RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge 40 years ago on this day.
 

Happy Xmas all and hope you all had a good Xmas.

Just twigged on this day 40 years ago, there was supposedly an incident in Rendelsham forest between then RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge (now Rock Barracks). One would say flashing lights and shall we say out-of-this-world encounters and the Security Forces Squadron.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rend...orest_incident

Some of the theories that spiraled out of the alleged incident are quite amusing and one theory was related to the presence of the then 67th Aerospace Recovery and Rescue Squadron (ARRS) (now the Mildenhall 67th SOS). 67th ARRS main role was CSAR / PRV with then HH-53C and HC-130P (and det HH-3E in Keflavik) and secondary role was long range civilian SAR if needed and also NASA support with SAR. The unit i believed had a mock up of Apollo capsule to practice and as such some folks thought one of the Super Jolly Green Giants was hoisting the capsule mock up with lights hovering over the forest on (if you forgive the pun) a jolly.

Then again why have the capsule as no Apollo type missions had taken place for near decade and Space Shuttle missions were starting.

There was a revelation recently that the Hereford lads parachuted in with supposed stealth chutes and getting their own back at the Security Forces Squadron due to previous exercise which took place at the weapons storage area.

Everyone reckons there WSA had bucket of sunshine’s and this had some bearing with the incident. The resident 81st TFW got rid of their Phantoms for the Warthog a few years earlier I don’t think the Warthog was cleared for likes of B-61 but be happy to be corrected.

Also Bentwaters did not have same amount of specialized igloos for buckets of sunshine compared to Alconbury and Upper Heyford.

Cheers

A cutting from the Daily Telegraph 31/12/18.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....7523c846ed.jpg

The "flashing lights" were the sequenced flashing lights on the approach lighting system reflecting off low cloud and mist, the "aliens" spotted by the locals were the Woodbridge RFFS team in their gear and at least one sketch made by a local of the "spacecraft" looked just like a D21 drone.
The Americans won't discuss Special Ops with anyone and I'm sure helium balloons wouldn't be flown around an active airfield without someone being notified.

Lt Col Charles Halt has recorded the incident on you tube, something happened but what who knows!! Maybe the United States were testing some new secret technology which the base did not know about at the time! Have read a load of theories of what the bases personnel witnessed, but if they were testing new technology that would seem more plausible as to what was happening.

The 67th ARRS had another role which has now been surpassed by digital technology.