Comments on: The field marshal and the ghost rockets http://airminded.org/2009/12/20/the-field-marshal-and-the-ghost-rockets/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-field-marshal-and-the-ghost-rockets Airpower and British society, 1908-1941 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:36:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2009/12/20/the-field-marshal-and-the-ghost-rockets/comment-page-1/#comment-124477 Brett Holman Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:31:11 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=3081#comment-124477 And here's a contemporary British near-equivalent of the ghost rockets/foo fighters: http://www.project1947.com/1947/ And here's a contemporary British near-equivalent of the ghost rockets/foo fighters:

http://www.project1947.com/1947/

]]> By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2009/12/20/the-field-marshal-and-the-ghost-rockets/comment-page-1/#comment-124472 Brett Holman Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:42:39 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=3081#comment-124472 I can't find any good secondary sources, mostly Portugal is mentioned as I did -- in a list of countries to show the geographical extent of the sightings. (<a href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/podcasts/educationpodcast004.htm" rel="nofollow">For example</a>.) But I did find a couple of sightings. From <a href="http://www.project1947.com/gr/grchron3.htm" rel="nofollow">Project 1947</a>: <blockquote>16 Dec 46 - La Vanguardia, p.8 Tuesday December 17th 1946 ROCKET PROJECTILE OVER LISBON Lisbon 15. - A rocket projectile crossed the airspace of the Portuguese capital at around half past six in the afternoon. The artefact was seen in el Barrio de Campo on May 29th and observed by many people who at first thought it was a comet. EFE translation (c) Chris Aubeck, March 2003</blockquote> And from Jerome Clark, <em>The UFO Encyclopedia: The Phenomenon from the Beginning</em> (Detroit: Omnigraphics, 1998) 2nd ed., vol. 1, p. 440: <blockquote>Castenheira, Portugal, September 18 [1946]. Two greenish globes, one following close behind the other, flew over the city.</blockquote> No source given for that one, unless it's the <em>Portland Oregonian</em>, 1 October 1946. It may be that there just weren't very many ghost rockets seen in Portugal, or that not as many made it to the international press (<em>La Vanguardia</em> is a Spanish newspaper, I think). I can't find any good secondary sources, mostly Portugal is mentioned as I did -- in a list of countries to show the geographical extent of the sightings. (For example.) But I did find a couple of sightings. From Project 1947:

16 Dec 46 - La Vanguardia, p.8 Tuesday December 17th 1946 ROCKET PROJECTILE OVER LISBON Lisbon 15. - A rocket projectile crossed the airspace of the Portuguese capital at around half past six in the afternoon. The artefact was seen in el Barrio de Campo on May 29th and observed by many people who at first thought it was a comet. EFE translation (c) Chris Aubeck, March 2003

And from Jerome Clark, The UFO Encyclopedia: The Phenomenon from the Beginning (Detroit: Omnigraphics, 1998) 2nd ed., vol. 1, p. 440:

Castenheira, Portugal, September 18 [1946]. Two greenish globes, one following close behind the other, flew over the city.

No source given for that one, unless it's the Portland Oregonian, 1 October 1946.

It may be that there just weren't very many ghost rockets seen in Portugal, or that not as many made it to the international press (La Vanguardia is a Spanish newspaper, I think).

]]> By: Ricardo Reis http://airminded.org/2009/12/20/the-field-marshal-and-the-ghost-rockets/comment-page-1/#comment-124439 Ricardo Reis Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:51:10 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=3081#comment-124439 Portugal? Can you give the reference please? Portugal? Can you give the reference please?

]]> By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2009/12/20/the-field-marshal-and-the-ghost-rockets/comment-page-1/#comment-124297 Brett Holman Sun, 20 Dec 2009 11:57:17 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=3081#comment-124297 Oh sure, in the US press -- as we know they printed pretty much anything if it looked like shiny new tech :) No, you're right. There were press reports from late 1944 and 1945 on, but the form of the foo fighters was already established by then. But perhaps they became more frequent? I don't know. Oh sure, in the US press -- as we know they printed pretty much anything if it looked like shiny new tech :)

No, you're right. There were press reports from late 1944 and 1945 on, but the form of the foo fighters was already established by then. But perhaps they became more frequent? I don't know.

]]> By: Alan Allport http://airminded.org/2009/12/20/the-field-marshal-and-the-ghost-rockets/comment-page-1/#comment-124296 Alan Allport Sun, 20 Dec 2009 11:46:09 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=3081#comment-124296 That's not entirely true Brett - at least by the end of the war, there were at least some <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,775433,00.html"media reports about Foo Fighters. That's not entirely true Brett - at least by the end of the war, there were at least some <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,775433,00.html"media reports about Foo Fighters.

]]> By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2009/12/20/the-field-marshal-and-the-ghost-rockets/comment-page-1/#comment-124278 Brett Holman Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:58:19 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=3081#comment-124278 Erik: Foo fighters may or may not be related physical phenomena, but they weren't similar <em>media</em> phenomena as they were pretty much secret at the time. So the dynamics would have been somewhat different, spread by rumours passed among aircrew rather than by the press. Urban Garlic: Oh yes, I forgot to mention that! And it was caused by Russians testing out a new missile, too. Erik:

Foo fighters may or may not be related physical phenomena, but they weren't similar media phenomena as they were pretty much secret at the time. So the dynamics would have been somewhat different, spread by rumours passed among aircrew rather than by the press.

Urban Garlic:

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that! And it was caused by Russians testing out a new missile, too.

]]> By: Urban Garlic http://airminded.org/2009/12/20/the-field-marshal-and-the-ghost-rockets/comment-page-1/#comment-124264 Urban Garlic Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:49:28 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=3081#comment-124264 Interestingly, one of the countries which did acquire nuclear weapons was Smuts' own South Africa. It remains one of very few countries to have obtained and then given up nuclear weapons. Also, mysterious nordic lights <a HREF="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/09/awesomely-bizarre-light-show-freaks-out-norway/" rel="nofollow">still happen</a>. This one was apparently not (only) paranoia. Interestingly, one of the countries which did acquire nuclear weapons was Smuts' own South Africa. It remains one of very few countries to have obtained and then given up nuclear weapons.

Also, mysterious nordic lights still happen. This one was apparently not (only) paranoia.

]]> By: Erik Lund http://airminded.org/2009/12/20/the-field-marshal-and-the-ghost-rockets/comment-page-1/#comment-124245 Erik Lund Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:37:33 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=3081#comment-124245 No, the lump of coke clearly points us in the direction of cocaine smugglers, who obviously would need flying bombs for Miami drug wars. "Say hello to my little friend..." And what about the Foo Fighters? No, the lump of coke clearly points us in the direction of cocaine smugglers, who obviously would need flying bombs for Miami drug wars. "Say hello to my little friend..."
And what about the Foo Fighters?

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