17 December 1954
(Daily Examiner, Grafton, Australia)
Source: Trove, National Library of Australia,
Canberra, ACT, Australia
The whole article:
“The Minister for the Navy, Mr. Francis, confirmed to-night
that a pilot from Nowra air station (N.S.W.), had recently observed two lights
on his radar ‘with vague shapes underneath.’
Mr. Francis was commenting on reports to-day that a
pilot from Nowra some months ago had reported seeing two lighted objects flying
close to his plane and at a faster speed than his aircraft.
The objects have been described as ‘flving saucers,’ because
their identity is unknown.
Mr. Francis, in his statement said ‘It is a fact that
on a night cross-country flight from the R.A.N. Station at Nowra, on August 3, a pilot in his aircraft at 13,000 feet observed
two lights on his radar with vague shapes underneath.’
The light passed ahead of him at a very fast speed.
Dr. S. C. B. Gascoigne, of the Commonwealth
Observatory, Mt. Stromlo, commenting on Mr. Francis’ statement to-night said it
was highly unlikely, and almost impossible, that the objects could have been
meteorites.
This was because the objects as reported were too low
in the sky and had apparently persisted for too long.”
Wikipedia article: “HMAS Albatross (air station)”:
(wikimedia.org image)