The Rendlesham Forrest Incident (aka. Bentwaters UFO case) is perhaps the best documented and one of the most well known UFO cases ever. What isn’t too well known is that a tape was made by military investigators on the second day of UFO activity. Thanks to Coast to Coast, I have tracked down that tape and I encourage everyone to listen to it. It is simply the best evidence for the existence of UFOs that I have ever come across.

(From Wikipedia.) The Rendlesham Incident occurred over a three-day span in 1980 in the proximity of two military bases, RAF Woodbridge and RAF Bentwaters (now abandoned), which were being used by the USAF, eight miles outside Ipswich, Suffolk.

An unidentified flying object was seen in the area, probably on the evening of 26 December. At first, servicemen thought it was a downed aero plane, but upon entering the forest to investigate, they saw many strange lights moving through the trees, as well as a blinding light from an unidentified object. Some U.S. airmen claim to have seen a conical metallic object suspended in a yellow mist hovering over a clearing in the trees, with a pulsating blue and red circle of light above.

One eyewitness claims to have seen triangular landing gear on the object. The servicemen claimed that the object seemed clearly aware of their presence and moved away from them, forcing them to give chase. Later the servicemen were found in a dazed state.

A short while after the incident, the Deputy Commander of Bentwaters air base, Lt. Col. Charles Halt, issued the following report to the Ministry of Defence (MOD): “The object was described as being metallic in appearance and triangular in shape, approximately three meters across the base and two meters high. It illuminated the entire forest with a white light … As the patrol men approached the object, it maneuvered through the trees and disappeared. At this time the animals in a nearby farm went into a frenzy. The next day three depressions were found where the object had been sighted on the ground.”

The night after the initial contact, a second sighting was reported by military personal and a group was dispatched to investigate the situation. During the course of the investigation the men encountered a second UFO craft in the woods. The taped recording of this encounter has come to be known as the “Halt Tape”.

Here is a link to that tape recording. It is 17 minutes long and a bit difficult to make out at first but it becomes much easier to understand after a few moments.

Here is an excerpt from that tape: (NOTE: I am aware of the formatting issue within the blockquotes and am working on a global fix for this. I apoligise for the inconvience.)

Sgt. Nevilles: It’s back again

Lt. Colonel Halt: Is it back again?

Sgt. Nevilles: Yes sir

Lt. Colonel Halt: Well douse flashlights then. Let’s go back to the edge of the clearing then, so we can get a better look at it. See if you can get the starscope on it. The light’s still there and all the barnyard animals have gotten quiet now. We’re heading about 110 -120 degrees from the site, out through the clearing now. Still getting a reading on the meter about 2 clicks. Needles jumped 3-4 clicks getting stronger.

Sgt. Nevilles: Now it’s stopped. Now it’s coming up. Hold on, here we go. Now it’s coming up about approximately 4 foot off the ground. The compass has 110 degrees.

[Break in tape]

Lt. Colonel Halt: Right, I just turned the meter off. Better say that again, about 4 feet off the ground, about a 110 degrees, getting the reading of about 4 clicks.

Sgt. Nevilles: Yes sir…. *coughs* excuse me, now it’s died.

Lt. Colonel Halt: I…I think it’s something here on the ground. I think it’s something…..very large….

Sgt. Nevilles: ….a tree right over……

[Break in tape]

Lt. Colonel Halt: We just bumped into the first light that we’ve seen. We’re about a 150 -200 yards from the site. Everything else is just deathly calm. There’s no doubt about it, there’s some kind of strange flashing red light ahead.

Sgt. Nevilles: Yeah, It’s yellow.

Lt. Colonel Halt: I saw a yellow tinge in it too. Weird. It appears to be making a little bit this way?

Sgt. Nevilles: Yes sir

Lt. Colonel Halt: It’s brighter than it has been…It’s coming this way. It’s definitely coming this way.

Sgt. Ball: Pieces are shooting off!

Lt. Colonel Halt: Pieces of it are shooting off.

Sgt. Ball: at about 11 o clock…. (Position)

Lt. Colonel Halt: There’s no doubt about it; this is weird.

As usual, The USAF refuses to comment on the incident. However, thanks to Englands new Freedom of Information act, The Ministry of Defense documentation is finally available for review.

-Matt