During the flap of reports of alleged observations of mysterious airships in 1909 in New-Zealand, around July, Clutha Free Press, from Balclutha, received a letter of a correspondent who said that an airship came down in Port Molyneux.
The Bruce Herald newspaper, of Milton, for August 2, 1909, referred in this article of the Clutha Free Press and indicated that some Japanese occupants came out and conversed with the letter's author.
No other detail is available on this case; which gets mentioned in the ufological literature after the end of the 60's.
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[Ref. tb1:] TONY BRUNT:
Tony Brunt indicates that during the "UFO" flap of 1909 in New-Zealand, about July, the Clutha Free Press, of Balclutha, received a letter from a correspondent who said that an airship had come down at Port Molyneux.
According to the newspaper the Bruce Herald, Milton, on 2 August 1909, some Japanese occupants had alighted who had conversed with him, but unfortunately no further details are available on this case.
[Ref. mb1:] MICHEL BOUGARD:
Michel Bougard indicates that on July 25, 1909 in Port-Molyneux in New Zealand, an object was said to have landed and some occupants of the Asian type were said to have conversed with the witness.
He says the source is the "Milton Bruce Herald" for August 2, 1909.
[Ref. kb1:] KEITH BASTERFIELD:
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Later than July 1909, Port Molyneux: An airship is said to have alighted and occupants who looked "Japanese" emerged and engaged a male onlooker in conversation. (Unknown 1909 issue of Clutha Free Press) |
[Ref. bc1:] BILL CHALKER:
Bill Chalker indicates that among several intriguing accounts that have not been accurately dated, the "Bruce Herald" for August 2, 1909, made reference to the "Clutha Free Press" receiving a letter from a correspondent who claimed that an "airship" had landed at Port Molyneux.
The correspondent reported that some of the occupants, whom he said were Japanese, had emerged from the airship and engaged him in conversation.
Bill Chalker notes that unfortunately no copies of the "Clutha Free Press" survive to confirm any further details of the tale.
[Ref. bh1:] ROBERT E. BARTHOLOMEW AND GEORGE S. HOWARD:
The authors indicate that late in July 1909, in Port Molyneux, New Zealand, an airship landed, and the witness reportedly talked with its Japanese-looking occupants.
The authors indicate that the sources are The Bruce Herald, of Milton, New Zealand, for August 2, 1909, citing a 1909 letter sent to and published in The Free Press, of Clutha, New Zealand.
[Ref. go1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
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1909, July 25 |
[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:
Albert Rosales indicates that in Port Molyneux, New Zealand, late in July 1909 at an unknown time, "An anonymous man reported encountering an airship that came down at Port Molyneux. Some Japanese-looking occupants had alighted that had conversed with him. No other information."
Albert Rosales indicates that the source is "Tony Brunt, Xenolog 100/101 Type: B
[Ref. ud1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that in Mid-1909 in Port Molyneux, New Zealand, "Airship said to have landed at Port Molyneux. Occupants looked Japanese, engaged onlooker in conversation."
And: "Close encounter with a craft and its occupants. One object was observed by more than one male witness. A Asiatic being was seen."
The sources are indicated as "Basterfield, Keith, In-depth Review of Australian UFO Related Entity Reports, Australian CUFOS, Lane Cove, 1980", "Webb, David, HUMCAT: Catalogue of Humanoid Reports", "Hill, H. Edward, Catalog Through 1950, (in 5HHL)", "SATCU, Xenolog, Timaru, ISBN:0-8092-3121-2", "Basterfield, Keith, Keith Basterfield investigation files".
[Ref. js1:] JEAN SIDER:
Jean Sider indicates that in late July 1909 in Port Molyneux, New Zealand, according to a reader's letter published in a local newspaper, the landing airship-shaped craft occurred. Four occupants portrayed as Japanese conversed with the witness. There is no other information.
Jean Sider indicates that the source est "LDLN n° 180, December 1978, p. 12, citing Xenolog #100 and #101, article by Tony Brunt citing The Bruce Herald, Milton, NZ, for August 2, 1909".
He comments that Xenolog was the first New Zealand UFO magazine founded by his correspondents Fred and Phyllis Dickeson, of Timaru, retired photographers. the publishing ceased in the late 1970s, and in New Zealand as in Australia, there was no airship at that time.
[Ref. pr1:] PETER ROGERSON:
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Late July 1909 PORT MOLYNEUX (SOUTH ISLAND : NEW ZEALAND) An aerial object landed and from it emerged a group of Asiatic looking men who tried to engage the witness in conversation Alain Gamard citing Bougard p212 citing the Milton Bruce Herald 2 August 1909 |
I used for this file the date indicated by Michel Bougard, but as one sees from the other sources, there is little chance that this date was more than a guess. It is not even certain that the alleged event occurred in July.
In the context of the "airship" flap of 1909 in New Zealand, there was no notion of spaceships or extraterrestrial visitors. This came later as a possible reinterpretation proposed by some ufologists. This interpretation is debatable, but what is essential here is that the occupants of this airship were said to be Japanese-looking, not extraterrestrial-looking, and their machine was an airship, not an alien spaceship.
One of the theories of the time, apparently the main theory, was that these mysterious airships came from a foreign country, and Japan was an ideal candidate. It is thus not unreasonable to suspect that this "reader's letter", at least the bit of information that survived, would be nothing more than a hoax by somebody wanting to look smart by adding weight to this theory.
| Id: | Topic: | Severity: | Date noted: | Raised by: | Noted by: | Description: | Proposal: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data | Severe | July 24, 2007 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Primary source, The Free Press, is missing. | Help needed. | Opened. |
| 2 | Data | Severe | July 24, 2007 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Secondary source, The Bruce Herald, is missing. | Help needed. | Opened. |
| 3 | Ufology | Severe | July 24, 2007 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | "Airship" context, report of Japanese people, single witness, unknown witness, no investigation, no credibility. | - | - |
Hoax.
* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.
| Main Author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Created/Changed By: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | July 24, 2007 | Creation, [tb1], [mb1], [bc1], [bh1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | July 24, 2007 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | March 20, 2013 | Additions [kb1], [ud1], [js1], [pr1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | August 20, 2013 | Addition [go1]. |
