DECEMBER 3, 1912, PORTSMOUTH, HAMPSHIRE, U-K., PEOPLE:
Brief summary of the event and follow-up:
In 1977, ufologist Michel Bougard wrote that on December 3, 1912, by night, in Portsmouth, U-K, an aerial ship with four occupants came from the north, hovered about fifteen minutes above the city, and went away towards the north. No additional details are given.
But it appears that at the times, newspaper had already suspected it was a British Army dirigible airship, coming and returning to the Army facilities in the North in Aldershot, and Flight magazine had confirmed it was the Beta II airship. It was by day, not night, and besides, witnesses had specified it had the Army Ensign.
The website indicates that on 3 December 1912 in the afternoon, in Portsmouth, UK, "Objects were observed. Occupants of the craft were seen. More than one object was observed for over 15 minutes."
The sources are indicated as Rogerson, Peter, World-Wide Catalog of Type 1 Reports; Newspaper Clippings".
Dr Brett Holman is an independent historian from Melbourne, Australia, interested in the place of aviation in British society and culture in the first half of the 20th century.
He indicates that the following occurrence happened on 3 December 1912:
An unknown airship was seen to hover over the naval port town of Portsmouth in the afternoon for fifteen minutes. Since it was observed to fly the White Ensign and flew from and to the direction of Aldershot to the north, where the army’s airships were based, it was presumed that the navy had borrowed one for testing purposes, or that it was a previously unknown naval airship. Flight confirmed that it was in fact the army’s Beta II.
He indicates that the sources are The Times, 4 December 1912, p. 6; Manchester Guardian, 4 December 1912, p. 16; Flight, 7 December 1912, p. 1143.
Points to consider:
So, this is an easily explained case.
Below, a picture of the Britsh Army's Beta II dirigible, near Cambridge, U-K., in Septembre 1912:
Aldershot is really in the North of Portsmouth.
List of issues:
Id:
Topic:
Severity:
Date noted:
Raised by:
Noted by:
Description:
Proposal:
Status:
None.
Evaluation:
British Army blimp Beta II.
Sources references:
* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.
[---] ? The Times, newspaper, page 6, December 4, 1912.
[---] ? The Guardian, newspaper, Manchester , U-K. page 16, December 4, 1912.
[---] ? Flight, magazine, U-K., page 1143, December 7, 1912.
[mb1] * "La Chronique des O.V.N.I", book by Michel Bougard, France-Loisir - Jean-Pierre Delarge publishers, France, page 221, 1977.
[ud1] * "3 Dec 1912 - Portsmouth, UK", web page by the UFOdna website, circa 2006, at www.thecid.com/ufo/uf09/uf5/095903.htm
[bh1] * "The British phantom airship scares, 1909-1913", blog by Dr Brett Holman, found 2013, at airminded.org/scareships/category/location/england/hampshire/portsmouth
