When the case occurred, it was Arthur Shuttlewood who published it. He was the chief editor with the local weekly newspaper The Warminster Journal and reported in January 1965 that on December 25, 1964, on Christmas Day, a lady, later indicated to be Marjorie Bye, had a weird experience.
Mrs. Bye, housewife from Bradley Road, Warminster, was walking to the mass to Christ church in Warminster at 06:30 a.m., when she heard a crackling noise coming from the direction of Bell Hill. She initially thought that it was a truck spreading grit on the hill, but the noise became louder, passed above her head and continued towards Ludlow Close.
She described this noise as similar to the sound of branches trailed on gravel, as well as a weak humming noise. The noise level was no stronger than a talking voice. The sky was dark, starry, and she saw nothing in the sky above her. She was frightened to the point of getting shaky knees.
In his article, Shuttlewood mentions possible explanations. In addition to a humorous remark on "the takeoff of Father Christmas", he evokes more judicious explanations, such as an electric static crackling in power lines, which constitutes in my view an explanation fitting the story quite well. But it seems that Shuttlewood did not care to investigate, to check if there were or weren't not a power line from the direction of Bell Hill to that of Ludlow Close while passing by above Mrs. Bye.
The case could have been resting there, but because a whole a series of other more or less strange events emerged in one way or another in Warminster and in the surroundings, Arthur Shuttlewood wrote in 1967 in his first UFO book a very different version of the occurrence, much more dramatic.
It was now a matter of a "menacing sound", with "sudden vibrations came overhead, chilling in intensity... descending on her savagely, caught her... in a grip of steel, a peculiar droning." she was "pinned down by invisible fingers of sound", "wailing, whining, droning - frightening!"
As alleged UFO sightings were reported months later in the area, this "initial case" became one of the many cases of strange phenomena linked to UFOs and aliens called "The Warminster Thing", and the newspapers all around the world told about it.
In 1967, a not so cautious UFO book author seems to have associated the experience with some observed UFO, and towards 2008, the case entered a ufology catalogue, presented without great details, as having taken place on December 25, 1965, and being a UFO and nonhuman occupants sighting.
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[Ref. wj1:] THE WARMINSTER JOURNAL:
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[Ref. dr1:] STEVE DEWEY AND JOHN RIES:
In their book on the Warminster Mystery, the authors discuss the experience by Marjorie Bye and how it was reported. They indicate that on December 25, 1964, at 06:12 she was walking to the Holy Communion Service at Christ Church in Warminster, and as she approached the church, the air about her filled with "menacing sound. Sudden vibrations came overhead, chilling in intensity... descending on her savagely, caught her... in a grip of steel, a peculiar droning."
Before she had reached the church wall, "shockwaves of violent force pounded at her head, neck and shoulders and numbed her. Helpless, she was pinned down by invisible fingers of sound. Wailing, whining, droning - frightening!"
The authors indicate that she was greatly shocked and had difficulties to reach the church; which is normal as the road must have been empty and dark at that time and that day. They indicate that Arthur Shuttlewood pointed to her bravery in coming forward and that she wanted no publicity and wished her report remained anonymous. Shuttlewood noted that her name was leaked later in the year but gave no indication why her name was leaked and by whom.
The authors discuss the experience of weird noises by Roger Rump and explain that although Shuttlewood saw it as "almost identical" to Mrs Bye's report, in Shuttlewood's own description it was not identical.
[Ref. uw1:] "UFO WARMINSTER" WEBSITE:
In a timeline on the numerous Warminster UFO related events, the website indicates that an event on December 25, 1964, at 06:12 a.m., involving Marjorie Bye, in Christ Church.
Apparently from a newspaper, it was said that "The sonic deluge broke with full fury on an ordinary housewife". Mentioned are weirdly crackling noises, menacing sound, sudden vibrations, shockwaves of violent force.
[Ref. uw2:] "UFO WARMINSTER" WEBSITE:
The authors tell the story of the "Warminster Thing" alleged phenomena, and indicate that on December 25, 1964, at 06:12, Marjorie Bye walked to the Holy Communion Service at Christ Church in Warminster. when she approached the church, the air about her filled with what was described as a "menacing sound", and "sudden vibrations" that came overhead with chilling intensity, "descending on her savagely", catching her "in a grip of steel, a peculiar droning."
Before she had reached the church wall, "shockwaves of violent force pounded at her head, neck and shoulders and numbed her." It is told that she was helpless, and "pinned down by invisible fingers of sound", "wailing, whining, droning - frightening!"
It is said that she was greatly shocked and had difficulties reaching the church.
The authors explain that the event was reported by Arthur Shuttlewood, who also dramatically claimed that Roger Rump, Warminster's head postmaster, heard noises almost identical to those described by Marjorie Bye, and that such events were the true genesis of the "Warminster Thing" phenomenon, as opposed to UFO sightings that appeared only later.
[Ref. kg1:] KEVIN GOODMAN:
The author indicates that the long and checkered UFO history at Warminster began on December 25, 1964, when Marjorie Bye was walking to early morning Mass at Christ Church.
He indicates that Arthur Shuttlewood, who at the time was the features editor on the local weekly newspaper The Warminster Journal, reported in his book The Warminster Mystery that: "The air was brazenly filled with a menacing sound. Sudden vibrations came overhead, chilling in intensity. They tore the quiet atmosphere to raucous rags and descended upon her savagely... shockwaves pounded at her head, neck and shoulders."
[Ref. ud1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on December 25, 1965, in the morning in Warminster, UK, an encounter was reported with inhuman beings involving radiation effects. One object was observed by one witness called Bye.
The sources are indicated as Steiger, Brad, Flying Saucers are Hostile, Award A234S, New York, 1967, and newspaper clippings.
This was the first reported event of what would later develop as "the Warminster Thing", a complex series of sometimes UFO related events of all kinds, more or less accurately reported or documented, and talked about in the Press, worldwide.
It was only months later that the events, mostly sounds in the beginning, became associated to UFOs and alien spaceship. Many critics have pointed out that only shoddy investigations were done and that the "Warminster Thing" was essentially, if not entirely, a hype.
See the case summary at the top of the page for more notes.
It should be noted that Arthur Shuttlewood also claimed to have received, starting on September 1965, phone calls from extraterrestrials from "planet Aenstria", from Caellsan, the chief of their spaceship, Selorik, their interpreter, and Traellison, the queen of their planet.
| Id: | Topic: | Severity: | Date noted: | Raised by: | Noted by: | Description: | Proposal: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None. | ||||||||
Is neither a UFO case not a CE3. Possible ordinary explanation.
* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.
| Main Author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | Reader reported error that lead to version 1.1. |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Created/Changed By: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | May 29, 2008 | Creation, [wj1], [dr1], [uw1], [uw2], [kg1], [ud1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | May 29, 2008 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | July 2, 2008 | Correction, sources [uw1], [uw2] sont are by Steve Devey and Kevin Goodman, not Steve Devey and John Ries. |
