17 December 1954
(Northern Star, Lismore ,
Australia
Source: Trove, National Library of Australia , Canberra
The whole article:
“ ‘Flying Saucers’ reported by a Nowra Fleet Air Arm pilot
are being investigated by Naval Headquarters in Melbourne
The pilot, Lieutenant O’Farrell, saw two objects which
he took to be ‘flying saucers’ when flying at night over Goulburn, N.S.W., on a
return trip to Nowra.
He told authorities at Nowra, naval air station and
base for the Fleet Air Arm, that he saw what appeared to be the lights of two
aircraft when flying at about 285
miles an hour.
He said a ‘saucer’ flew on each side of him, circled
his plane, and then drew rapidly away.
At his request the Nowra radar crew fixed his position
and reported back that the screen showed an echo of another object moving along
his Sea Fury.
This is the first known case in which unidentified
objects in the sky have been confirmed by radar.
Authorities ascertained there were no other military
aircraft in the vicinity at the time.
The Minister for the Navy, Mr. Francis, confirmed tonight
that a pilot from Nowra air station had recently observed two lights on his
radar ‘with vague shapes underneath.’
Mr. Francis was commenting on reports today 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 ‘Flying 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, Nowra, on August 3 (1954), a pilot
in his aircraft at 13,000
feet observed two lights on his radar with vague shapes
underneath.
‘The lights passed ahead of him at a very fast speed.
He was at the time flying at 220 knots. The pilot contacted Nowra and advised
them.
‘It was later ascertained that the only other aircraft
in the vicinity was a T.A.A. Convair.’
Mr. Francis added that the pilot, was in the vicinity
of Goulburn when he made his observation.
No further report of the pilot’s discovery had been received
yet from R.A.A.F. headquarters.
NOT METEORITES
Dr. S. C. B. Gascoigne, of the Commonwealth observatory,
Mt. Stromlo
This was because the objects as reported were too low
in the sky and had apparently persisted for too long.
Unless the objects were much higher than reported or
were due to a ‘meteorological refraction,’ which also was unlikely, their
identification was baffling.
The report of the pilot ‘just about ruled out
meteorites or hallucinations.’ ”
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