ACUFO-1944-10-13-SZEKEDFEHERVAR-1
According to Wikipedia (EN), as of 2024, the 2021 book "UFOs Before Roswell: European Foo Fighters 1940-1945" by Graeme Rendall, tells on page 125 of a sighting of October 13, 1944:
"An RAF crew from No. 178 Squadron based in Italy reported seeing lights following their aircraft over Hungary during a night raid on Székesfehérvár. A B-24 Liberator KH103 flown by Pilot Officer Taylor was followed by an intermittent red light for several minutes. (22) The squadron had started reporting numerous similar instances as early as April 1944 and would continue doing so throughout the remainder of 1944 and into 1945."
| Date: | October 13, 1944 |
|---|---|
| Time: | Probable night. |
| Duration: | ? |
| First known report date: | 2021 |
| Reporting delay: | 8 decades. |
| Country: | Hungary |
|---|---|
| State/Department: | Fejér |
| City or place: | Székesfehérvár |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 or more. |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | ? |
| Number of named witnesses: | 1 |
| Reporting channel: | UFO book Graeme Rendall. |
|---|---|
| Visibility conditions: | Night. |
| UFO observed: | Yes. |
| UFO arrival observed: | ? |
| UFO departure observed: | ? |
| UFO action: | Follows. |
| Witnesses action: | ? |
| Photographs: | No. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | ? |
| Witnesses interpretation: | ? |
| Sensors: |
[X] Visual: 1 or more.
[ ] Airborne radar: [ ] Directional ground radar: [ ] Height finder ground radar: [ ] Photo: [ ] Film/video: [ ] EM Effects: [ ] Failures: [ ] Damages: |
|---|---|
| Hynek: | ? |
| Armed / unarmed: | Armed, machine guns. |
| Reliability 1-3: | 1 |
| Strangeness 1-3: | 2 |
| ACUFO: | Uncorroborated information. |
[Ref. wia1:] "WIKIPEDIA EN":
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13 October 1944: An RAF crew from No.178 Squadron based in Italy reported seeing lights following their aircraft over Hungary during a night raid on Székesfehérvár. A B-24 Liberator KH103 flown by Pilot Officer Taylor was followed by an intermittent red light for several minutes. (22) The squadron had started reporting numerous similar instances as early as April 1944 and would continue doing so throughout the remainder of 1944 and into 1945. (23)
The source (22) is described as "Rendall, Graeme (2021). UFOs Before Roswell: European Foo Fighters 1940-1945. Reiver Country Books. p. 125. ISBN 9798464991583. Rendall, Graeme (2021). UFOs Before Roswell: European Foo Fight" Source (23) is described as: "Rendall, Graeme (2021). UFOs Before Roswell: European Foo Fighters 1940-1945. Reiver Country Books. p. 125. ISBN 9798464991583."
The source (23) is described as "Rendall, Graeme (2021). UFOs Before Roswell: European Foo Fighters 1940-1945. Reiver Country Books. p. 125. ISBN 9798464991583. Rendall, Graeme (2021). UFOs Before Roswell: European Foo Fight" Source (23) is described as: "Rendall, Graeme (2021). UFOs Before Roswell: European Foo Fighters 1940-1945. Reiver Country Books. p. Chapter 2. ISBN 9798464991583."
The Consolidated B-24 "Liberator" (photo below) was an American heavy bomber used during World War II by the Allied air and naval forces.
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The Royal Air Force No.178 Squadron was equipped with Liberators at Shandur, Egypt, on January 15, 1943. It then moved to Lybia, then Italy from March 1944. The squadron was actively involved in the air drop operations in support of the besieged Polish Home Army in Warsaw in 1944.
The British National Archive in Kew have an Operations Record Book of No 178 Squadron, under reference "AIR 27/1121" covering operations from October 1, 1944, to October 31, 1944.
This document confirms on page 4 that there was a No.178 Squadron raid on Székesfehérvár on October 13, 1944.
But it says nothing like lights "following their aircraft over Hungary", and nothing about a "B-24 Liberator KH103 flown by Pilot Officer Taylor" "followed by an intermittent red light for several minutes":
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Page No. 4
| Place | Date | Time | Summary of Events | References to Appendices |
| AMENDOLA ITALY |
13.10.44 |
Night operation 9 Liberators from 17.30 to 23.03 bombed SZEKESPEHERVAR MARSHALLING YARDS at 20.10/15 hours from 9,200/10,500 feet. One aircraft detailed for this operation failed to return to base. Results: all aircraft bombed the Target Indicators which were well placed on the yards. Most of the aircraft saw their bombs burst in the vicinity of the Target Indicators. Several large fires were left bruning, and in some cases they were seen som 60-90 miles from the target. Several large explosions were also observed during this period. Bombing was well concentrated, round the Target Indicators. Weather: visibility fair. General weather good. Opposition: 8-10 Heavy Anti Aircraft guns and 4-5 Light Anti Aircraft guns. Much Light Anti Aircraft fire North and East of LAKE BALATON. Seveal cases of air to air firing were seen in the vicinity of thet target and what appeared to be 2 aircraft were seen to go down in flames. Intermittent red lights were again seen in the sky north of ZAGREB. Bombs dropped: 48x1000lbs G.P.T.I. 36x500lbs incendiaries. Hours flown: 46.06 hours. |
"A" "B" "C" |
In the report's "Postings" section, the name "R. R. Taylor" appears, as a Flight Officer, with the 422753 number. In the other missions that month, nothing like following lights or other anomalies appear.
Pilot Officer Taylor does not appear in an official list of lost airmen of No 178 Squadron, so he likely survived WWII.
A B-24 database lists the B-24 serial number 10668, as being given to the Royal Air Force as "Liberator B.VI", with number "KH103", and as having been scrapped on March 12, 1947. This further confirms the crew must have survived WWII.
I am currently looking for the Appendices "A" "B" "C" of the "AIR 27/1121" in case anything anomalous was noted in there.
Uncorroborated information.
* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.
| Main author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | April 23, 2024 | Creation, [wia1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | April 23, 2024 | First published. |
