Britain’s Roswell

On December 26-28, 1980, US Air Force personnel at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge encountered UFOs in adjacent Rendlesham Forest. Lt. Col. Charles Halt documented the events in an official memorandum, creating one of the most significant military UFO cases in history.

The Bases

Twin NATO installations:

• RAF Bentwaters
• RAF Woodbridge
• Suffolk, England
• US Air Force operated
• Nuclear weapons storage

Night One - December 26

First incident:

• Unusual lights reported
• In Rendlesham Forest
• Security patrol sent
• Multiple witnesses
• Strange craft seen

The First Patrol

Staff Sergeant Penniston:

• Led patrol
• Approached object
• Touched craft
• Noted symbols
• Remarkable encounter

The Object

Penniston described:

• Triangular craft
• About 9 feet across
• Metallic surface
• Strange symbols
• Glowing

The Symbols

Penniston saw:

• Hieroglyphic-like markings
• On craft’s surface
• Sketched them
• Detailed observation
• Physical contact

Night Two - December 27

The return:

• More lights reported
• Lt. Col. Halt investigated
• With team
• Into forest
• Extended encounter

The Halt Memo

Official document:

• January 13, 1981
• To UK Ministry of Defence
• Documented events
• Multiple witnesses
• Military record

Halt’s Investigation

That night:

• Audio recording made
• Lights observed
• Radiation readings elevated
• Ground traces found
• Extended observation

The Lighthouse Theory

Skeptics claim:

• Orfordness Lighthouse
• Explained lights
• Witnesses disagree
• Wrong direction
• Not convincing

The Witnesses

Dozens saw:

• Various phenomena
• Over two nights
• Career military
• Security cleared
• Credible observers

Larry Warren

Additional witness:

• Airman First Class
• Third night claims
• Controversial
• Wrote book
• “Left at East Gate”

Binary Code

Penniston later claimed:

• Received binary code
• Mentally transmitted
• Wrote it down
• Message decoded
• Controversial addition

UK Government Response

Ministry of Defence:

• Received Halt memo
• Investigated
• No threat assessment
• File released later
• No conclusion

The Release

Files declassified:

• Various FOIA requests
• Documents released
• Confirmed events
• No explanation
• Mystery persists

Nuclear Connection

Important context:

• Nuclear weapons stored
• At both bases
• UFO/nuclear pattern
• Security concern
• Historical significance

Significance

Bentwaters-Woodbridge significant for:

• Official documentation
• Multiple military witnesses
• Physical traces
• High-ranking officers
• Nuclear facility

Legacy

The Bentwaters-Woodbridge incident represents one of the most significant military UFO encounters due to the official documentation, high-ranking witnesses, and the nuclear weapons context. Lt. Col. Halt’s memorandum ensures this case’s permanent place in history.