Organization
The National Archives (UK)
Also known as UK National Archives, National Archives at Kew
The National Archives at Kew is the official archive of the UK government. It holds the Ministry of Defence's records of UFO reports, kept since the 1960s (earlier material was destroyed after five years), including the Rendlesham Forest correspondence (DEFE 24/1948/1). The MoD's UFO files were released there between 2008 and 2013, with the historian David Clarke as consultant. Some material remains closed, such as the witness details in the Calvine papers.
Sources: UK National Archives — UFO reports
Facts and claims
- documented The National Archives states that the Ministry of Defence kept records of UFO reports “since the 1960s, which we now hold.” Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk (archived)
Connected files
Books
- UFO Drawings from the National Archives (subject of)
- The UFO Files: The Inside Story of Real-Life Sightings (subject of)
Documents
- Air Ministry and MoD files on unidentified aircraft and UFOs: AIR 20/7390 (1950–54) and AIR 2/19086 (1970–75) (released)
- Ministry of Defence UFO correspondence files DEFE 24/1931 and DEFE 24/1942 (released)
- MoD file DEFE 24/1972: alleged UFO involvement in the crash of Lightning F6 XS894 (1970) (released) — Opened in August 2009
- MoD file DEFE 24/2086: UFO sightings of 30–31 March 1993 (Cosford incident) (released) — Opened on 17 August 2009; some papers were released under the Code of Practice in December 2002
- “Unidentified Flying Objects”: report by the Flying Saucer Working Party (UK, June 1951) (released) — Found in MoD archives in 2001 and released in 2002 as DEFE 44/119
- Ministry of Defence UFO files: release of 14 May 2008 (8 files) (released) — Opened at The National Archives on 14 May 2008
- Ministry of Defence UFO files: release of 20 October 2008 (19 files) (released) — Opened at The National Archives on 20 October 2008
- Ministry of Defence UFO files: release of 17 August 2009 (14 files) (released) — Opened at The National Archives on 17 August 2009
- Ministry of Defence UFO files: release of 3 March 2011 (35 files) (released) — Opened at The National Archives on 3 March 2011
- Ministry of Defence UFO files: release of 11 August 2011 (34 files) (released) — Opened at The National Archives on 11 August 2011
- Ministry of Defence UFO files: release of 12 July 2012 (25 files) (released) — Opened at The National Archives on 12 July 2012
- Ministry of Defence UFO files: release of 21 June 2013 (25 files) (released) — Opened at The National Archives on 21 June 2013
- Churchill's minute on flying saucers and the Air Ministry's reply (PREM 11/855, 1952–55) (released) — Opened under the 30-year rule in 1988
- The National Archives: guides to the Ministry of Defence UFO files (2008–2013) (published)
- The National Archives (UK): UFO files release, highlights guide (August 2009) (published)
Incidents
- Rendlesham Forest incident (holds records of)
Videos
- Citizen Hearing 2013: A Global Phenomenon, Part 1 (discussed in)
Mentioned in this file
- David Clarke (Person)
- Ministry of Defence (UK) (Organization)
Mentioned in documents and records
More organizations
- National Archives and Records Administration
- GEIPAN (CNES, France)
- CEFAA (Chile)
- CEFAE (Argentine Air Force)
- Ministry of Defense (Japan)
- Department of War (Department of Defense)