★Historically significant

This 1952 SECRET CIA memo authored by Assistant Director of Scientific Intelligence H. Marshall Chadwell documents direct CIA-British intelligence liaison on UFOs, references the Tremonton film, and identifies a mass witness sighting by senior RAF officials — representing early Cold War-era transatlantic intelligence sharing on UAP at the senior official level.

CIA-UAP-014, British activity in the Field of "Unidentified Flying Objects"

CIAPDFMemoSECRETLight redactionPURSUE Release 3

7/10

significant, well-sourced

UAP Insight significance score

Incident date: December, 1952
Witnesses: Multiple witnesses
Released: June 12, 2026

UAP Characteristics

◉ Disc

Evidence Types

TestimonyIR Video

Official Conclusion

British committee concluded observed objects are not enemy aircraft and none have been over Britain; the broader UAP phenomenon is treated as unresolved with national security implications.

Official Description

A December 1952 Memo on the activities the British are taking to identify UFOs. The memo references a UFO sighting at an RAF field seen by high officials and RAF pilots. A more redacted version of the memo has been available on CIA's public website.

Key Findings

→The British had a standing committee on flying saucers created approximately sixteen months prior, believed to be under Dr. R. V. Jones, which had concluded that observed objects were not enemy aircraft and none had been over Britain.
→A 'perfect flying saucer' was observed at a Yorkshire RAF field by high RAF officials in London and RAF pilots during a demonstration, generating enough press coverage to disturb Jones who considered public opinion management part of his responsibilities.
→The CIA referenced the Tremonton incident film taken by a Naval non-commissioned officer, and noted Jones might request a copy.
→Three national security dangers were identified: degradation of early warning systems, possibility of enemy-induced mass hysteria via faked reports, and emergency communications overloading.
→Brig. Gen. Air Maxwell (RDB) was noted in a handwritten annotation as being cognizant of the potential danger and expressing concern; plans were made to brief the FCDA, ICIS, and Joint Communications and Electronics Committee.

UAP Insight Analysis— AI generated, not official

This SECRET CIA memorandum dated 18 December 1952, authored by H. Marshall Chadwell (Assistant Director, Scientific Intelligence), reports on British UFO investigative activity as conveyed by a messenger from Britain who had spoken with R. V. Jones. It describes a British standing committee on flying saucers, a notable sighting at a Yorkshire RAF field witnessed by high RAF officials and pilots, and outlines three national security concerns related to UFO sightings including early warning system degradation, mass hysteria, and communications overload.

Analyst Notes

The Yorkshire sighting is described second-hand via a messenger who spoke with Jones; no direct witness accounts or sensor data are included in this document. The sighting description is brief and anecdotal. One name in paragraph 1 is redacted. The document is primarily an intelligence liaison report rather than a direct incident report.

Extracted Entities

People

R. V. JonesH. Marshall ChadwellBrig. Gen. Air Maxwell

Agencies & Organizations

CIARAF (Royal Air Force)Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA)Interdepartmental Committee on Internal Security (ICIS)Joint Communications and Electronics CommitteeAir Defense Command (ADC)Research and Development Board (RDB)

Locations

BritainYorkshireLondon

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AI analysis by claude-sonnet-4-6 · July 20, 2026