1947 Newspaper Clippings
Here are some interesting clippings kindly sent to us by researcher Jan Aldrich of UFO activity over British Columbia during the summer of 1947.
June 30 1947
Saucers Over Vancouver
Two Vancouver citizens reported Saturday that they had seen the mysterious, round, shining objects flying over that city at great speed.
William Crodie reported that he sighted "a silvery object without wings or tail" Friday night. He said it was sinking slowly.
A woman who would not permit the use of her name told a reporter she saw some vaporous disc-shaped objects swoop over her house a month ago, but didn't tell anyone because "people would think I was crazy."
July 7, 1947
Flying Saucers Reported At Castlegar
Trail, BC - - The disc-like "flying saucers" have been spotted speeding across the night skies over Castlegar, BC, 20 miles North of here on the Kootenay River.
An anonymous caller telephoned the Trail Times today to report sighting the mystery objects last night, but he gave no details.
July 7, 1947
Victoria Sightings
Flying saucers were reported seen in Victoria during the weekend and according to observers"did all kinds of peculiar things."
Dr. Joseph A. Pearce of the Dominion Astronomical Observatory, said today that no discs had been observed.
July 7, 1947
'Saucers' Follow Local 'Tornadoes'
July 7, 1947 - The mystery of the "flying saucers" became more and more mystifying to local residents over the weekend as six persons, three of them residents of Maillardville, laid claim to having seen the flashing discs streaking through the sky at various times on Sunday.
Antoine Beauregard, painter, said that he was working on a house during the afternoon and suddenly saw "a shiny aluminum disc" cross the blue sky "at a height of about fifteen miles!"
"It was about 300 feet long," said Mr. Beauregard. "My eyesight is very very good and I can judge distance and height accurately."
A Columbian reporter today tried to catch up with Mr. Beauregard, but he was not at his work. He was seen along Columbia street during the morning, but the reporter was unable to find him to get his story of the cavorting crockery.
Mrs. Beauregard said she knew little of what her husband saw.
"My husband said that he saw a shiny, round disc, bigger than most and sort of squared off on one side. That is all I really know about it!"
Others laying claim to having seen the "saucers" were Mrs. V.M. Bailey, Mrs. Edward Vere and Mrs. Carol Watkins, who were sitting on the steps of a cabin at the Old Orchard Auto Camp about 4 pm Sunday when they saw "a cloud of dust like two small tornadoes over the hill toward New Westminster."
According to the report, three discs then followed the dust up from behind the trees.
All of which goes to show that Saturday's anonymous phone caller was a prophet of sorts. The caller inquired of The Columbian newsroom as to whether or not any flying saucers had been reported over New Westminster. To the answer "not yet," came the retort, "With all these holidaying Americans in the city you can expect some calls anytime."
July 8, 1947
More BC Points Report 'Saucers'
"Flying saucer" observers in BC mounted to 13 Monday night as reports poured in from all over North America and one from far off Sydney, Australia.
Latest Vancouver report came Monday night when Helen Favor, reported that she and her father sighted an object "about the size of a star, but round and shiny" travelling "real quick in a north/easterly direction."
The disc was "like lightning." she said, "and disappeared quickly in the sky."
An anonymous caller reported seeing the mystery discs Sunday night, speeding through the night skies over Castlegar, 20 miles north of Trail on the Kootenay River.
Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Mesher, with C. Thompson and his wife report seeing glittering objects "like electric light globes with the sun shining on them," while in Victoria looking towards Mount Douglas.
July 9, 1947
3 WOMEN SEE ONE
A new British Columbia report comes from Saanich, Vancouver Island where four women said they watched a flying disc in the northern sky for several minutes before it fluttered out of sight.
The women, Mrs. M.E. Bateman, Mrs. T. Moore, Mrs. Sheridan and Mrs. R. Beecher were standing on Lurline Road at about 10 am Tuesday when they noticed the object.
Mrs. Bateman reported the object appeared to fall toward the earth, then fluttered, and rose.
July 9, 1947
FLYING SAUCERS SEEN HERE
"Big as houses" Seen at Honeymoon Bay.
On Monday evening, about 6:20 pm, Mr. George Clayards, company Policy Officer for Honeymoon Bay, glanced into the sky and was somewhat taken aback when he observed four large light objects careening across the sky. In Mr. Clayards own words, he described them as being as large as a house, about three to five miles away and travelling in a westerly direction. Most reports claimed that the "flying saucers" were heading either north or east. The `saucers' sped across the heavens in a dipping and undulating motion and must have had terrific speed.
July 10, 1947
VICTORIA PHOTOGRAPHER `SHOOTS 'FLYING DISC
George Bateson, former flier with the Royal Air Force who did considerable serial photography in the service, and who is now a photographer with Campbell studios, "shot" a flying disc this morning while strolling through Beacon Hill Park.
He was not prepared to say it was "a flying disc, or saucer" but declared "it's flat, round and was airborne, so naturally it's a disc."
Of course the shot did no damage, the "shot" being from his camera.
On being pressed to say whether it was saucer-shaped Bateson remarked: "Lord, I don't know." "It was wavering a little and shining and seemed to be going fairly fast. I can't estimate the speed. I saw it for about a minute and then it disappeared behind tall trees."
July 10, 1947
MISSION, BC
A Woman and three boys report seeing "mysterious flying saucers." Mrs. R. f. Lock, Welton Avenue, observed the particular objects around 9:50 Tuesday evening. Mrs. Lock's three sons brought the objects to her attention exclaiming, "Look, look at the ducks." No other persons observed the strange phenomena, and Mrs. Lock stated that approximately two dozen objects flew in first a V formation and then into a straight line at a terrific speed - before disappearing" - Thanks to Gary H. for submitting this Mission Record article to us. It is only an excerpt from the May 29, 2008 addition that looked back at past articles in the last 100 years.
July 11, 1947
ROSSLAND TRIO SPOTS FLYING DISC NEAR NELSON
Now they've been seen over Nelson area - the flying saucers, of course.
A trio of Rossland fishermen, bound for main Kootenay Lake, arrived here after midnight Friday morning to report excitedly that they had sighted a fast-moving oval about 15-feet in diameter flashing across the sky just as they were driving up Taghum hill on the Trail-Nelson highway.
"It didn't look very high to us," said Dick McLean of the party. It seemed to give off a light as though reflecting from the moon, although the sky was cloudy.
July 11,1947
Flying Saucers Over Nanaimo
Record of this city as one of the few spots devoid of "flying saucer" reports was broken today when Mrs. R. H. Leighton and her father reported spotting one overhead in a telephone call to the Nanaimo Free Press.
"It appeared to be a balloon, scintillating when in range of sun rays, but its travelling speed was too fast for a balloon," Mrs. Leighton said "It seemed to turn, so that while at times it appeared to be round, at other times it was flat and disc-like. It travelled West, toward Ladysmith, at a maintained speed."
July 12, 1947
NO SAUCERS, FLYING THAT IS, AT MESACHIE
Mesachie Lake - This growing little up-island logging centre made news today.
It has reversed the usual procedure and reports no one in the community has seen a "flying saucer." It is not because residents have not tried hard enough either according to correspondents.
It seems Mesachie Lake and its sister community, Honeymoon Bay, 2 1/2 miles apart, have nearly grown together in the past five years. They are friendly rivals. Honeymoon Bay beat the lake to the "flying saucer" reports and Mesachie residents have gazed into the sky to try to see what their sister community saw.
They sadly report: "No saucers, flying that is."
July 14, 1947
COAST SCIENTIST SAYS "SAUCERS" WERE REMNANTS OF COMET
Vancouver - An anonymous scientist affiliated with the University of British Columbia, said that he saw Friday night "a group of seven" so-called "flying saucers" shooting through the night sky.
The scientist, who asked that his name not be disclosed, described the objects as being flounder-shaped with little tails and exuding a fluorescent-like light.
He explained them as remnants of a comet not yet discovered.
"They lasted only a few seconds and dissolved when they hit the atmosphere," he said. "We are passing through the tail of a comet which has been here for 5000 years. The object definitely was not foreign missiles. No country could develop anything that fast."
July 16, 1947
Weather Balloon Lands Here
In his yard, Saturday morning, Mr. C. Arnell found a US Army Signal Corps weather balloon, believed to have come from an airport in Washington State.
There were rubber fragments, probably the remains of the balloon, and a parachute, resembling crepe paper. The 'chute was bright red.
Complicated mechanism is enclosed in a box-like affair and weighs not more than 2 lbs.
Such height was likely reached that the balloon burst. The remainder then floated down with the parachute.
Similar balloons have been found before on Vancouver Island.
July 17, 1947
FLYING SAUCER SEEN AGAIN OVER MISSION
A strange object in the sky that might have been a "flying saucer" was seen at 11:12 o'clock Monday morning by Gordon Coleman, Mission City.
While watching an airplane from the Pacific Co-op, west warehouse, Mr. Coleman reports seeing an odd object in the sky.
"It looked something like a quarter moon and as if it was made of some shiny silver metal.
"It disappeared in a matter of seconds, going in a westerly direction.
No one else observed the strange phenomena as far as can be ascertained.
September 4, 1947
FLYING SAUCERS OVER CORTEZ ?
Mr. D. Slater and Mr. l. Haines, boom men for the Munro Logging Company, reported seeing approximately twenty flying saucers on the morning of August 20th at about 8:30 am. They heard a roaring sound like a big gust of wind and looked up to see what was the cause. The objects were moving from east to west and travelling at a great speed twisting and turning above and below each other as they passed over Coulter Bay.
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