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URECAT - UFO Related Entities Catalog

URECAT is a formal catalog of UFO related entities sightings reports with the goal of providing quality information for accurate studies of the topic. Additional information, corrections and reviews are welcome at patrick.gross@inbox.com, please state if you wish to be credited for your contribution or not. The main page of the URECAT catalog is here.

JULY 25, 1909, PORT-MOLYNEUX, CLUTHA, NEW ZEALAND, A CORRESPONDENT:

Brief summary of the event and follow-up:

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.

Basic information table:

Case number: URECAT-000270
Date of event: July 25, 1909
Earliest report of event: August 2, 1909
Delay of report: Days, months.
Witness reported via: Letter to newspaper.
First alleged record by: Newspaper.
First certain record by: Ufology article.
First alleged record type: Newspaper.
First certain record type: Ufology article.
This file created on: July 24, 2007
This file last updated on: August 20, 2013
Country of event: New Zealand
State/Department: Clutha
Type of location: Not reported or town.
Lighting conditions: Not reported.
UFO observed: Yes
UFO arrival observed: Not reported.
UFO departure observed: Not reported.
UFO/Entity Relation: Certain
Witnesses numbers: 1
Witnesses ages: Not reported. Adult.
Witnesses types: Uncertain, journalist or reader.
Photograph(s): No.
Witnesses drawing: No.
Witnesses-approved drawing: No.
Number of entities: Several
Type of entities: Human
Entities height: Not reported.
Entities outfit type: Not reported.
Entities outfit color: Not reported.
Entities skin color: Not reported.
Entities body: Not reported.
Entities head: Not reported.
Entities eyes: Not reported.
Entities mouth: Not reported.
Entities nose: Not reported.
Entities feet: Not reported.
Entities arms: Not reported.
Entities fingers: Not reported.
Entities fingers number: Not reported.
Entities hair: Not reported.
Entities voice: Spoke English.
Entities actions: Came out of UFO, discussed with witness.
Entities/witness interactions: Discussed with witness.
Witness(es) reactions: Observed, discussed.
Witness(es) feelings: Not reported.
Witness(es) interpretation: Japanese airship crew.
Explanation category: Hoax.
Explanation certainty: Medium.

Narratives:

[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:

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:

1909, July 25
NEW ZEALAND, Port-Molyneux
In Port Molyneux the object even reprtedly landed and some Asian looking occupants had a conversation with the witness. (Michel BOUGARD: "La chronique des OVNI" - Delarge 1977, p. 212)

[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:

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
Basterfield 1980 citing Saga UFO Report 2,2 citing the Clutha Free Press not dated)

Points to consider:

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.

List of issues:

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. - -

Evaluation:

Hoax.

Sources references:

* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.

Document history:

Authoring

Main Author: Patrick Gross
Contributors: None
Reviewers: None
Editor: Patrick Gross

Changes history

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].

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This page was last updated on August 20, 2013