phenomenon was like a football and had a wisp of smoke issuing from it. It vanished suddenly. Pembroke was also visited by the object. Mrs. Olga Colley and her daughter, Mrs. Glynys Evans, of Eaton House, reported sighting it. Mrs. Evans said, "It almost blinded us."

"Nine feet long." And Mr. Jack Hay, The Green, said, "It was about 9ft long and was not shaped like a saucer." In South Wales the flash, which to some observers had the appearance of an explosion, was reported by people between Cardiff and Bridgend. Six Royal Auxillary Air Force pilots of 614 Squadron, stationed at Llandow, all reported seeing the flash above them when they were flying in the Bridgend area. Pilot II. James Jones, who was flying a Vampire Jet, said on landing, "It was just a brilliant very yellow flash, so brilliant I could not pin-point it. I did not see any smoke trail."

Shoppers in Cardiff's streets craned their necks skywards to see the vivid flash, and crowds leaving Cardiff Arms Park after a Rugby match also reported seeing it. Tonypandy shoppers were startled by a flash in the sky which left a trail of smoke. There was no sound. Minehead and Exmoor observers were equally puzzled by the flash. They heard a rumbling noise like thunder after it passed. Tailpiece: An Air Ministry official at Manchester yesterday thought the phenomenon was some type of electrical discharge.

On December 9th the Pontypridd Observer reported: "WHAT WAS IT? A number of Graig residents report having seen a peculiar phenomenon in the sky on Saturday afternoon about 3.30. According to my informants the object was a yellow circle of light which gave off a strange glow. Smoke was also seen coming from it. Several adults saw it and also a few children, two of whom, Peter and Keith Haggerty, sons of Mr and Mrs R. J. Haggerty, 23 Graig Street, were quite excited about it. According to an Air Ministry official it was believed to have been an electrical disturbance in the air - or was it another flying saucer?"